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Center Parcs!
Hello Everyone! Welcome to this weeks Hocks Summer Holidays! This week we will be telling you all about +Center Parcs UK! Center Parcs have a number of holiday villages in the UK, each one located within a beautiful forest. There are a few different types of accommodation to choose from including traditional lodges and some parcs even have hotels. So far, Center Parcs have 5 Parcs in the UK, these are in Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Sherwood Forest in Nottingham and the newest one being Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire. Center Parcs have also recently announced that they will be building a new Parc in County Longford, Ireland, this is expected to open in 2019.
Now, it is no secret that the Hocks absolutely LOVE Center Parcs. In fact, we have visited Center Parcs every year without fail for the past 4 years, some years we have even been twice! There is just something about entering the peaceful forest for a week that keeps us coming back again and again. When you enter a Center Parcs Village you just instantly relax and forget about any worries you may have in the outside world, its lovely. We do have one complaint though, the week goes far too quickly and we never want to leave!!
One thing we love about Center Parcs is that it can be whatever kind of holiday you want it to be. It can be an active holiday, a lazy, relaxing holiday or a bit of both! There really is something for everyone, from action packed activities such as paintballing to relaxing activities such as pottery painting. The list of things to do is endless. Adults and Children of all ages are catered for!
We have been to all the Parcs apart from the newest one in Woburn Forest. We did book to go to Woburn Forest in November last year but due to them not having their famous Winter Wonderland there and hearing a few bad reviews we decided to swap to Elveden instead and wait a few years for Woburn to settle in before visiting there. Our favorite Parc is without a doubt Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. We have tried all the others but we are always drawn back there, in fact we have a holiday booked there in July! It is also a big bonus that it is the closest to get to for us! Our least favorite was Longleat Forest, It was just too big for us, it didn't feel as relaxing and intimate as the others. It was very hilly and everything was so far apart. We were all full of cold that week too which didn't help. We do know of a few people who love Longleat though so it really is a matter of personal taste. What is perfect for one family might be the opposite for another, so sour suggestion is research each village before booking to decide which one is right for you!
Now, lets look at the accommodation and prices in each +Center Parcs UK Village this Summer! As always, We have worked as a family of 4 consisting of 2 adults and 2 children in August. These Prices were correct as of 08/04/2015 but Center Parcs do often change prices on a daily / weekly basis. For full up to the minute prices, please check out www.centerparcs.co.uk
Whinfell Forest
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| The Whinfell Forest Village Map, This can be seen better and even downloaded on the Center Parcs Website |
2 Bedroomed Comfort Lodge £899 £599
Center Parcs describe their 2 Bedroom Comfort lodges at Whinfell like this. "This two-bedroom terraced Comfort Lodge is our best value choice and includes all the basic essentials you'll need for a great stay with us. Original style décor and a sociable open plan setting makes this accommodation perfect for those looking to simply enjoy the many activities available at Center Parcs. It features a well-equipped kitchen, open plan living and dining area, bathroom and a private patio."
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2 Bedroom Woodland Lodge £979 £629
It is worth noting that you can get a 2 bedroom woodland lodge that is detached for 1049.
Center Parcs describe their 2 Bedroom Woodland Lodges at Whinfell Like this. " Stylish interior design, open plan living and oak-style flooring make our Woodland Lodges a popular choice. Fitted with modern furnishings, features and appliances, this two-bedroom terraced Lodge makes a great choice of accommodation for you to relax and enjoy the Center Parcs experience."
2 Bedroomed 2 Storey Executive Lodge £1099 £699
Center Parcs describe their 2 Bedroomed 2 storey executive lodges at Whinfell like this. "Our original style two-storey Executive Lodges are set in terraces and feature traditional décor but include those little luxuries to make your break extra special. It features two en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, a fully equipped kitchen and open plan living and dining area. This accommodation also benefits from a daily maid service, flat screen TV in the lounge and all bedrooms, as well as Wi-Fi. Please note: this accommodation has electric panel heaters throughout instead of an open fire."
So that is the accommodation at Whinfell. Later in the Blog we will tell you a few extras that you can add and of course tell you about the activities that are available during your stay, both Free and Charged. So Here are Just a few more pictures of the General Areas in Whinfell and some from our holidays there.
On +TripAdvisor Whinfell Forest Center Parcs has a 81% Thumbs up rating. There have been 5212 Reviews of which 3658 were reviews by Families. 2720 rated excellent, 1511 rated Very Good, 597 Rated Average, 266 rated Poor and 118 rated Terrible. You read these reviews and see peoples pictures taken at Whinfell forest by clicking Here
Longleat Forest
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| The Longleat Forest Village Map, This can be seen better and even downloaded on the Center Parcs Website |
2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodge £1099 £699
Center Parcs describe their Longleat Forest 2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodges like this. "The Woodland Lodge features interior design by Tara Bernerd, It has a modern fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, Modern open plan living and dining area, 2 bedrooms and shared modern bathroom, central heating throughout. Bed linen and towels provided."
2 Bedroomed 2 Storey Executive Apartment £1149 £729
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Center Parcs describe their Longleat Forest 2 Bedroomed 2 Storey Executive apartments like this. "The Original Style Executive Apartments have a well equipped kitchen (no oven), living and dining area on the lower floor, 2 bedrooms and en-suite bath/shower rooms on the upper floor, central heating throughout. Bed linen and towels provided."
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New Style 2 Bedroomed Executive Lodge £1199 £729
Centre Parcs describe their Longleat Forest New Style 2 Bedroomed Executive Lodges like this. "The New Style Executive Lodge features interior design by Tara Bernerd, it has a modern fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, modern open plan living and dining area, 2 bedrooms and modern bath/shower rooms. Central heating throughout. Bed linen and towels provided."
For More Information on exactly what you do and don't get in each of the different lodges please refer to the Center Parcs Website page by clicking Here
So that is the accommodation at Longleat. Later in the Blog we will tell you a few extras that you can add and of course tell you about the activities that are available during your stay, both Free and Charged. So Here are Just a few more pictures of the General Areas in Longleat and some from our holidays there.
On +TripAdvisor Longleat Forest Center Parcs has a 77% Thumbs up rating. There have been 4450 Reviews of which 3120 were reviews by Families. 2006 rated excellent, 1444 rated Very Good, 603 Rated Average, 250 rated Poor and 147 rated Terrible. You read these reviews and see peoples pictures taken at Longleat forest by clicking Here
Elveden Forest
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| The Elveden Forest Village Map, This can be seen better and even downloaded on the Center Parcs Website |
As per the other Forests, Here is the Accommodation available and prices
2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodge £979 £679
Center Parcs describe their Elveden Forest 2 bedroomed Woodland Lodges like this. "Stylish interior design, open plan living and oak-style flooring make our Woodland Lodges a popular choice. This contemporary two-bedroom detached Lodge is fitted with modern furnishings, features and appliances, making it a great choice of accommodation for you to relax in and enjoy the Center Parcs experience."
2 Bedroomed New Style Executive Lodge £1249 £759
Center Parcs describe their Elveden Forest 2 Bedroomed New Style Executive Lodges like this. "This New Style Executive Lodge incorporates the very latest in modern interior design with new furnishings, features and appliances. With two en-suite bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and open plan living and dining, this is a perfect choice for those wanting to add a touch of luxury to their break. This accommodation also benefits from a daily maid service, en-suite bathroom/shower rooms, flat screen TV in the lounge and all the bedrooms, as well as Wi-Fi."
For More Information on exactly what you do and don't get in each of the different lodges please refer to the Center Parcs Website page by clicking Here
So that is the accommodation at Elveden. Later in the Blog we will tell you a few extras that you can add and of course tell you about the activities that are available during your stay, both Free and Charged. So Here are Just a few more pictures of the General Areas in Elveden and some from our holidays there.
On +TripAdvisor Elveden Forest Center Parcs has a 76% Thumbs up rating. There have been 4731 Reviews of which 3162 were reviews by Families. 2083 rated excellent, 1520 rated Very Good, 651 Rated Average, 304 rated Poor and 173 rated Terrible. You read these reviews and see peoples pictures taken at Elveden forest by clicking Here
Sherwood Forest
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| The Elveden Forest Village Map, This can be seen better and even downloaded on the Center Parcs Website |
So, as with all the other villages, here are the Accommodations available and prices.
2 Bedroomed Comfort Plus Lodge £949 £659
Center Parcs describe their Sherwood Forest 2 Bedroomed Comfort Plus Lodges like this. "The Comfort Plus Villas offer practicality and good value with all the basic essentials in a sociable open plan setting. It features traditional style design with those added little extras that make a big difference - such as a DVD player, TV in master bedroom, dishwasher and towels."
2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodge £999 £679
Center Parcs describe their Sherwood Forest 2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodge Like this. "Stylish interior design, open plan living and oak-style flooring make our Woodland Lodges a popular choice. This contemporary two-bedroom Lodge is fitted with modern furnishings, features and appliances. This is a great choice of accommodation for you and your family to relax in and enjoy the Center Parcs experience."
2 Bedroomed 2 Storey Executive Lodge £1199 £779
Center Parcs describe their Sherwood Forest 2 Bedroomed 2 Storey Executive lodges like this. "The New Style two-storey Executive Lodge incorporates the very latest in modern interior design with stylish furnishings and appliances. It features two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances at your fingertips and open plan living and dining area. To make your break extra special we have added daily maid service, en-suite bathroom/shower rooms, Wi-Fi and flat screen TV in the lounge and all the bedrooms."
For More Information on exactly what you do and don't get in each of the different lodges please refer to the Center Parcs Website page by clicking Here
So that is the accommodation at Sherwood. Later in the Blog we will tell you a few extras that you can add and of course tell you about the activities that are available during your stay, both Free and Charged. So Here are Just a few more pictures of the General Areas in Sherwood and some from our holidays there.
On +TripAdvisor Sherwood Forest Center Parcs has a 79% Thumbs up rating. There have been 4853 Reviews of which 3355 were reviews by Families. 2417 rated excellent, 1421 rated Very Good, 619 Rated Average, 245 rated Poor and 151 rated Terrible. You read these reviews and see peoples pictures taken at Sherwood forest by clicking Here
Woburn Forest
So, Woburn Forest is the newest Park for Center Parcs, We haven't been as yet. But here are the accommodation choices and prices.
2 Bedroomed Woodland Lodge £1099 £699
Center Parcs describe their 2 bedroomed Woodland Lodges at Woburn like this. "Stylish interior design, open plan living and oak-style flooring make our Woodland Lodges a popular choice. This contemporary two-bedroom Lodge is fitted with modern furnishings, features and appliances, making it a great choice of accommodation for you to relax in and enjoy the Center Parcs experience."
2 Bedroomed Executive Lodge £1249 £799
Center Parcs describe their Woburn 2 Bedroomed Executive Lodges like this. "This Executive Lodge incorporates the very latest in modern interior design with stylish furnishings, features and appliances. With two en-suite bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and open plan living and dining, this is the perfect choice for families who want to add a touch of luxury to their break. This accommodation also benefits from a daily maid service, en-suite bathroom/shower rooms, Wi-Fi and flatscreen TV in the lounge and in all the bedrooms. It also features a hydrobath to help you unwind after an active day."
For More Information on exactly what you do and don't get in each of the different lodges please refer to the Center Parcs Website page by clicking Here
So that is the accommodation at Woburn. Later in the Blog we will tell you a few extras that you can add and of course tell you about the activities that are available during your stay, both Free and Charged. So Here are Just a few more pictures of the General Areas in Woburn.
On +TripAdvisor Woburn Forest Center Parcs has a 69% Thumbs up rating. There have been 1784 Reviews of which 1198 were reviews by Families. 632 rated excellent, 612 rated Very Good, 365 Rated Average, 128 rated Poor and 47 rated Terrible. You read these reviews and see peoples pictures taken at Woburn forest by clicking Here
That is all the Parcs and their accommodations now listed. As you can see not 1 park is the same as each other when it comes to the Accommodation. But there's a few extra things you can add onto the prices above, These are;
Pay for your Lodge to be in the Central Area of the Village - £49
Pay for your Lodge to be in the Middle area of the Village - £39
Pay for your Lodge to be in the Outer Area of the Village - £25
You can also choose no preference which will not add any extra cost to the final amount!
Early Arrival - Access your Lodge 1 hour earlier than Normal - £50
Have a Family Grocery Pack in your Lodge on Arrival - £49
Have a Disposable Family BBQ at your Lodge on Arrival - £10
Cancellation Insurance - £20
If you have been before and book within 28 days to go again you get this free, along with £25 of gift vouchers to spend anywhere and on anything on your next holiday. You also get the money knocked off if the price of your lodge goes down between you booking and your holiday. This is called Come Back Soon offer and you can find out more about this Here
Combined Personal and Cancellation Insurance - £29
Activities at Center Parcs!
As we mentioned before, there are lots and lots of things to do in Center Parcs.
The most popular in Center Parcs is probably their famous Subtropical Swimming Paradise. Each Village has one, not one being the same! One thing they all have in common though is that they are free to enter and are unlimited during your stay. Each Subtropical Swimming Paradise is heated at a lovely 29.5 degrees and each have buoyancy aids and swim jackets available to use free of charge. There are lots of things to enjoy in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise including rapids, childrens areas, water slides, jacuzzis and swimming pools. If you want to find out exactly what each villages Subtropical Swimming Paradise has to offer, you can find it here.
Whinfell Forest.
Longleat Forest.
Woburn Forest.
Each Parc has a number of free outdoor playgrounds and indoor soft play areas for children to enjoy and of course there are many beautiful walks you can go on and each village has a man made beach and beautiful scenery to enjoy all free of charge.
Aswell as these free activities, Center Parcs also has a never ending list of payed-for activities. Because the list is so long, we will tell you about a few activities that we have enjoyed on our past Center Parcs holidays-
Bicycle Hire.
For £27 per adult and £20 per child aged 3-14 prices for midweek holidays) you can hire bicycles for the duration of your stay. These not only help you get around the village quicker, but they are also great fun and exercise! You can also hire a trailer for smaller children for £27 per bike for the duration of your stay.
Pottery Painting.
One of our favorite activity is a trip to the Pottery Painting Studio. There is a huge choice of things to paint and you can take as long as you want/need! Places are £5 per adult and £4 per child and pottery starts from £9. A lovely, relaxing activity.
Sports.
If you fancy being a bit more active, there are lots of sports activities to choose from including Badminton (£9.75 per court for 45 mins), Table Tennis (£7.50 per court for 30 mins) and Tennis (£10.50 per court for 1 hour). These are just a few of the sports activities that we have tried but you can see what other sports activities Center Parcs have to offer by visiting their website.
Childrens Activities.
Center Parcs have a fantastic choice of activities for children of all ages. You can choose for both parent accompanied activities and activities where you can leave your children for a few hours (don't worry, all childrens activities are run by fully qualified child carers). Here are just a few activities that our Rosie has enjoyed.
Soccer Coaching (3-5 years and 6-11 years).
Your child will be introduced to Soccer by a resident coach. They will be taught all about ball control, technique and co-ordination and will finish their session with a fun penalty shootout! Each player will get a certificate for contributing. This is a parent accompanied session and costs £9.25 per child for 45 mins.
Hair Braiding.
For £6 your child can have their hair braided by a lovely member of staff. They can choose whatever colour thread and beads they like and they are secure enough to last as long as you want them to!
Teddy Bears Picnic (age 2-5 years).
Your child can bring along their favorite teddy bear and join in with stories and songs. They will then be given their very own packed lunch and will get the chance to meet and have their photo taken with Rupert the Bear. This is a parent accompanied session, costs £10 per child and lasts 1 hour.
Party In The Den (age 3-7 years).
In this parent unaccompanied activity, your child will enjoy and hour of singing, dancing and party games. It is a great opportunity to make friends and gain independence in a safe and supervised environment. Your child will leave with a party bag and a guaranteed smile on their face. This activity costs £9.75 per child.
There are also lots of activities for older children such as quad biking, tree trekking, archery, caving and much much more.
Family Activities.
Center Parcs have lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy together such as ten pin bowling, quizzes, geo cache, den building and more.
There are also lots and lots more activities to choose from, to take a look at what else Center Parcs have to offer you can check their website.
Aqua Sana.
Each Center Parcs village has their own "Aqua Sana" Spa where you can enjoy a fantastic range or treatments and spa days.
Restaurants.
As well as lots of wonderful activities, Center Parcs also has a fantastic choice of bars and restaurants for the whole family to enjoy.
Bella Italia Italian Restaurant (at Whinfell and Elveden).
Cafe Rouge French Restaurant (at all villages).
Dexters Kitchen Burger Restaurant (at all villages).
Dining In Takeaway (at all villages).
Foresters Inn British Contemporary Pub (at Sherwood and Elveden).
Hawtons Bar and Restaurant (at Longleat).
Hucks American Bar and Grill (at all villages).
Lakeview Revolving Breakfast Restaurant (at Elveden).
Rajinda Pradesh Indian Restaurant (at all villages).
Sports Cafe (at all villages).
Starbucks (at all villages).
Strada Italian Restaurant (at Sherwood, Woburn and Longleat).
The Canopy Cafe and Bar (in all Subtropical Swimming Paradises).
The Grand Cafe Bistro (at Longleat).
The Lakeside Inn (at Whinfell).
The Pancake House (at all villages).
The Shearing House Classic British Restaurant (at Woburn).
Vitale Cafe Bar (at all Aqua Sana Spas).
You can guarantee a space/table by pre booking activities and restaurants online before you arrive at your selected village.
So there we have it, that is everything you need to know about a Center Parcs holiday! If there is anything else you need to know about Center Parcs that we haven't told you, you can find it all on their website by clicking here.
We can't recommend Center Parcs enough and if we have inspired you to book a holiday with them, do let us know! Try it, we promise you won't be disappointed!
For more information and pictures of the different sites, and to see all the accommodation available when you might be interested in going, please visit www.centerparcs.co.uk
See You Next Week.
The Hocks
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