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Forget foreign holidays to sunnier climes, sometimes a UK holiday park is all you need for a cheerful family break.
Resorts across the country offer outdoor activities, entertainment and waterparks, which offer wholesome fun for a variety of different budgets.
And now, a new list by consumer giant Which? has ranked holiday parks, asking visitors to judge their stays on a variety of factors, including value for money, cleanliness, food and drink, and quality of activities/facilities.
And it’s bad news for one famous name – who were ranked bottom, for the 11th year in a row.
Pontins, founded in 1946, has just two remaining sites in Suffolk and Somerset, and guests weren’t exactly thrilled by what they had to offer.
One reviewer, who travelled to the Somerset park in June called the place ‘soul destroying’ and said: ‘Terrible accommodation, staff couldn’t care less, poor food, lack of facilities, really run down… would never go back even if you paid me!’
A visitor to the Suffolk site called her stay a ‘holiday to forget’.
Another guest said the resort was rundown: ‘Every inch of the so called holiday park is in need of updating or knocking down, everything is old and tired.’
Meanwhile reviews for the recently closed Prestatyn Sands Pontins were just as scathing.
Best and worst UK holiday parks and resorts
- Potters Resorts
- Forest Holidays
- Bluestone Wales
- John Fowler Holiday Parks
- Hoburne Holidays
- Hoseasons
- Waterside Holiday Group
- Warner Leisure Villages
- Centre Parcs
- Haven Holiday Parks
- Parkdean Resorts
- Butlins
- Park Holidays UK
- Away Resorts
- Largo Leisure Parks
- Pontins
Source: Which?
‘Disgusting hovel’ began one TripAdvisor reviewer. ‘There are no words to describe how awful this place is. A prison cell would be preferable to the chalet.’
Meanwhile another review said: ‘I’d never return here if it was last place on earth.’
Which? reviewers said that, while the place is cheap at just £38 per person, per night, it only got two stars for value for money. It fell down on its accommodation, cleanliness and the quality of food and drink. Overall, Which? gave the verdict that Pontins was ‘cheap but not cheerful.’
It’s not all bad news though.
At the top end of the scale, the lesser known Potters Resorts beat out the likes of stalwarts like Center Parcs and Butlins to claim first place.
Which? dubbed Potters – which has sites in Essex and Norfolk – as an ‘upscale affair with absolutely everything included.’
For £110 per person, per night, guests can stay in bungalows, hotel rooms or suites and activities and West End inspired entertainment come included. The resorts are also all-inclusive, meaning your holiday cocktails are part of the package too.
Activities include rowing on the boating lake, air rifle shooting, archery and workouts in the dance studio.
Elsewhere on the ranking, holiday parks including Forest Holidays and Bluestone Wales placed second and third.
The most popular holiday park was Center Parcs, placing 9th in the ranking.
Visitors loved the wide range of activities across its five UK parks, including zip lines, watersports, cycling, and an abundance of fitness classes. Children are well catered for, and on a rainy day, you can head to the spa or indoor swimming pool for those all-important rapids.
However, Center Parcs fell down on value for money. Survey respondents reported spending an average of £79pppn on accommodation, making it the most expensive option not to include food or drinks in the price. There is also a lack of free facilities on offer – with only the pool coming as part of the package.
Finally, Butlin’s placed number 12 in the ranking, and costs £47 per person, per night. It scored most highly on its quality of entertainment and the wide variety of facilities and activities for children.
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