Centre Parcs: SHERWOOD FOREST: An Honest Review

Advantages: Location; Wildlife; Accomodation; Range of activities; Shops
Disadvantages: Quite expensive; accomodation could be a fair distance from main areas!

...I have been to Centre Parcs (SHERWOOD) a few times, and thought I'd share my experiences with this review. The last time I visited Centre Parcs was with my partner in February of this year - the only time I have ever been during the Winter months, but as it is both of our birthday's around January/February time, my partner took me as a birthday treat, and I have to say it was probably the best birthday present ever. We stayed in an 'Executive Lodge', which was a two-storey house, and were there from Friday morning - Monday afternoon. ARRIVAL When you arrive at Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest, you are told you will not be able to enter your accomodation until around 3pm. I was slightly put out by this, as we had arrived at 10am, and would have to leave our car within one of their carparks (you are not allowed to drive...

Sonic4290 27.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

Park up and enjoy Centre Parcs

Advantages: see text
Disadvantages: see text

...When my friend, Sam, suggested back in June about going to Centre Parcs,but I was a bit reluctant. I had heard it was a beautiful place, but expensive. So we decided that 3 couples would share a 4 bedroomed lodge, all of us having children. The cost of the lodge from Monday to Friday was £306, which worked out to just £102 per couple. We made a "kitty" and each put in £5 a week, so we wouldnt miss the money so much. We also made a shopping list of what food we wantedto take and got it all the day before we went. As we where there for 4 nights, we brought breakfast cereals, bread, stuff for sandwiches for lunch ,and what we needed for main meals in the evening. On shopping we spent about £60, again splitting it 3 ways. Finally after a long wait, our much needed holiday arrived and we left for Centre Parcs. The checking in system is...

chrissiepops 27.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

Our Center Parcs Experience

Advantages: fun, lots to do
Disadvantages: expensive!

...I have been to Center Parcs several times but hadn't been for a while and since my last visit it has altered a little but still just as much fun as I remembered it to be. I thought I should review it as people who have never been are always asking me what it's like and whether it's worth it. The basic idea of Center Parcs is to have an active holiday where you try things you may never usually get round to doing without having to go far. All of the attractions are very close together so you don't have to spend all day travelling from one to the next and so you can really soak up the family fun atmosphere. I thought instead of reviewing everything individually I would review our entire holiday. **Arrival** We went to the Nottingham Center Parcs and we found that the directions on the website were fairly easy to follow and so we...

lorriellah 23.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs, Sherwood Forest

Rise of the phoenix-Center parcs Elvedon

Advantages: Location, Facilities, Ideal family holiday
Disadvantages: Can get very expensive

...After the destruction of the dome that housed many of the facilities in the fire of 2002 Center Parcs Elvedon has risen from the ashes, but is it bigger and better? Firstly for those of you who are unaware of what Center Parcs is. Center Parcs are large family holiday villages set in forests. There are four sites in GB Elvedon Sherwood Forest Longleat and Oasis in the Lake District. There are also villages in France Holland and Belgium. Elvedon is the village that we return to again and again having visited twice a year for the last eight years. Elvedon village is set in 400 acres of Thetford forest near Brandon in Suffolk. The site has lakes and streams and varied wildlife. When you get there the first thing you do is book in at the gate lodge, where you get your villa keys, information booklet and any activity...

docpov 24.04.2004 (03.07.2004) · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

A Centre Of Excellence

Advantages: Huge range of activities, good for families, excellent facilities for small children.
Disadvantages: Mediocre service especially in pool bar, mediocre level of cleanliness.

...Center Parcs is regarded by most customers as one of the best family holiday places around, and certainly one of the more original (although it has been around in the UK for 20 years now, and was in Holland for many years before that)! The key element of the holiday village is that it is good for most ages and most types of people; the break can be as active or as peaceful as you like. There are three Center Parcs in the UK, at Sherwood in Nottinghamshire, Elveden in Cambridgeshire (I think, around about there at any rate) and Longleat in Somerset (again I think). At all three locations the surroundings are fantastic, each ‘village’ is set in attractive woodland and comprises of several hundred villas (for 2,3,4,5 or 6 people) in which you can stay for a weekend, a week, 10 days, two weeks etc. but you must start and end...

timmyotoole 19.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

  Center Parcs - Family Fun in the Forest!

Advantages: Great family holiday, perfect for kids, lovely natural setting, plenty to do
Disadvantages: Lodges can be shabby, you will wear yourself out with all the activity!

...Center Parcs is a resort type holiday where the aim is to enjoy a family holiday in natural surroundings. Accommodation is in self catering units, although there are plenty of restaurants available. The holiday can be as relaxing or as active as each individual chooses. There are plenty of optional activities available for those that want to keep busy or expand their horizons. The basic cost of the holiday includes accommodation and you then pay for any additional pursuits you wish to engage in. The main attraction for most families is the natural setting and almost total absence of cars. Apart from the checking in days of Monday and Friday no cars are allowed. This makes for a very peaceful holiday where the main mode of transport is on foot, by bike or even in some cases on horseback! This review covers the Center Parcs at Whinfell...

fallen121 20.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

Center parcs

Advantages: Great holiday parcs for all the family
Disadvantages: Reliancy on the british weather!

...This review is for the Sherwood parc in Nottingham. We only live 30 mile away and were a little embarrassed when asked where we were going on holiday, (others were off to Spain, Italy etc and we were going 'just up the road'.) but when you are there, you could be anywhere. The setting is beautiful, so tranquil and relaxed. We found this holiday style ideal as there are five of us plus one dog. Dog villas are limited so book in advance. At the time of booking there was a £40 surcharge for booking a dog villa, but this was still cheaper than booking into kennels. Dogs are kept on the lead whilst there Our villa was a 3 bedroom comfort villa, and we found it very clean and comfortable and despite being a dog villa there was no doggy aroma on the furniture or carpets. The villas are set in the woods, and although in blocks no...

swordfish1966 28.08.2004 (29.08.2004) · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

Center Parcs - whats-up

Advantages: Beautiful scenery/lake/walks, OK Villas, Kids love it
Disadvantages: Check-in/out days [traffic chaos], too many villas now

...Just back from Sherwood April2008, (can't find link to do new review). The new 4 Bedrm Exec Lodges with Games Rm are fantastic, very expensive at half term £1200 for 4 nights, but your kids will adore it. At Sherwood they have chopped down half the forest to build this row of units - rather defeats their origins - but great villas - guess Money Talks. More villas more income. Hate the new Sunglasses shop - again Concession guaranteed income for CP, now Starbucks too - how low will CP go to make a buck! Perhaps te Big Mac didn't offer them enough (haha) but makes you think, what will be next..... I still luv em and am booked again for Aug 08 and June 09 - keeps the kids happy, and at Sherwood you can just about find a quiet corner... Update - Appeal won, 5th Parc off A6 in Beds will open about 2010. Update 2 - read in Bedford Today...

CP2004 21.03.2004 (09.08.2008) · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs

Center Parcs - Longleat

Advantages: Great for families
Disadvantages: Not so great if you don't like kids

...Center Parcs - Longleat Taking a young family on holiday is a tricky business with a completely different set of requirements than when going away as a couple. Not least among these is the amount of baby paraphernalia that you need to take. When our youngest was about ten months we took her to New England and managed to get everything into a couple of suitcases and carry on luggage plus a pushchair but now we have two the amount of extra baggage seems to have more than just doubled and unless the destination is particularly child friendly the need for travel cots, gates etc makes the holiday load a bit much for airline travel. For this reason recent holidays have been UK based. The last couple of years have been spent in Cornwall at a friend's apartment but we thought that this year we would have a change. Having heard favourable...

brereton66 09.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs Longleat Forest, Costwolds

Center Parcs - 2 adults and 2 new tracksuits!

Advantages: lots of fun, encourages you to be active and try new things
Disadvantages: can get expensive

...Setting the scene: Couple in mid twenties, had a spare five days off, found a good deal to go and stay at Center Parcs Elveden forest so decided they?d buy some new tracksuits, embrace their inner child and have an active holiday. The accommodation: We stayed in the Lakeview Hotel. The room was clean, of average size (definitely not cramped) but could have done with a lick of paint. In terms of facilities in the room there was a TV, a stereo (complete with tape player!), digital alarm clock, a kettle and a fridge. The bathroom had 2 sinks, a fairly powerful shower and the usual bath and toilet. The décor was quite non-descript. The food: Since the hotel accommodation has no cooking facilities we ended up trying almost all of Center Parcs food options. The Sports Café (in the main sports center) did good basic food ? burgers, pies...

MarieHHH 13.06.2009 (11.07.2009) · Read review
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Review of Center Parcs