Overpriced Center Parcs is dead to me – these UK holiday parks are so much better & cheaper | The Sun
CENTER Parcs UK, which has been put up for sale with a price tag of up to £5bn, has become something of a pantomime villain among staycationers in recent years.
There are the haters who insist it's overpriced and overrated, paying more than your monthly mortgage to spend a few nights in a forest and swim in a swamp.
The controversy over whether the sites would shut down for the day of the Queen's funeral last year didn't help matters.
Then there's folk like my family who love the no-cars, next-to-nature, noise-free vibe, the illusion of isolation created by the layout of lodges surrounded by leaves and landscaping and days spent in the subtropical swimming dome, splashing down the heated outdoor rapids beneath the stars.
For years when our eldest two were small, we would visit for an early Christmas break, enjoying the twinkly lights, the fake snow, the free fireworks and the festive feel that all added to the ambiance.
It wasn't cheap, but it felt like value for money, given you could accommodate different generations, go on a girls' weekend or take a spa break as a couple and it would always hit the spot.
Read more on Center Parcs
Center Parcs is up for SALE after owners put holiday resort chain on market
UK holiday park Brits say is ‘better than Center Parcs’ – and is much cheaper
But no more. My love affair with Center Parcs is over, thanks to the sky-high price hikes post-pandemic.
The cost of one midweek midwinter break at Center Parcs could easily cover three staycays elsewhere.
So, like Dick Whittington, I set off, not to seek a fortune but to save a fortune, and foil the panto villain by finding a fairly priced, fun facsimile.
My family of five has since stayed at Haven, Butlins, Away Resorts and independents like Ribby Hall near Blackpool and they've all had something going for them.
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