Centerparcs Elvedon (Center Parcs)

Member Name: TheMinxy

Product:	Center Parcs
Date:	18/07/06 (1797 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lovely surroundings, fantastic for kids

Disadvantages: the accomodation was a little basic and the restaurant prices were scary !!

We have just got home from our first trip to Centerparcs. We chose Elvedon forest because it is close enough to my parents to have a day trip there, and we had not read any bad reviews of it. We travelled over from Northern Ireland and spent all day getting there, so we were happy to be able to drive straight to our villa and settle in. The place was clean enough but the carpet really needed to be shampooed or replaced with something wipe cleanable like laminate. Our baby was crawling about and his knees and feet were black very quickly ! The whole place smelt musty as if it had not been lived in for a while. It didn't really stop smelling this way all the time we were there either, so I am guessing it is just the way those places smell !! I would recommend taking air freshner with you, and I will next time we go ! Opening the windows and doors still does not get rid of the smell ! We were a pleasant 15 minute walk from the village center which was along flat walkways and was not a challenge to the less fit. The place was hiving with cyclists though, which although I am sure is lovely for them, is dangerous for the walker. We found ourselves swooped upon by stealth cyclists who did not ring their bells and assumed you knew they were coming although they were making no sound ! Our kids needed to be reminded constantly not to just wander along looking at the trees for squirrels, but to walk next to us, in case we needed to lunge into a nearby hedge to prevent bodily injury !

The wildlife around us was a constant source of fun and amazement for the kids. We had a small deer at the end of our little garden, a hedgehog, a veritable herd of squirrels dancing on the accomodation roof each day, wood pigeons, rabbits, pheasants.... it was lovely to see these creatures all so comfortable in the surroundings they shared with humans ! Once we had got over the staggering price of a meal for 5 ( baby food was free thankfully !) and decided to buy food and self cater from the on site parc market, we finally relaxed and really enjoyed ourselves. If money is no object and you are into sport in a big way then you will find you have every single sport and activity available to you. We have 3 young children though, and we were able to spend loads of quality time in the pool ( the wave machine is superb !!), playing crazy golf, fishing, 10 pin bowling, and enjoying letting them have the freedom of playing on the slides and climbing frames which were surrounded by shaded picnic benches where a cold drink keeps the adults entertained while they watch. The staff have paid particular attention to little details which make family holidays so much easier. The restaurants all had indoor soft play areas, crayons and colouring pages freely available, free baby food, kids meals on the menu, and the toilets all provided a small seat to fit on top of the adult seat to stop little bums falling through ! It's these little details which make a parents life so much easier. I am sure we did not get to see the whole parc but what we did explore was really lovely. The village was all lit up with fairy lights on the trees at night and there was jazz music playing softly into the italian and french restaurants too.

So... having gone from the horror of the expense, to seeing the smiles on our kids faces at getting to enjoy the cheaper things available, and spending time as a family together, we are now looking to book our holiday there next year. We'd recommend paying the extra and getting a bigger room, with a hot tub outside, which is what we are looking to do, because if you are going to be stuck in with the kids in bed in the evening, you might as well have something make it different to home !! We went during the second week in July and it was seriously hot all week. We took 2 day trips out to local places too and returned to have a swim in the pool in the late afternoon.

We'd recommend to any family a trip to centerparcs, but just don't over rate the accommodation before you go.

Summary: Great for families, accommodation could be better