Center Parcs - Elveden or Longleat
Discussion
Have been to Longleat many, many times. We were warned off Elveden by friends who have stayed at both, on the basis that everything is clustered together at Elveden and thus feels much more crowded than Longleat which is nicely spread out.
Center Parcs is a bit marmite but I really enjoy the ability to spend a few days with no cars around and plenty to do without having to go anywhere.
Center Parcs is a bit marmite but I really enjoy the ability to spend a few days with no cars around and plenty to do without having to go anywhere.
We've been to both several times. It depends what you want.
Longleat is very hilly so if you have children on bikes then they better know how to peddle hard and use their brakes. The new owners have done a huge amount of infill development over the last few years without significantly increasing the capacity of the facilities, hence they are very busy - finding a changing room at the pool is a nightmare. The new owners (according to the staff) own a load of high street franchised brands and are steadily replacing the themed restaurants with these (I think La Pierre - or whatever the up-market French restaurant was called) has gone. The pics in the brochures of a happy family wandering through a deserted forest are very misleading - the roads are packed with people, especially near the Village and Oasis and you continually have to stop the children to let service vehicles pass. The facilities are pretty comprehensive.
Elvedon is much smaller but much quieter and (unless it's changed recently) much more pleasantly laid out and less cramped. There is still plenty to do in a few days and they still have things like childcare clubs and a tree-top trek etc, just not quite on the same scale as Longleat. This is a much flatter site.
So if you don't mind busy, hilly and want full-on facilities then Longleat. If you want quiter, less crowded, less densely built and less full-on but still pretty good facilities then Elveden.
I've left out the Spa at both sites, particularly Longleat. Clearly they felt that there was spare capacity that could be used so they now have spa day visitors and the spa is now packed and not an oasis of tranquility.
In a way I don't blame the new owners for doing what they have done as according to what the staff said it has struggled to make a profit for the last few owners - the new ones have adopted a new approach which is throughput and maxing out the capacity of the facilities to extract maximum profit - that's what businesses are there for. It's just that they seem to be trying to advertise it as it was, not as it is. The contents of the car park have changed significantly too, so I'm not alone.
After going twice a year for several years we've stopped going.
ETA: I believe the European ones are run by a separate company.
Longleat is very hilly so if you have children on bikes then they better know how to peddle hard and use their brakes. The new owners have done a huge amount of infill development over the last few years without significantly increasing the capacity of the facilities, hence they are very busy - finding a changing room at the pool is a nightmare. The new owners (according to the staff) own a load of high street franchised brands and are steadily replacing the themed restaurants with these (I think La Pierre - or whatever the up-market French restaurant was called) has gone. The pics in the brochures of a happy family wandering through a deserted forest are very misleading - the roads are packed with people, especially near the Village and Oasis and you continually have to stop the children to let service vehicles pass. The facilities are pretty comprehensive.
Elvedon is much smaller but much quieter and (unless it's changed recently) much more pleasantly laid out and less cramped. There is still plenty to do in a few days and they still have things like childcare clubs and a tree-top trek etc, just not quite on the same scale as Longleat. This is a much flatter site.
So if you don't mind busy, hilly and want full-on facilities then Longleat. If you want quiter, less crowded, less densely built and less full-on but still pretty good facilities then Elveden.
I've left out the Spa at both sites, particularly Longleat. Clearly they felt that there was spare capacity that could be used so they now have spa day visitors and the spa is now packed and not an oasis of tranquility.
In a way I don't blame the new owners for doing what they have done as according to what the staff said it has struggled to make a profit for the last few owners - the new ones have adopted a new approach which is throughput and maxing out the capacity of the facilities to extract maximum profit - that's what businesses are there for. It's just that they seem to be trying to advertise it as it was, not as it is. The contents of the car park have changed significantly too, so I'm not alone.
After going twice a year for several years we've stopped going.
ETA: I believe the European ones are run by a separate company.
Edited by UnderTheRadar on Thursday 21st June 21:45
I've also used Longleat loads of times and agree it has changed massively in recent years. But, we go for the kids and on the assumption that if they're having a good time, so will we, then it's still a winner providing you book all the things you want to do in advance. Would we go without the kids? Not a chance in hell!
Is the one in the Lakes still going? Went there a few years back and that was ok.
Is the one in the Lakes still going? Went there a few years back and that was ok.
PART
ETA: OP - I think Elveden is a good choice.
LFB531 said:
I've also used Longleat loads of times and agree it has changed massively in recent years. But, we go for the kids and on the assumption that if they're having a good time, so will we, then it's still a winner providing you book all the things you want to do in advance. Would we go without the kids? Not a chance in hell!
Is the one in the Lakes still going? Went there a few years back and that was ok.
Whinfell was part of the rival Oasis group but bought out by Center Parcs. I've only been there once but it seemed OK. CP staff seem a bit snobby about it though and talk about "bringing it up to standard" I'm not sure how much corporate brainwashing is going on.Is the one in the Lakes still going? Went there a few years back and that was ok.
ETA: OP - I think Elveden is a good choice.
Edited by UnderTheRadar on Wednesday 27th June 04:54
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