Center Parcs - Woburn Forest Review

Pros & Cons

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The Parent Test

We are the Hawkes Family, I'm Emily, Dad is Leigh, and we have two girls - Lily who is 9 and Connie who is 3. We live in Billericay in Essex with our lovely dog Harry, who is 14.5 years old.

As a family we love going out for the day, exploring new places, going to different parks, walking the dog, scooting along the seafront (Southend and Leigh on Sea are our nearest!). We enjoy going to the cinema as a family, trampolining, swimming and bowling to name a few of our favourite activities. We enjoy being outdoors, so were excited to see what Center Parcs had to offer for us!

Lodges and Accommodation

Our initial thoughts on the lodge was WOW. When we arrived at Woburn with the girls we were amazed at how modern and spacious the lodge was. We loved the fact that both bedrooms were a great size, and none of them felt cramped to stay in. The master bedroom was near the main bathroom and the secondary bedroom had its own ensuite/toilet, which we were surprised about as we assumed the lodges might only have one bathroom.

I was also impressed with the large utility cupboard the lodge had, which had everything you could possibly need including; vacuum cleaner, brooms, high chair, cot, ironing board and iron. It also had enough room if you wanted to store your own buggy or scooters or any kids bits and bobs that were larger and avoid taking up space in the actual living area. The lodge had a log burner and TV, and we had TVs in both rooms too, which was a really lovely touch for the girls to be able to spend some down time in their own room.

The kitchen area was so clean and modern with all kitchen appliances!

We were also really lucky to receive some goodies in the fridge, which can be added as part of your package, and is a great touch when you arrive to your lodge after traveling. Another thing, which pleased my coffee-loving husband, was the coffee machine! This was great quality and made it feel like a home from home in the morning.

The lodge also had a bath and shower, which was great for us as my youngest has baths mainly.

What to do at Center Parcs

There is so much to do at Woburn Forest Center Parcs! The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is amazing and you could literally spend all day in here - my little ones loved it. They have a Starbucks and a Cafe on site which serves hot and cold foods, and is super handy for in between activities or while the kids are on the play areas. The rapids were a HUGE hit with my eldest daughter and my younger daughter loved the smaller swimming play areas and slides. They really cater to every age with the things they have on offer.

The Aqua Sana Forest Spa was a big hit for me and my husband. It's something I don't think comes to mind when we think of Center Parcs, but is a lovely touch for the parents to relax among all of the other activities. There are so many steam rooms, saunas and relaxation pods to choose from, and it was very quiet and relaxing. There are also a wide range of treatments that can be booked for some pampering.

The beach/lake area of the village was fab. We had such lovely weather, so before boarding our Electric Boat activity the kids enjoyed playing on the sand, building sand castles and playing with the giant games on offer. They loved it!

In terms of keeping the little ones occupied, we also loved that every restaurant we went into had a soft play area. This was perfect when waiting for food to come out to keep the kids occupied.

The outside parks and play areas were great too and there are so many dotted around the village. It's really nice to take a little pit stop when on the bikes riding around and for the kids to have a run around!

Even when you aren't in an arranged activity, there is honestly so much for everyone to do and have fun around the village.

Extra Activities

We did a family Electric Boat ride on the lake which was so much fun. We were all provided with life jackets and felt very safe, and it was so much fun to all be in the same boat together. There was lots of nature dotted around the lake as well which made it so much fun to spot the different animals.

While we had great weather, there were also so many indoor activities to enjoy for when the weather wasn't great. We played badminton together which was so much fun, and the girls did the Teddy Bear Making workshop which was fab. The staff were amazing and made it so much fun for them, and the range of bears/accessories was impressive!

One thing to note is that some of the extra activities can be a little pricey, so it's just a case of finding the ones that work best for your family. Overall though I think the age ranges of activities is very appropriate, and the activities themselves are well worth it. We would loved to have done the Pottery Painting as well, but it was really popular and they had no spaces - so a note would be to book in advance for this as it is a popular one, for good reason!

Food and Restaurants

There is a great variety of cuisine at Center Parcs including Indian, Thai, Italian, American, Mexican and traditional! We were surprised at how many different options there were. We ate at Hucks and Amalfi Restaurant in the evenings, and during the day went to Starbucks and The Pancake House, which was lovely and the kids loved.

In all of the restaurants we went to they had a great kids menu with lots of food options, good prices, and plenty of choices which was great.

You can also get food delivered from the restaurant to your accommodation which is brilliant after a long day of activities or you want to eat after the little ones have gone to bed!

As mentioned, the restaurants also had soft plays which was a game changer for keeping the kids occupied while they waited for their food. It meant that me and Leigh could enjoy some time just sitting chatting which was lovely.

There is also the ParcMarket, an on-village supermarket, which stocks a whole range of fresh and frozen foods, cosmetics, medicines, magazines, books, stationery, hot food counter, bakery and even has a COOK concession.

They have cute little trolleys for the little ones, which my little one Connie loved and going to the shop became a fun thing to do in itself for the girls! Some of the items are a little more expensive than what you would normally pay, but it's not too bad for a small shop.

Getting Around the Village

Getting around the village was really easy. I am normally one to get lost, but I went off for a run a couple of times on my own and everything was so well sign posted you couldn't really get lost! The village is laid out really well and there are signs everywhere telling you which way to go and where you can't go on bikes etc.

It was so beautiful cycling around and felt so relaxing and calm, like we were miles and miles away from anywhere. The bikes make it so much easier to get from one place to the next. They have a huge range of bike sizes and bikes with seats attached to the back for little ones. The fitting for the bikes was really in depth to ensure you get the best fit, and the kids loved getting around on them. If you're heading to Center Parcs with younger ones or toddlers and worried about getting around all day, I would definitely recommend the bikes as they made things SO easy.

The village was clean, no litter or rubbish and the areas were maintained really well. We spotted deer, squirrels, foxes, ducks and lots of lovely birds! The bikes made it easier to get off the busier paths and spot some more of the wildlife as well which we loved.

Overall Thoughts

We absolutely loved our time at Center Parcs! There is so much for families to do with children, more than we could have imagined. It truly is a great option for younger kids as there is so much targeted for them; the soft plays, the parks, the classes designed for younger children and the outdoor spaces, the swimming pools, the accommodation. It is all so well thought out and makes it feel like you don't have to 'think' or plan anything out.

Although there are so many activities and so much you can do, there is such a relaxing vibe to the village. We found it completely stress-free, as once you are parked up your holiday begins and you can go at your own pace. We didn't want to come home and we found it so much more relaxing and actually more enjoyable than a recent caravan holiday we had in the summer! It was a perfect trip, we would recommend it to any other family with little ones, and we will definitely be coming back!

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