General news

Impact to usual operations

Last updated 19 October 2021

Like many other businesses we are unfortunately impacted by staff shortages and recruitment challenges.  This means that you may unfortunately find some disruption to our normal services. For guests who have an impacted restaurant or activity booking we will contact you directly.

Please visit the news page of the village you’re visiting to understand any changes to our normal operation:

• Longford Forest
• Whinfell Forest
• Sherwood Forest
• Longleat Forest
• Elveden Forest
• Woburn Forest

Please note that we will keep this information as updated as possible but there may still be extremely late during break changes not listed.

Important allergen information

07 October 2021

We use ingredients containing allergens as part of the preparation of food in all of our eateries. We also cook different foods with the same equipment. It is not possible to guarantee that any product is 100% free from any allergen due to the risk of cross-contamination in our kitchens. Intended allergen ingredient information for all items on our menu is available on our portal. We cannot make changes to our menu items and currently do not provide details of any ‘may contain’ allergen statements. If this causes you concerns due to the severity of your allergy please consider carefully before ordering. We are reviewing how we improve this in future.

Latest update

Last updated 22 September 2021

Following the latest announcement from the Government we are delighted that we can now start to reintroduce indoor activities such as Ten Pin Bowling, Snooker and American Pool plus many more.  Please login to your Center Parcs account for the latest availability.

Subtropical Swimming Paradise

For now we continue to offer all guests 2 pre-bookable, 2 hour swimming sessions on all of our breaks.  We are looking to increase sessions once we feel it is safe to do so and the guidance in this area is clear.  We hope to increase the number of swim sessions at some point in November.

Below is a short summary of the facilities:

• Our restaurants are open to welcome guests to dine with us both indoors and outdoors
• A full list of available indoor & outdoor activities are available to view and book, within My Booking online around four weeks before your arrival date
• Our lake is open with a range of activities available to book
• On arrival day guests will be able to arrive on village from 12pm and access their lodge from 4pm
• On departure day guests must leave their lodge by 10am and then may stay and enjoy the village until late evening 
• All of our retail outlets are open, including ParcMarket
• Aqua Sana is open for treatments and retail
• And finally, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise is open. 

Please remember that guests are responsible for checking the latest Government advice

Government information may change and rules and advice are constantly under review. Guests must check government information themselves to understand any changes or new rules prior to visiting Center Parcs, booking a new break or when considering a date change or cancellation of an existing booking. The following Government links should provide the most up to date information:

https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/c36c85-covid-19-coronavirus/

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19

Book with confidence guarantee

All guests with an arrival date up to 27 June 2022 are covered by our Book with Confidence Guarantee and will have the option to reschedule or cancel with a full refund within six weeks of the arrival date. 

Can I contact you?

I’m sure you will appreciate that we have lots of guests to support during this time, if you are visiting before 27 June 2022 and are impacted by COVID-19 or simply wish to make some changes please complete this form, the team will action your request and confirm via email.

Our opening times for calls, social and webchat are as follows:

• 9am - 7pm Monday, Friday and Sunday
• 9am - 5:30pm (until 7pm for social and webchat) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday

Breaks now available until 17 April 2023

3 August 2021

We are pleased to let you know that we’ve added more breaks, so you can now book at all six villages for arrival dates up until (and including) 17 April 2023.

Find out more

Breaks now available until 17 April 2023

3 August 2021

We are pleased to let you know that we’ve added more breaks, so you can now book at all six villages for arrival dates up until (and including) 17 April 2023.

Find out more

Pool hoist temporarily unavailable

25 June 2021

Unfortunately, our Subtropical Swimming Paradise pool hoist is out of action. We've ordered a replacement hoist and this will be installed as soon as we can.

We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Electric scooters, hover boards and other motorised wheeled equipment

18 June 2021

There are lots of ways to explore the forest but please be aware that electric scooters, hover boards and other motorised wheeled equipment are now prohibited. You can still use traditional non powered scooters and electric bikes, just make sure you are looking out for the no wheels signed areas and find an alternative scenic route. The Cycle Centre have plenty cycles and accessories on offer if you are looking to travel the village in style.

Treehouses are coming to Longford

15 June 2021

We’ve announced our intention to submit a planning application to further develop Center Parcs Longford Forest

Building on the success of the village since opening in July 2019, we’re now planning to increase the number of lodges and expand some of the existing facilities.

The plans include the addition of 200 new lodges, including four of our most luxurious accommodation type - Treehouses. Hidden away within the heart of the forest, each Treehouse sleeps up to eight people and comes complete with a games den, outdoor hot tub, private parking and a dedicated Treehouse Host for the duration of the break.

Alongside the plans to increase the number of lodges, we’re also proposing to extend existing facilities, including leisure facilities, restaurants and cafés, back of house facilities, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Spa.

The development will remain within the existing site boundary and is estimated to create around 300 jobs during construction and a further 250 permanent jobs once operational.

We will now begin detailed design and site survey work, as well as a programme of community engagement, before submitting a planning application, with a target date of the end of 2021 for the submission.

New Joules stores to open

30 March 2021

We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with the popular lifestyle brand, Joules.

The company, who are renowned for their distinctive designs, will open a store at Center Parcs Longford Forest, as well as at the five villages in the UK, over the next few months.

The stores will offer menswear, womenswear and childrenswear, as well as offering a click-and-collect service.

Joules and Center Parcs are a natural fit – we both love the great outdoors (whatever the weather), we both know how important time spent with friends and family is and we both have a deep respect for the forest and woodland.

Join Nutmeg and Clove on an adventure at Center Parcs

22 December 2020

We are pleased to share our exclusive animated stories featuring our friendly reindeer, Nutmeg and Clove. See our familiar storybooks, Nutmeg’s Antlers and Nutmeg’s Little Sister being brought to life and watch the two siblings as they take on an exciting adventure’s at Center Parcs. 

Find out more

Center Parcs recognised for commitment to charity

13 June 2019

We are delighted to announce that Center Parcs have won the award for Best Scheme to Encourage Staff Fundraising at the 2019 Better Society Awards. Celebrating our long-standing partnership with Together for Short Lives.

Find out more

Dog owners' advice

In recent years, an unexplained dog illness known as 'seasonal canine illness' has been found in an increasing number of forest areas around the UK, particularly in late summer and early autumn. The illness is currently believed to be triggered by a naturally occurring cause and has affected a number of dogs in areas across the country, including those local to some of our villages, particularly Sherwood and Elveden Forest. There appears to be no comprehensive explanation as to why this has occurred.

Cases of Alabama Rot have also been reported around the country. This is another unexplained disease affecting dogs. None of our villages have been identified as locations with cases of Alabama Rot, but in the interest of vigilance, we recommend dog owners familiarise themselves with the symptoms on the Forestry website.

If you are visiting Center Parcs with a dog please ensure you’re aware of the potential risks of a forest environment to animals. Please research or talk to your veterinary surgeon about SCI (Seasonal Canine Illness) and Alabama Rot.

If you are bringing a dog to one of our villages and have concerns, please call our Contact Centre team on 03448 266 266.

Please note: if you are visiting Longleat Forest, dogs are not allowed on our Land Train except guide dogs.

Tommy’s Award for Best Family Friendly UK Holiday

5 April 2018

We are delighted to have won Best Family Friendly UK Holiday Provider at the Tommy’s Awards, which took place on 16 March at the Landmark Hotel, London to a packed audience of household name companies and Tommy’s supporters.

Find out more

Parking on village

We are keen to keep our villages as traffic-free as possible so that guests can enjoy the tranquillity of the forest environment. There will of course be a small amount of traffic during times of developments and to support village operation. However, once you have unloaded your belongings from your vehicle, we kindly request that all guests move their cars to the car park as soon as possible, on the day of arrival. In response to recent feedback from our guests, the Security team will be supporting this by requesting that all cars left on the village after this time, are moved. Should the accommodation type include a car parking space, please use the space allocated.

External shows, events and festivals

Because our villages are set in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK, they are often close to popular tourist areas which can mean increased noise and traffic in the surrounding area. Despite our best efforts to preserve the tranquillity of the forest in our villages, there may occasionally be noise from local events, shows and music festivals.

It's never too early to have a short break in the diary, so book now and give yourself something amazing to look forward to.

Accommodation upgrades

As many of our guests will already be aware, we upgrade a number of accommodation units every year at Center Parcs. Work is regularly underway across most of our villages to ensure we continually improve our standards. Such works are closely monitored and disruption to our guests visiting during this time will be kept to a minimum.

Find out more

Forestry works

As we are in a forest setting it is essential that we manage the environment and preserve the natural outlook. This means that from time to time forestry works such as tree felling may be taking place during your break with us.

The lake in winter

Being close to nature is an important part of a Center Parcs break, but it also means our villages are subject to the whims of British weather! For this reason, and for our guests’ safety, our lakes may close for watersports during the winter. But don’t worry, we still have plenty of indoor and outdoor activities available during this time, from cosy indoor crafts to bracing bike rides.