Butlins Skegness

Spendless

Thinking of booking to go here for a w/end break in summer. We usually go to CP but for various reasons fancy a change this year. With me and hubby would be our kids, boy (10) girl (7) and my 86yo grnadmother who isn't good at walking too far.

Anyone got any tips/advice?

charis18uk

Yeah, don't go. If center parcs is your usual standard your going to hate Butlins. My husband point blank refuses to go back.

Spendless

Can you expand on why? It isn't our main hol, just a w/end break so great-granny gets to go somewhere with our kids. If it was just me and hubby we wouldn't go, but then we probably wouldn't do CP either. Though I'd say we all have 'never again' places. No way will I return to Canada to stop with hubby's family whilst we have kids in tow.-lol

Annieuk75

We have just booked at Butlins and we are really excited. It looks like great fun and there is plenty for the children. Also if you go to Bognor or Skegness there is also a spa - so time for some Mummy pampering. Before we had our son, my husband and I used to holiday in cottages and hotels. Then we changed our holiday to suit our family and budget. We have gone to Haven for the past 2 years, our SOn has had a great time and that is what is important. I would rather use the money saved on him than a plush hotel room. We looked at CP and for the same price we are staying in the Butlins hotel with breakfast, dinner and a toy set for our son! Happy child and happy bank account.

DaveLy

I went to skegness, just avoid alot of the food hehe, the market nearby with the rides is fun too.

forumfan_2

I have been to both Butlins and Center Parcs and I probably wouldn't go back Butlins just because the activities at CP are more suitable for my family (and it's easier to get to for us).

If you don't fancy CP why don't you have a look at Hoseasons, they have a range of holidays to suit all tastes/budgets.

http://www.hoseasons.co.uk/

Ivrytwr3

Skeggy has had millions spen doing it all back up an dit is a very nice place now - clean beach etc. However, as this is only a weekend break, then yeah, go for it. But i think you would be very disappointed if this were your main holiday if Centreparcs is your usual standard.

Butlins - anywhere - is dreadful.

charis18uk

Spendless wrote: »

Can you expand on why? It isn't our main hol, just a w/end break so great-granny gets to go somewhere with our kids. If it was just me and hubby we wouldn't go, but then we probably wouldn't do CP either. Though I'd say we all have 'never again' places. No way will I return to Canada to stop with hubby's family whilst we have kids in tow.-lol

I know some of what I'm going to say may make me sound like a snob so firstly I want you to know we're just an average family, not well off, with one child.

We went to Skeggy about three years ago for our first family holiday. We stayed full board in a silver apartment.

The apartment was really good actually, no probs with the accommodation whatsoever. The dining experience was appalling, feeding time at the zoo doesn't go half way to describing the rudeness and uncleanliness of the place. The food was passable, usually unhealthy fried stuff with a basic salad selection.

The central skyline area was very noisy and geared towards getting you to spend spend spend. Any decent activities had to be paid for. The amusements were very tired looking. The beach, well not really used by anyone and not at all clean or inviting.

For the entertainments expect to queue for over an hour if you want seating.

The general people here were noisy, beer swilling chavs whose idea of fun was getting drunk while their kids ran feral around the site, mostly unchecked. You know the types, if in town holler at their children all day, fag in hand pushing a push chair while dad's belly hangs out the bottom of his too small t shirt.

The swimming pool was the saving grace, free and relatively clean, although too busy and closed to early. In fact it felt like Butlins closed this and other activities too early so you have no choice but to attend the evenings entertainments.

The spa was really good though, but you have to pay extra and of course sort out childcare too if you want to go as a couple/single parent.

The place just looked really tired, wasn't at all relaxing and we felt really let down by our experience. HOWEVER, our son absolutely loved it, so if your doing it mostly for the kids it's a safe bet in all honesty despite what us parents may feel.

Spendless

Hi chris- thanks for replying. :)We have now booked as we had a discount voucher to use and also they said the prices went up after today. Whether that is true or not I don't know, but last night the price was £40 more than it had been last week. We have come across this before with other holiday companies so decided to go for it.

We are SC so the dining hall does not really affect me. Noise and spend/spend/spend I'd say you can get anywhere and this sounds really horrible but how other people bring their kids up is up to them, it might not be the way I bring up mine. As an example when people moan about kids in supermarkets I can honestly say I rarely ever 'see/hear' them. I am oblivious to it when it's 'not mine'.

By amusements I'm guessing you mean the fair? I wasn't expecting it to be up to much tbh, but it's free and it won't be me on it and the kids won't care how 'tired' it looks.

At CP you also have to pay for every activity only swimming is free. I'd say you pay more there as the entertainment which is few and far between on an evening you also have to pay for, so I can't see that being an issue.I can just see me having to warn the kids that IF they want to see something they need to be prepared to queue. Thanks for telling me that the pool closes early, I'll bear that it mind. We also have granny on hand for babysitting duties.

Beach..well I don't know. We don't often do a beach hol, so not going wouldn't bother me. The kids may want to go though. I haven't been to Skeggy since I was a child, so I don't remember what beaches elsewhere would be like.

All in all this is for the kids and for great-granny to share in the kids enjoyment.

hamsterholly

I am sure you will love Butlins. I have been to CP 8 times over the last 3 years and we have just returned from Butlins Skegness for the 2nd time. For me the 2 holidays are completely different but we love them both. We have 2 children ( 7 and 4 ) and they have a ball at Butlins. What impressed me with Butlins Skegness is that its really clean and the staff overall are very good and friendly. I find overall its a really good value holiday especially if you get a good discount. We have stayed in silver sc apartment and last time gold apartment with premier dining. Premier dining was better than a 4 star hotel I visited in January !!!

CP for us is a more relaxing holiday and Butlins is fun and action packed and us and the kids come back exhausted but hey thats what holidays are for.

Have a great time.

chelle230

Me, my mum and my DS (4) went to Butlins Skegness in March, he loved it, because he is so young we didn't do the evening entertainment, apart from the Nick Jr show.
there is enough to do for everyone, we went for 4 days and didn't run out of things to do.

We went SC in a silver apartment, and the accomodation was fine, although we did take a dvd player so we were entertained while he was asleep.

I do recommend you taking you own food, as we did, as the food there, and the shop is very expensive.