Does anyone have any recent experience checking in at a Butlin's resort?

Oakeshott

A family member has booked a holiday at Butlin's for this summer and now can't go, and they want to gift the holiday to us. Butlin's have no way of allowing that, so we were thinking of just turning up with the booking confirmation they gave us, but I'm not sure if that's feasible. 

Does anyone have experience of checking-in at Butlin's (Minehead) lately. Do they check IDs? If so, is it for all family members or just the 'lead' one? We'd be gutted to miss out on a free trip that would just go unused. 

mluton

Just call and change the names, we have done it in the past at Butlins Minehead. I have only ever showed them the booking email, never ID.

onashoestring

 Butlins T&Cs say you It may be possible for you to ….change a name on the booking, but this will be subject to certain identification checks and name changes will also incur a £20 admin fee. 

https://www.butlins.com/terms-and-conditions

The T&Cs also state that You and members of your party who are 18 or over may be required to provide photographic identification (valid driving licence or passport) at any time during your stay. 

Oakeshott

I called Butlin’s. You absolutely can’t change all the names. You need to keep the ‘main’ guest on. 

jon81uk

onashoestring said:

 Butlins T&Cs say you It may be possible for you to ….change a name on the booking, but this will be subject to certain identification checks and name changes will also incur a £20 admin fee. 

https://www.butlins.com/terms-and-conditions

The T&Cs also state that You and members of your party who are 18 or over may be required to provide photographic identification (valid driving licence or passport) at any time during your stay. 

The terms also state "Please bear in mind that any change to your (the lead guest’s) details is treated as a cancellation."

So it is not possible for the OPs friend to gift the holiday which is in their name.

p00hsticks

onashoestring said:

The T&Cs also state that You and members of your party who are 18 or over may be required to provide photographic identification (valid driving licence or passport) at any time during your stay. 

Playing Devil's advocate - do you honestly think they'd shorten peoples holidays if you said that you didn't have either ?

I suspect that any potential ID check during the stay is more with a view of trying to stop outsiders from sneaking in to use the resort leisure facilities than it is to see who;s staying in their park under a false name

I think in the OP's shoes I'd be turning up without photographic id (it's not compulsory to posses either a passport or a driving licence after all - I expect there is a failr proportion of Butlin's clientele who don't have either) but possibly with a utility bill or similar in the oroginal bookers name 

Penguin_

How far away do you (& the booker) live from Minehead?

Could the lead booker travel down, check in, get the keys passes etc & then go home?

Oakeshott

She's too far to travel down unfortunately. I'm tempted to just turn up with all the booking info and try our luck. 

mluton

Well if it helps, we go with the in-laws. Both with a copy of the bookings ref, Whoever is there 1st books in and grabs the keys. So lead booker isn't always present.