The Center Parcs Experience

Mumm_ra

Just finished the weekend here - brilliant place.

whiskeyman

Mumm_ra wrote: »

Just finished the weekend here - brilliant place.

I'm sure many would appreciate a full review if you've time?
Might be worth posting it over in the travel forum.

Thanks!

MetzgerMeister

Has anyone been to Trabolgan in Cork in the last few years? I used go with my parents and sister when we were younger and was wondering what the place is like now. I do remember there being a musty/stale smoke smell from the houses but it was grand apart from that. From what I can see on Facebook, the pool area is still the same....no change there in over 20 years!

Mumm_ra

whiskeyman wrote: »

I'm sure many would appreciate a full review if you've time?
Might be worth posting it over in the travel forum.

Thanks!

Quick summary

Forest is a great location but needs some time to recover then it look great.
The accommodation (2 bed lodge) was fantastic. There is a lidl in Mullingar on the way in to stock up on snacks/breakfast.
Bring bikes if you can as everyone uses them to get around. We were in central zone - anything outside that is a bit of a walk but all very manageable by bike
The pool is brilliant and is all the kids really want to do. We did about 6 activities over 3 days - was enough for me.
For parents the 3 hour chocolate factory for kids/spa for adults is a must to get sanity back
Food and drink was priced @ Dublin prices so fine by me
There are a lot of wasps but apart from some shapes being thrown didn’t hear of any stinging.

salmocab

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Has anyone been to Trabolgan in Cork in the last few years? I used go with my parents and sister when we were younger and was wondering what the place is like now. I do remember there being a musty/stale smoke smell from the houses but it was grand apart from that. From what I can see on Facebook, the pool area is still the same....no change there in over 20 years!

I spent a day there 2 years ago, it’s a bit grim but I’d say kids will love it. Lad I work with went down for a few nights this year, he said it was good but it was basically into the pub in the evening whilst the kids run around, some people like that sort of thing though so each to their own.

JupiterKid

So, the newest CenterParcs resort, Longford Forest, quietly opened its doors to the public last week, on Monday July 29th.

Story here:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/features/a-closer-look-at-the-new-center-parcs-resort-in-longford-939726.html

Anyone actually been yet? Anyone booked in for the coming months and looking forward to their experience?

I presume an official opening with politicos etc will take place at some point in the Autumn.

Edgware

A load of parasites (journalists and z list celebrities) and their sprogs were invited down on a freebie so expect plenty of positive reports from our "independent" media

Fr Tod Umptious

salmocab wrote: »

I spent a day there 2 years ago, it’s a bit grim but I’d say kids will love it. Lad I work with went down for a few nights this year, he said it was good but it was basically into the pub in the evening whilst the kids run around, some people like that sort of thing though so each to their own.

Been to Trabolgan about 4 times in 7 years and going again later this year.

Yes it's dated, gets it's fair share of skangers,(but I've never seen any trouble there) but the kids love it.

That's the important part, the kids love it.

Muahahaha

The Indos review today saying its good but can work out very pricey with all the activities. It also says you cannot find out the price of the activities until you have an accomodation booking so some people are going to be left annoyed at that, it is not very transparent.

Review of the food on site ranged from good to very poor. Said the lodges are done up really well with lots of self catering equipment.

Edgware

Edgware wrote: »

A load of parasites (journalists and z list celebrities) and their sprogs were invited down on a freebie so expect plenty of positive reports from our "independent" media

That was incredibly cynical.

1,200 words of gushing praise in The Irish Times on the place, without as much as a whimper about an empty salt cellar. It was perfect. Nothing went even slightly wrong, there is nothing to be improved.

Actually that's not exactly true. The journalist, someone called Ronan McGreevy, did mention that it's SO popular you might not get a slot (better book today!) and it's SO amazing that you might not have time to do all the activities, and although it's expensive, he makes the very dubious claim that it's cheaper than a holiday to Spain and "none of that foreign holiday hassle"

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ireland/center-parcs-how-much-will-it-cost-you-and-is-it-worth-it-1.3970635

I'm genuinely impressed at how cheaply the media are willing to sell a bit of professional integrity for. Loads of them were at the same thing.

RasTa

Made me laugh

Center Parcs is betting that the squeezed Irish middle with their mortgages, childcare costs and car loans are not so squeezed that they cannot find a few thousand euro down the back of the couch for a short break in Longford.

Muahahaha

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I'm genuinely impressed at how cheaply the media are willing to sell a bit of professional integrity for. Loads of them were at the same thing.

They're all up to it, there is a whole cottage industry in Ireland of Z list celebs and journos getting freebies from companies and then promoting it. Only a while back the Business Editor of the Indo Dearbhill McDonald wrote several similar articles about how she froze her eggs and telling us that all career focused women should be doing the same.

What she didnt tell us is how much she had to pay for it which was around the square root of diddly squat. Then she shows up on an RTE documentary called 'Fertility Shocks' again trying to convince women that its the best thing in the world. Again no mention was made of how she was compromised as a journalist and no mention was made of the failure rates of fertility treatment or that some women spend thousands on it and never get any results. The program was basically a 30 minute advertisement for private fertility clinics to benefit from media exposure.

Darc19

Still a lot of whinging here.

Now it's because it has positive reviews.

Guess what? Their UK sites get similar gushing reviews and are packed out 12 months of the year.

The "I hope they fail" crew are crying with disappointment.


It's not for everyone (thank God), so if it's not your cup of tea, then why bother commenting

I don't comment on chav 3star "resort" holidays in playa del whatever. Such a holiday would be my version of hell, but some people love such a holiday and that's fine.

It's not for me to diss it because I don't like it.

I look forward to my trip in October. Under €400 for 4 nights, a bargain for me.

Muahahaha

Muahahaha wrote: »

They're all up to it, there is a whole cottage industry in Ireland of Z list celebs and journos getting freebies from companies and then promoting it. Only a while back the Business Editor of the Indo Dearbhill McDonald wrote several similar articles about how she froze her eggs and telling us that all career focused women should be doing the same.

What she didnt tell us is how much she had to pay for it which was around the square root of diddly squat. Then she shows up on an RTE documentary called 'Fertility Shocks' again trying to convince women that its the best thing in the world. Again no mention was made of how she was compromised as a journalist and no mention was made of the failure rates of fertility treatment or that some women spend thousands on it and never get any results. The program was basically a 30 minute advertisement for private fertility clinics to benefit from media exposure.

Im not sure McDonald actually got a freebie there as she didn't mention the clinic. But most of us here are probably a bit too long in the tooth to be gullible about such things, the clinic will have known very well that she has a significant platform across various media, and I'm sure some "deep" and "philosophical" discussions were had about public awareness.

She's an ambassador, really.

Spanish Eyes

Ireland as a nation seems to want things to fail. We shall see.

It will be the notch on the bedpost maybe for many now. Yes, I went to Center Parc Longford, but hey it was great, and we can SO afford it. Can you see where this is going?

I wish them well. The off season will tell the tale, but is gearing up for Corporate Bonding or whatever. I always had a contagious tummy bug for that shyte. Didn't hinder me either, but you get the drift.

Spanish Eyes

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Ireland as a nation seems to want things to fail. We shall see.

See that's just a way of muting a discussion. Nobody wants to be Bitter Billy or Begrudging Betty, so people say things like "Well you must be jealous if that's what you think", or "Typical Begrudging Irish"

Such rubbish! Look at the enthusiasm there is for Michael O'Leary and Ryanair, for guys like Aidan O'Brien and Gordon Elliott, and for Shane Lowry. And nobody wants the Kerry Group, or CRH, or Irish agricultural business to fail. We're losing our shït over Brexit for exactly that reason.

People just don't like their trust in journalists to be exploited like a personal currency that they can leverage to turn around and sell us something like gold-blazered salesmen. I don't know who this Ronan McGreevy from the Times is who wrote the above article, but I'll remember his name, at least for a while, and file it under Not to be Taken Seriously

Graham

Journalists get invited to try new products/hotels/flights/resorts. What a shocker.

Plumbthedepths

Darc19 wrote:

Still a lot of whinging here.

Whinging about whingers, the irony. lol.

Spanish Eyes

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

See that's just a way of muting a discussion. Nobody wants to be Bitter Billy or Begrudging Betty, so people say things like "Well you must be jealous if that's what you think", or "Typical Begrudging Irish"

Such rubbish! Look at the enthusiasm there is for Michael O'Leary and Ryanair, for guys like Aidan O'Brien and Gordon Elliott, and for Shane Lowry. And nobody wants the Kerry Group, or CRH, or Irish agricultural business to fail. We're losing our shover Brexit for exactly that reason.

People just don't like their trust in journalists to be exploited like a personal currency that they can leverage to turn around and sell us something like gold-blazered salesmen. I don't know who this Ronan McGreevy from the Times is who wrote the above article, but I'll remember his name, at least for a while, and file it under Not to be Taken Seriously

Oh calm down a bit there :eek:

Plumbthedepths

Graham wrote:

Journalists get invited to try new products/hotels/flights/resorts. What a shocker.

Not a shock, but how can you think someone is being objective when the product/hotel/flight/resort is of no charge to said journalist.

mariaalice

Effects wrote: »

I was over in London recently where they had an ad playing for the Irish Center Parcs before a kids film in the cinema. So safe to say they are targeting the UK.

I couldn't understand why you'd go through the hassle and expense of bringing your family over to Ireland just to go to Center Parcs.

You wouldnt you would do the 3 or 4 days in Longford then do the west of Irealnd or part of the wild Atlantic way or Dublin.

meeeeh

Graham wrote: »

Journalists get invited to try new products/hotels/flights/resorts. What a shocker.

I think Irish Times also published an article by Conor Pope who was paid to holiday in Centre Parks in UK. His article was probably a bit more realistic and less enthusiastic about food offerings. Centre Parks got quite a bit of publicity for the price of two family holidays. It's not their fault it's more a question of journalistic integrity. When the best newspaper in the country publishes an article every influencer would be proud of the criticism is justified.

meeeeh

meeeeh wrote: »

I think Irish Times also published an article by Conor Pope who was paid to holiday in Centre Parks in UK. His article was probably a bit more realistic and less enthusiastic about food offerings.

He did, on radio and in print.

Glowing. Same angle as the rest of them, but he did admit they paid for his stay.

His contribution on food was the same as everyone else's "Food prices resemble any normal restaurant grub, but you can always go and shop in the local supermarkets and bring back food yourself"

Well that's a lie. We all know there's some weird Black Mirror shît going on in that park... You never leave, or if you do it's only to lure in the rest of us.

dw2016

anyone here been yet? would you have to book activities in advance? how about the outdoor ones?do ye just put wet gear on and go or would they be cancelled?
thanks

Cloudio9

dw2016 wrote: »

anyone here been yet? would you have to book activities in advance? how about the outdoor ones?do ye just put wet gear on and go or would they be cancelled?
thanks

I've been to the UK and you can check availability and book online. The accommodation all has free wifi. They also had consoles around the park where you could book activities. Generally booking day before or a few hours in advance was fine for most stuff. It didn't rain when I was there so not sure about weather.

whatdoicare

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Has anyone been to Trabolgan in Cork in the last few years? I used go with my parents and sister when we were younger and was wondering what the place is like now. I do remember there being a musty/stale smoke smell from the houses but it was grand apart from that. From what I can see on Facebook, the pool area is still the same....no change there in over 20 years!

The husband and I brought the little one there last summer for a day to suss it out. It was very grimy and mad expensive. The pool was filthy and the changing rooms worse.

Then everyone sits themselves down for an evening of drinking. Not our style. It very much looks like it hasnt been updated in a very long time and people put up with that so they can let the kids go mad and they can have a session in the pub.

I wouldn't go back there. Theres plenty of nicer places to go around Ireland instead (We do a lot of travelling around when herself is off school.)

We enjoyed Tayto park immensely despite it being just as expensive and we'll probably give center parcs a go in the off season, just to see what it's like.

Grandeeod

I've been around the whole Irish tourist product thing for a few years now in terms of promotional work. Not going into detail about my job, but the Centre Parcs thing is the real deal if you have cash to splash or prefer an off season midweek deal. It is truly a remarkable site, but a cash builder if not planned and irrelevant if you have the dough. It really is a tale of two classes. Personally, I think it will survive, but mainly on the basis of wealthy folks that any downturn in the economy doesn't affect.

d8491prj5boyvg

This thread has enlightened me. Holidaying in Longford is now the mark of a snob.

Chet T16

dw2016 wrote: »

anyone here been yet? would you have to book activities in advance? how about the outdoor ones?do ye just put wet gear on and go or would they be cancelled?
thanks

We just got back yesterday after a week there. Its probably worth booking anything you really want to do a few days in advance. It may just have been busy because it was the first week.

We went to centre parcs elvedon 2 years ago and loved it. Thats supposedly their best one in the UK. The Longford is equally as good but probably half the size. We had a great time and would definitely go back. I was expecting it to be a bit half arsed and disorganised but if it wasn't for the fact everything was so clean and new you'd think it had been running for years.

As a cheaper alternative we went to trabolgan last year - it was dreadful, we came home a day early because we hated it so much. I never classed myself as a snob until I seen the type of people that made up the majority of those there.

JupiterKid

Great to hear that the new Center Parcs Longford resort has got off to a pretty good start. I wish it well.

I've heard - on other web forums - that Trabolgan is very dated, tired and patronised by a certain "ethnic minority" who are rat arsed on the sauce by the early evening...