Parkdean Resorts (formerly Park Resorts)
reviews and complaints

i have booked to go on holiday at trecco bay the 18th of September 2023 and phoned the customer helpline to ask about my blue light card and was told to put the code in online.

when booking the holiday it wouldn't accept my card but I still proceeded to book as it was last minute surprise for a family member and your availability was low ..

i phoned today to ask if i could have the discount applied only to be told it was too late and would not allow it even though it would not work online...very disappointed as its our first time at park dean.

i had the same problem at holiday resort unity for entering my code but when i phoned they gave me a gift card to cover the cost of the discount/

Hi

I booked up with parkdean but i didnt take out a cancellation policy. But unfortunately i came down with covid totally unexpectedly but because i have been unwell i have been trying to cancel my holiday about 3/4 weeks before i went but i didnt hear anything back from anyone. I finally get a response today because i was meant to be going on my holiday today . But i cant go . They said they cant give me a refund back because i didnt take out a cancellation policy not knowing that i was going to come down with covid i thiught they might of offered me a partial refund back otherwise i have lost money i feel they have not got any empathy for my situation. Can you please help me

Got here 3 wasnt ready till 4 its dirty radiators r rusty wall paper ripped off chewing gum on furniture 2 bedroomd and 1 if bathrooms stink fridge has dryed spilt milk in it and dont no what the freezers got in it so this is defo not a new caravan had a mouse as well rang reception today to complain think she got sick lol coz she hung up but not untill she said well we havnt got another caravan for you had no tv since we got here was dryed vomit on carpet under table i have been on my hands and knees scrubbing it as no one came to clean baring in mind i am disabled i sat on a pin which stuck in me daughter and grandkids went streight home same night as getting here as grandaughter didnt want to share caravan with a mouse for 2 weeks worst caravan i have ever stayed in in the past 18 years holidaying with parkdean

I have a problem. I have booked and a close relative has died so I am trying to rearrange dates etc. However, whatever I have tried it has been impossible to speak to a representative. I just keep getting referred to a website or "Manage your account" where it says you can chat by using a facility at the end, but no such facility is there.

So as I cannot attend on the dates in question it would appear that I have lost all the money I have prepaid.

Chaotic arrivals set up in entertainments room delayed until 4pm so visitors becoming angry. No direction to caravan, had to ask gardener. Curtain missing from door. Generally unclean so sorted ourselves. Rip in kitchen flooring. Rip in seating. Plasters holding shower head. Unclean smell and informed by cleaning team air sprays not strong enough. Bird muck on windows for duration - told near a hedge and not resolved even though we asked for a mop to clean ourselves and adjoining empty caravans were been jet sprayed. Very little entertainment. Pool poor and changing areas disgraceful so family did not want to use. Noise of chain saw throughout the week. Thursday awoke to no water. Called reception to be told that we had no electricity either and should have been informed. Obviously were not as we could have prepared for personal medical needs. This resulted in family member having to return home early. 2 small bottles of drinking water and lighter delivered after refusing to go to reception to collect as only just up. All of this was reported to your agent as soon as we got home 3 April and yet to have an answer adding to our over disappointment and opinion of Pardean

I have used your services at parkdean for many years, and have had good experiences staying at your parks especially in California cliffs.

I have just come back from a week break at your park in southerners and I am very disappointed. Listed below are the reasons why.

After over a 7 hour journey to your park we arrived to find the boiler (photo 1) with an error, we were unable to get a direct phone line to the reception, so had to then drive to reception to report the problem.

We had the television on, within 20-30 minutes the screen went blank and we only had sound. Again we had to go back to reception to report the television not working. (photo 2, with two televisions) On both of these occasions it was dark cold wet and windy.

The fridge would not close properly, you had to make sure the cupboard door on it is pushed closed with force as the door seems to have dropped. (Video 1)

The shower was unable to be turned down to a cooler setting and was leaking from part of the connection. The shower lead was unravelling and parts off the coating was flaking off, which I had thought at one point I had cut my finger as the flaking is sharp. (video 2 photo 3)

There was dead flies on the carpet and window seal, bits missing from the corners of the window frames and what looked like someone’s fingernail under the tv unit. (Photo 4&5)

The seating in the caravan was appalling, the covers were ripped and one was so bad I put one off my own blankets over it. (Photo 6,7,&8)

On the Wednesday afternoon we were then disturbed by workmen wanting access to the caravan to fix in Wi-Fi.

I really did not not enjoy this experience at your park and feel let down. We had a view of the side of a green caravan and was very disappointed that we wasn’t made aware of how far away from where we were based to the shop and the amenities on the site.

I do want to thank the staff at the park who attended to our needs on arrival who fixed the boiler and found us another television for us, they are an asset to the park and they did there best to help us, I also don’t blame the men fixing the wi fi as they are only trying to do their job, but I do feel these sort of things should be done when the park is close to paying customers or when the caravans are not occupied.

HI

I own lodge J15 at park dean ty Mawr

i requested five weeks ago that i need to sell it.

at first Dave Collins told me i cant sell it until Park Dean balance their books?

ive requested through several channels with that team for some action and none has happened

i don't expect park dean to purchase it back off me, simply for it to be commercialised on what ever platform best

please get back to me ASAP or legal action will ensue

i also own lodge GV13 that i intend on keeping

many thanks in advance

James

Stayed at Vauxhall Holiday Park in August 2022. We had a bad experience with a horrible caravan here before so made sure that we booked a new for 2022 caravan.

When we arrived there were stains all over the carpet in the living room and worst of all blood stains up the wall of the bathroom.

I was disgusted but didn't want to complain as I'd just done a 4 hour drive there and wanted to relax and enjoy my holiday.

We had plans each day and before we knew it, it was the end of the holiday. I spoke to the customer relations team on site and they gave me their complains email address.

I emailed with the pictures and my complaint and all they said was 'thanks for letting us know so we can improve holidays for others'. No compensation was offered. They said it was their final decision.

Very disspointed.

I booked a weekend holiday for myself and other family members including 3 children under 4, arriving 22nd July 22. The day before arrival I received an email stating "due to unforeseen circumstances" outdoor activities were cancelled and the restaurant had limited food choices. No opportunity to cancel and rebook for another date when facilities were fully functioning.

Only informing us the day before arrival and sneaking it into the welcome email left very little option other than to travel to the park,.

On visiting the restaurant we tried to place an order via the mobile app, which wasn't working! We then queued for a considerable period of time to place or order only to find food was so limited that the only option for the children was sausage and chips! Adult meal selection was also limited. When the food did arrive an hour later, the beans on the children's plate were so dry that they had actually formed a crust whilst items on the adult meals were missing items. The food was also luke warrm and by the time we’d gone to the bar to complain the food was then stone cold. A staff member eventually came to the table with a bowl of “fresh” beans and to inform us that they were out of the other items on the menu which were listed on the adult meals. We did make a complaint there and then but were told no one could deal with it and we'd have to speak to guest services the next day. Absolutely ridiculous for the £78.28 spent on food and drinks.

The only machines in working order were the games requiring £2.00 and none of those requiring 2 or 10 pence's!

On the first evening of arrival the sofa suddenly collapsed leaving a large section sunken and unable to be sat on.

There were no mattress protectors on the beds.

Take away was closed and had been for a considerable period of time.

The toilets and swimming pool changing rooms were disgusting.

The situation for booked swimming and changing rooms was beyond chaotic.

I sent an email of complaint on Friday 22nd July to tummel.[protected]@parkdean-resorts.com and visited Guest Services on 23rd July 2022 to inform Guest Services Representative of the situation. I was informed that yes, all outdoor and swimming activities were cancelled and food limited due to staff shortages.

I requested a full refund of the food and drinks bill and was told this would have to be authorised by a manager. When I was recontacted I was informed this refund had been refused but I was offered £70 worth of vouchers for use in the bar and restaurant that evening. This voucher refund was refused and I again requested a full refund of the £78.28.

I was again contacted by a park representative to say the food refund had been refused but they would offer 10% discount off our next booking with Parkdean which I refused and therefore the matter would have to be taken up with head office.

The facilities and services were so bad we left a day early.

I complained to Parkdean Head Office, which took several emails to different departments and finally received a standard response after emailing the CEO. The email hid behind terms and conditions and refused any money back on the holiday but did offer a full CASH refund on the meal, however, when I emailed back to say their response was not acceptable and they had not addressed any points raised but I would accept a full CASH refund for the meal they responded by saying this refund had now been withdrawn as the matter had not been raised at the time. This is a blatant lie as it was raised at the time and the truth of the matter is Parkdean didn't have any competent staff on site to deal with it at the time.

On checking Facebook and Trip Advisor reviews the situation which was beyond Parkdean's control appears to have been going on for considerable period of time, however, they are still advertising and selling holidays offering facilities and services which have not been available for a considerable period of time.

They are falsely advertising holidays, facilities and services which aren't available then hiding behind their T&C and their customer service is incredibly poor.

So we’ve just come back from a weeks holiday at your Newquay holiday park. We stayed in a polzeath caravan as we saw it on your Newquay Parkdean fb site and your online booking site! Well the one advertised is not the one you actually get! We arrived and couldn’t believe how small it was and did not represent the pictures at all!

I carefully researched this caravan as I needed it to be big enough for my son who has autism and adhd. Absolutely disgusted to see your mis selling your caravans!

I paid well over a £1000 for this caravan and would of never of booked it if your photos actually represented the photos of the actual caravan we were getting. I feel so disappointed and will never come back to one of your parks.

I spoke to reception and they could offer us another caravan on the Monday but it wasn’t as nice even though it had slightly more space! But we didn’t want to disrupt my son by moving caravans because of his conditions. Also when we arrived there was a lot of rubbish around the caravan and dirty sheets etc left outside the caravan for over 24 hours until we reported it! (See photos attached) the light above the dining room table was missing and the extraction fan didn’t even work!

Half the stuff was closed on site and the swimming pools shut so early even though you could book swimming slots up to 6pm! It was so hot so we needed a place to cool off as the caravan was a hotbox!

I would like a partial refund due to your site misrepresenting your caravans!

Firstly When I called to change my booking from Bideford bay to Lake District I was told that that white cross bay would be most suitable for my 3year old granddaughter. After settling in to our lodge which we found very nice, we decided to go for our evening meal. We waited over 1.5 hours and only after complaining received our meal, this costing over £75 was to a low standard. We asked if there was any activity which we got a reply of no because it was the man’s night off. Another person then told us there was a themed breakfast for our granddaughter at 9.30 am the following morning. We attended the 9.30 breakfast and after paying another £50 + meal was told there was no entertainment. Too top this off we were then told our meal there would be no eggs on our breakfast. We ordered 3 mega breakfast 2 regular breakfast and a mini breakfast. The waiter then came out and brought out 3 mega breakfast and 2 mini breakfast. This has been very upsetting for my family.

Parkdean Ruda,Clovelly Lodge Number 4

Booking reference number is 9229986

Family Bathroom had Black mould, cracked wall tiles, Cracked Bath panel that was in their own words "Dangerous " as it could cause an injury. Missing shower plastic strip between bath and shower screen so when the shower was in use the Bathroom flooded creating a slip hazard.

Ensuite off main Bedroom shower cubicle had the door missing & replaced with a shower curtain however this had Black mould on it,  also the plastic strip off the missing door was completely covered in Black Mould, the shower tray also had a substantial amount of Black mould on it broken tiles & the shower plug was filthy.

There is no way any this property had been cleaned to any standard that anybody would have found acceptable, the neglect & lack of maintenance of this property was clear for all to see including damage to the Microwave & kitchen unit damage.

My Son who has AUTISM found the lack of cleanliness very disturbing and could not bring himself to use either of the showers or bath for fear of catching a disease, the distress that this caused my son was disgraceful & unacceptable, you don't spend £900.00 for 4 nights to expect that.

I reported this to the reception staff who after seeing the photos I had taken asked if they could put things right as the Bath panel was in a Dangerous state of disrepair.

I gladly agreed and made arrangements for them to resolve the situation.

They also stated that the property was due to be cleaned next week when the property was not in use ! & it was unfortunate that the property had been in constant use, I did not find this situation acceptable & informed them that I wanted a refund.

As we were going off site for a few hours they could come immediately to address the issues. When we returned nothing had been done.

I went back to reception they sent maintenance to fix issues, 2 staff arrived had a look stated they didn't have a replacement Bath panel & plastic strip to stop water from pooling on the bathroom floor. They just kept saying they worked on heating & boilers & would try to fix the problems. The solution was to gaffer tape the Bath Panel, place a strip on the glass to stop the water going on the floor, the fix failed water still leaked all over the floor. Nobody came to clean the BLACK MOULD OFF !. I have phoned, emailed Parkdean sent them a recorded letter to which they have not replied to.

I have also sent photographs of the conditions that we were faced with when we got into the accommodation after waiting for the cleaning team to finish up on the day we arrived! What they cleaned I have no ideas.

Parkdean have said they carried out an investigation & have said that they have reviewed your complaint and can see that the General Manager of Ruda has upheld their decision to offer you a 20% holiday sales voucher. I believe this resolution is fair and reflective of the issues you raised and we wouldn't look to offer anything further. I have now been offered a 20% holiday sales voucher. I believe this resolution is fair and reflective of the issues you raised and we wouldn't look to offer anything further. I have now been offered a 20% gesture of good will which I informed them was unacceptable & I would not accept, but they still paid it into my account anyway after telling them I would not accept this.

My Son has been traumatised over this experience and.as I stated to them there is no way that we could ever return to a Parkdean Resort ever again.I.could not put him through this ordeal again. I am still waiting for a response from 10 days ago where they asked for 5 days to respond to my latest email.

Rented from a private owner. Caravan was lovely. Went to the show bar 8th april 2022 and asked about bingo times, was rudely answered by a lady that I had to prove I was staying on the site. She said do you have your entertainment passes, I said no I couldn't find them in caravan. (being my first night I was eager to get ready and out for the entertainment). Lady who I now know to be the entertainments manager said well i'm not loosing my licence selling you bingo. I said how will you lose your licence? She said if your not staying here on site, I said I am staying here and showed her the confirmation booking for my caravan she said that wasn't good enough and to show my caravan key. I said it was with friend back at caravan. So asked friend to run down with key. Julie entertainments manager said it wasn't good enough as it hasn't parkdean on it. I said she owns the caravan so it won't. Refused to sell me bingo. Dam right discusting. I have been to the same park 4 times before. Never a problem, also she wasn't asking the rest of the queue for proof. Julie the entertainments manager.

I was due to arrive this afternoon at 4pm. offcies have advised to not travel and insurance companies have said they won't cover anything if something happens during our travelling. I've messaged the ParkDean Torquay to re book for some other weekend, but, I was told that they are going to decide if they are opening today or not and that this decision will be out at 6pm today. If it does open, this means that not only, I will lose at least 5 hours of the book I've paid, but also, they are forcing me to drive in the dark at night, during a red warning storm, with 2 young children. It is very frustrating that they don't care about the safety of their guests.

Yours faithfully.

Booking no. 9061913 arrived on Friday night 8th Oct 2021. 2 adults and 2 children. Walton, Essex. I phoned the day before arrival as was rather cold weather and asked if had central heating, was told no and no other accommodation available. Small plug in radiator left in lounge which didn't help much as 3 bedrooms! We were cold. Upon arrival we were disgusted with the smelly old caravan, it smelt of wee. And we had to walk quite a way from our car to the caravan which was problematic, couldn't park near caravan at all! I would never go there again, nobody seems to care and as fully booked had to put up with it. Managed to do this until Sunday morning, we had had enough and went home. I emailed on the Monday and told them what happened and I have never had a response, just lots of emails asking me to book another break! Very poor customer service.

We had a holiday at the above Site order number 8837348 13th Sept for a week. A few days before the holiday I found out this was set on a very steep hill. As my husband was having a minor op on his knee few days before arrival. I contacted the site directly to ask if we could be on a level situation. After a 7 hour journey we arrive and find out our request had not even put on the computer. Hense we were situated at the top of the main site a quarter of a mile from all the entertainment pools food court. Etc The male receptionist was very understanding and said he was upset that nothing was recorded. He admitted it was their fault and tried to find us alternative accommodation on different sites. This was to no avail. We were therefore completely in the clouds with no WiFi as that only worked in the main entertainment area. He spoke to a manager who offered us a partial refund, as this was totally their fault. To date we have been back a month now and have not received anything. Could you please look into this matter on our behalf. I think the lads name was Alex. When phoning I spoke to one of the two girl receptionist but unfortunately didn't take a name. Thankyou

On arrival we had no clean linen the previous holiday makers was still on. The caravan obviously hadn't been cleaned we have photo proof of this there were maintenance issues. The caravan was nothing like the photo on the booking page we booked a Landreath and were put in a gemini 2 which was too small for our party. We were given vouchers to use on the site but my daughter and her fiance were that disgusted with the bed they slept on the sofas

On the day of arrival we noticed our cooker wasn't working and reported it straight away but no one came, it took 8 days and reporting daily, eventually contacting head office to get someone to look at it and fix the oven, the grill still didn't work repair man said he would order a part and it would be at the most three days but on day 14 (departure day) still not fixed. So it cost an absolute fortune eating out or take away with a family of 6, as we had no oven
Also not enough bedding for our booking even though it was booked one year in advance. Also asked for easy access as my father is disabled and put on a hill three caravans up. I think it's disgusting as we paid for a better grade of caravan and not a sun holiday £1386 is a lot of money

Booking ref 8989582. Stay from 26/7/21 to 30/7/21. I had originally booked a stay at a different Parkdean resort on the Isle of Wight for my family and my mother, where we would have been staying in a tent. Unfortunately, my mother was taken ill a few days before going and camping would have not been appropriate for her. Therefore, we booked a lodge at Thorness Bay at the last minute.

We were directed to our lodge of 6 Medina Rise at 12.30pm and told that if the green dot was on the outside, it was clear and ready. As we entered the address at the early check in time, we found it to be a complete mess. The TV was still on. There was a dirty towel on the sofa. There was rubbish and half empty vodka bottles on the side. We immediately walked out and went back to reception. The receptionist went down and reported back to that she believed people were still asleep inside. We were directed to the bar to wait. It was 2pm when we were able to get back into the lodge and even then, we had the chase the reception, as they had forgotten to call us. They did agree to refund our early check in charge, but this would take 7-10 days.

As we re-entered the lodge, it was obvious that this was a rush clean. We still found food in cupboards and in the freezer, rubbish under the beds and unemptied bins. The old bed sheets were left on the floor outside the lodge, but were not collected at any point during the time of our stay.

I did discuss with reception our other booking at Nodes Point and I did ask if anything could be done about a refund for this. They did offer me £75 in vouchers which I was happy to accept.

On 28/7/21 we had been relatively comfortable, when we attempted to cook dinner using the gas oven and hobs in the lodge. We had these before and had no issues. However, this evening we had a substantial drop in gas pressure that meant none of our food would cook. We called out of hours, who attended within 10 minutes and was very helpful. However, he was unable to fix it and said that we would have to eat out that evening. He said he would put the issue on report and we had best speak with the manager, Katie, in the morning. We went to the on-site bar and when we were ordering our food, the bar manager, Connor, came over to see us. He had been told about our situation and offered us 30% off the bill. He stated that was as much as he was allowed to do and we accepted, but did tell him we would still speak with reception in the morning about the remaining amount and the ruined food that was partly cooked. With these discounts, the total bill came to just under £63.

The following morning we went to speak with Katie, but found she was not available until noon. When we returned, she refused to come out to speak with us and instead a staff member called John, was continually running back and forth between us. He advised that Katie was 'too busy dealing with other issues.' We told John everything that happened.

Whilst we were here, I received a email with my £75 of vouchers. Reading these, I found out that there were not valid on bank holidays or school holidays. This was not made clear to me at the time of offer and as a family with 3 children all of school age, is completely useless to me.

When our matter of the food was brought back to us, we were told that we would be given no other recompense, as 'you have had too many vouchers already.' This was incredibly upsetting to me.

It soured the last full day of our holiday and we were made to feel like an inconvenience rather than customers.

Claire Thrower
32 Holts Close
Gilmorton
Leicester
LE2 9GU

23rd July 2021

To The Manager
Re: My Holiday to Trecco Bay, Porthcawl, South Wales 12/07/21-19/07/21
Caravan 166 Sycamore

I am sending this complaint with regards to the recent Holiday booked and paid for through HOSEASONS. The beautiful description and photos shown via a HOSEASONS website and links, the conversation held between myself and a HOSEASONS staff member who called me on Friday the 9th July 2021, 3 days prior to travel. Then calling on the morning of 12th July to be told my holiday was in fact a PARKDEAN holiday and HOSEASONS were acting as just an agent!
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I am disgusted and appalled at being treated like a simpleton and to just be expected to accept that my vacation is with PARKDEAN and that this shouldn't be an issue at all, as I would still be going on holiday to the same place!
Well, this was and is far from OK. There is a reason I book my holidays through the companies I choose, I read reviews extensively and look at any press both good and bad. I look at all holiday parks and value for money and the prices being charged for the holidays I am looking at. The latter being an absolute disgrace by all UK companies who have both inflated and exaggerated prices. All involved including both of you, HOSEASONS and PARKDEAN, should be ashamed that you are taking advantage of a global pandemic to charge the most excessive costs for UK Holidays. Families in need of a break have no choice but to book in the UK due to Government Guidelines and Green, Amber and Red Zones. Therefore, profits must be very healthy for the UK Holiday parks and I, myself can only hope the government take a stand and put a stop these ludicrous costs.
Now the reason for my own personal complaint, which requires both Hoseasons (whom I booked and paid) and Parkdean (whom I found out the morning of travel were in fact the Holiday Company I was going with and Trecco Bay is a Parkdean Caravan Site) to look into my complaint and are required to do what both have failed to do, especially with my booking. Communicate with each other as I have been failed by both and I do not take this lightly. I usually book through Haven, whom I have never had an issue with when confronted them with any issues I have had, their customer service has always been exceptional. You will no doubt be asking yourselves why I 'didn't book with them', if they had a caravan to the standard I required, at a holiday park wanted and all available, they would have been my first choice, depending on the outcome of this complaint, they may stay my first choice!
I was unable to book my holiday as early as I would have done in normal circumstances, however my holiday abroad wasn't cancelled until just before I was due to fly. This was the second year it had been cancelled due to Covid 19 but having children, both who suffer with mental health and behavioral problems. I had decided I would try and make the best of a bad situation and still try and make a holiday enjoyable, despite being a UK holiday.
I had been Wales before and really enjoyed time spent there, as did the children. So decided on South Wales and started my search. Haven as previously advised had nothing. I hadn't booked before with either Parkdean or Hoseasons but on reviewing, felt Parkdean prices were excessive. Hoseasons however, was recommended by a friend who holidays yearly in Devon and never had an issue. I chose to go through Hoseasons and looked at the caravans. This was not booked immediately as I needed to discuss with my husband. Then came the email, asking if I still wanted my holiday and at a discount being offered. This was for Trecco Bay, a clearly marked email from Hoseasons, nothing mentioning Parkdean so I had no reason to even consider the possibility the camp site wasn't Hoseasons. A 2021 model, 2 bed caravan was selected and as I don't take my own dog on holiday, selecting a caravan that doesn't allow dogs is a must. Why would I want dog hair from someone else's canine? As you are aware to get a dog hair free caravan you can't get these in the lower or even middle price bracket. Yet another money maker. This was all booked over the telephone with a HOSEASONS advisor. What was also discussed and explained in detail with the advisor that yes, you can make requests but not guaranteed as read on your website, but it was essential due to disabilities that we needed our caravan very close to amenities, this was a must. If this couldn't be done or only a maybe, then we wouldn't be booking. Of course, we were then told this wouldn't be a problem, was this to just secure the booking? at this present time I would definitely say yes.
Three weeks prior to travel I was constantly scouring the internet for a direct number for Hoseasons. This was ridiculous. The number provided was constantly busy and despite calling all different times of the day, the message was always the same, due to high call volumes the wait was approximately an hour and please call back when less busy. I tried to email numerous times over the next two weeks via the website and no response at all. This is disgusting customer service. I had better customer service from British Airways and they were dealing with refunds! I finally got through to Hoseasons by commenting on both Facebook and Twitter pages, of course then a message was sent to me within 24 hours. Bad press on social media would be very bad for business wouldn't it? All I was requesting was to be able to book activities if possible, I had heard from family that a caravan site they used in 2020, that had to book swimming times. As all was easing per the government, I wouldn't of thought there were as strict rules in 2021. I was advised by a text a few days before travel of a link that I could book activities. I had chosen Trecco Bay due to the long list of activities available, my children need to be entertained and always distracted. I was aware that there were 'some' charges as per small print and expect this but the costs and what is charged for go to a whole new level of extortion!
Clip & Climb £9.50
This may be one of the only activities I feel is worth the money.
PS5 1hr £8.00
(not advised under 12 needs supervising considering 90% of children under 12 own a console! I pay the same price for 1 month of PlayStation plus at home, you are making a profit knowing children come away on holiday with no console so this is too much temptation and ‘I want, I want' at parents, also considering the only tv option in the caravan is Free view which is about as interesting as watching paint dry, would it have been too much to put a tv/DVD combi in the vans, especially as ours was not the cheapest of accommodation?. I really would advise management to converse with Haven as to what makes customers happy and in an ‘home from home' environment.
Make a Memory Sand Art £6.00
What a total waste of money for a Pound land activity! Total rip off for an A4 sticky piece of card to try and attach craft sand too.
Money Box Making £6.00
I assumed this was at least a ceramic money box to paint and decorate, what my son came back with was a thin box that was falling apart that was supposed to have separate pieces slot into each other, no glue was given but very much needed, yet another Pound land bulk buy? Total piece of tat!
Make a Memory Pottery £8.00
Lovely little item but still expensive for what it is, I've only ever paid max £6.50 for these items, especially when paying for 2 children to do the activity.
Inflata Jet Skis £7.50
My children didn't even get to do this! Where on the link and website does it tell me this is for maximum age of 7 years? It doesn't! especially as when booking you knew the ages of my children. But no, you still put the booking through and took the payment, que two very disappointed children when going to the pool and being turned away to which then I have to find something else for them to do after they went through their tantrums with their health conditions, ADHD, anxiety and mental health. Disappointment is the last thing I want to see on my children's faces when I have booked in advance to ensure the children were kept busy, knowing this is a must when controlling their conditions and also to prevent any boredom from them which makes children unpredictable and doesn't help my own fibromyalgia pain flaring.
Bear Grylls Hide to Survive £10.00
I am absolutely disgusted that I paid for both my sons to do this activity and expected something far and beyond, especially watching Bear Grylls on the TV. What my sons got was a scouts lesson from a scout leader! From a family that watches programs on how to survive in the wild I would most definitely say this was far from it. If my boys wanted to listen to survival tactics and stories, we could have drove them an hour to the other side of Wales and had them climb a mountain with Billy Billingham ex SAS! Then at least they would of heard how to truly survive and it wouldn't have cost me a tenner for the privilege!
Wizard Academy £6.00
A* for this activity, my youngest son loved this and was repeating all he did through the day. He was given items and a booklet to show him how to do tricks and was worth every penny. So many more of this type of activity is needed.
High Ropes - I find it bizarre that you charge for this when it is in the middle of the play park! Yet another money maker.
Cricket and General swim FREE, yes I found something Free!
Out of all activities, only the shortest list of items are cost FREE which is appalling.
As for the General Swim, yes I appreciate with the Covid pandemic that numbers have to be smaller to use the pool and time needs to be restricted. What I didn't expect was to find out 3 days before we were travelling that the maximum time my family and I had were allowed to use the pool was 2 hours 15 minutes for the entire time we were there. A maximum of 3 times if staying 7 days and 45 minutes per time. The pool is a big issue when booking a holiday for us as a family especially with children who have special needs. My children would be in the pool all day every day if allowed. They weren't even allowed to use the pool once a day at the site pool. Should hours not have been extended to allow more time in the pool? Even once a day would have been a lot better than 3 days out of 7, did you see the temperatures in the week we were staying? The heat was high and due to my own disabilities of fibromyalgia which leaves me with pain throughout the nerves in my body, a campsite was chosen so my children could keep distracted and a pool with slides was chosen so the boys could entertain themselves in the water if hot weather. The beautiful beach and sea were a godsend but having to travel did have a negative effect on my own health and disabilities which I wanted to refrain from at all costs. Leaving the campsite to keep my children distracted also have a negative effect on my bank account, having to spend a lot of money on items that I wouldn't have accounted for but had to buy for my children to play on the beach and inflatables for the sea, considering they didn't have a pool with slides to use throughout the day in scorching heat. When we were allocated time for the pool, the practices in place couldn't have been made up by a 5* comedian! Yes, a one way system was to be in place (although never adhered to in restaurants or the evening entertainment when adults using the bar!) We entered the pool one way, even though no instruction was given by staff to how practices were taking place when arrived at the pool, we arrived in swimwear with clothing over the top. At poolside no cubicles were used, we were given a bin liner to put all items in, so outside clothing, shoes, keys etc and asked to leave these on tables at poolside. On the alarm for time up in the pool, all users were advised to collect items and use the exit door to the side. This is where you could not make up what was required to do, it was truly shocking. With dripping wet swimwear and a bag with personal belongings, we were led into the street! Yes, that's right the street! The exit doors led outside to the street where all shops are in Trecco Bay, with a few tables outside the exit doors you could use if needed to empty out belongings. Luckily for us, we had drove up to the complex as my fibromyalgia had been extremely painful so walked from the exit through the street to the car. The last time I had walked among the street and stores in a bathing costume was from Dunns River Falls in Jamaica and Trecco Bay is far from the Caribbean! My eldest son who suffers with Anxiety and ADHD is very self conscious of his body, he is 12 years old, going through puberty and as stated, suffers health issues. How do you think he felt with numerous people looking at him dripping wet in swim shorts and then commenting to themselves when we had given him towels to cover himself? This is Shameful PARKDEAN AND HOSEASONS! Yes, I hold you both responsible for these practices as you both profit from my money!
Three days prior to travel, when all booked and paid for, we were advised by a website link just how bad the restrictions were. Children with disabilities weren't taken into account and I was never consulted or asked if there was anything that we could be assisted or helped with to ensure we had a good time, with restrictions that had to be in place. Whereas Haven would go out of the way to ensure the whole family would enjoy a holiday, HOSEASONS and PARKDEAN was very vague in communication and in person, I think only 2 groundkeepers were seen in the whole week, despite the 2 staff at the pool of course and those behind the bar. Not one member of reception or anyone who would be considered as management was anywhere to be seen, which we are certainly not used to.
The website mentions Restaurants as in plural, one restaurant you could sit in with half a menu that you had to order from the table via App. Food that my children wouldn't eat. Once again having to pay put off site. I wonder what guests would do without Uber and Just Eat?! The wide range advised on your website is incorrect, there is most certainly not available all that you state.
The Caravan in itself was nice, I would have expected to say lovely considering the cost, but I couldn't go that far. This van was 2021 this season, how old would that of made it on the 12th of July? Certainly not old enough for the sealant to be hanging off around the shower allowing water to leak everywhere, fed up with waiting for someone to come and see to it, we pushed it back around ourselves but knew would only be a temporary measure, it needed sealing. On arriving at the Van, a text had to be sent as only 2 stools were at the table. If you are not aware, children with ADHD and behavioral issues need structure and routine, therefore mealtimes are around a table as a family. Very difficult when two stools are missing. Therefore, my children would eat very little and needed constant prompting to sit back down as we couldn't sit as a family. A text was also sent advising there was no shelf at the bottom of the fridge door to hold milk and juice. On the Wednesday, late morning, we finally got assistance, not the ideal stools to match from the pictures of the van we booked, nope, two odd chairs that had been found to allow us to sit together! We were told by the same maintenance man that there wasn't much chance we would get a shelf for the fridge in the week we were there, we didn't. How can this van not be picture perfect when it was so new? I can only assume most guests would ‘make do'. I am not most guests.

The morning of Travel I opened the PDF to see exactly where our caravan was, as Hoseasons had advised would be close to amenities. It didn't look that close to me so called the telephone number given. Firstly, I spoke to a young girl to advise what had been originally discussed with HOSEASONS. That booking was on the condition of being close to amenities as couldn't walk far, I was told there was nothing that could be done to move us closer, vans had been allocated. I requested a manager who was only put on the phone when I told the young girl to issue me a full refund as already, I was far from happy with the customer service and wasn't even on the campsite yet, that and no assistance was being offered whatsoever. A ‘Manager' then came on the phone, if she was a manager, I'm aware how calls are taken and who the calls are passed too. I then discussed with said manager that the car was packed, we were about to leave and as I had put trust in what I considered to be a HOSEASONS holidays, had only just looked at a map of where we were to be staying. Once again, I was told sorry, we can't be moved. Then I was told something that made me feel absolutely disgusted to be staying at YOUR park. We could have been put closer if paid an extra allocation fee! YOU want ME to have paid an extra amount because I am classed as disabled and can't walk far? Hang your heads in shame. You are making money from guests to want to be closer to amenities, you should be allocating vans closer to those who have disabilities as a free service to help guests. Never, ever have I been so insulted, never has Haven taken advantage of my disabilities and wanted extra fees to move me closer. On stating that HOSEASONS knew of my situation, I was told of course that HOSEASONS had not told PARKDEAN of any of this, and there you see communication at its worst, none at all! I then advised was due to leave out but if get to the park and was too far, I would be stuck in the van limited and as I also suffer severe mental health, this would be made worse if stuck in a van in physical pain with fibromyalgia, I would prefer to stay at home. The manager told me the van was about 4 minutes from all amenities. 4 minutes for your average adult is 8 if fibro pain is minor, if major triple the time. I didn't want to let my children down so decided to travel.
On getting to the site the first impression was a good one, it wasn't very busy which I had hoped and getting to the van after taking a few wrong turns, all outside looked ok. The van was nice on the inside but would have expected the small home comforts, a DVD player wouldn't spread Covid! My children and husband went to the shop, this was them seeing how far away we were. The response was not close but not too far. Later in the day my children wanted to go the amusements, my husband took them with the understanding I would meet them in an hour once I had took my pain medication and called my older son back home. I was told the easiest and quickest way to go to meet up with my family. This took me 10 minutes. What should have been 4 minutes to all amenities took me 10 and what was even more disappointing was that this wasn't even the amenities, it was the back of the restaurant. To get to the park, shops and all other amenities I had to walk to the other end of the ‘street'. Even to walk and get my children an ice cream was a far walk for me. On getting back to the van I was in agony, I needed stronger meds and my tens machine. It was like this for me for the whole week. I had to spend a lot of time on my own in the van as knew I would suffer on my return if took my sons myself to their activities. We had to drive up to swimming, to the restaurant and shops. I was so disappointed in both HOSEASONS and PARKDEAN for not communicating with each other after I had stressed so much the importance of why I couldn't be far from the main complex. It was so disheartening that I couldn't enjoy and experience a holiday with my children why they are still young, all because NONE OF YOU would listen and even on speaking to PARKDEAN before leaving and advising that I would be contacting them by return if I was let down, was advised ‘'oh no, you need to send that to Hoseasons''. So, in one breath she was telling me I was going with Parkdean and in the second she was telling me if many issues I need to go to Hoseasons! This told me in no uncertain terms that the staff of PARKDEAN didn't want to deal with any issues or complaints that arose, even if within the campsite. As I see it PARKDEAN is all the issues on the park, activities, amenities, caravan allocation and total ignorance of those with disabilities is on YOU. HOSEASONS, the entirety of this complaint is on YOU! YOU booked my holiday, YOU listened and advised made the arrangements for my disabilities and then didn't follow through and YOU banked the entire cost of my holiday! I myself didn't get the holiday I had hoped for, I had dreaded being stuck in the caravan and my stay had resulted in this, both holiday companies failed my disabilities completely, only interested in me booking and not bothered In the slightest of any restrictions I would have if you didn't follow through with what I was originally was told.

I would expect this complaint to be dealt with in its entirety in a timely and in-depth manner. All aspects need addressing and answering by both companies, HOSEASONS and PARKDEAN.
Please do not come back with excuses and covid being the reason for restrictions and costs being high. I never expected to pay what I did for a caravan and then the extra costs for activities which was in excess of £250 for both children. I expected a lot more to be at no cost at all. I would have expected to have daily use of the pool, but shorter times and I would never have expected to walk from a pool, dripping wet onto a street. You may read this and think we got a very good deal for the price we paid, I find it very poor. What was a very good deal was a 4-bedroom Villa with own pool and games room for 14 nights at a cost of £1500 (less that you charge for two weeks) in Orlando, Florida which Is where we would have been if not for Covid.
Please do not make me lose faith in taking holidays in my own country, as at present I feel I will never holiday in the UK again after this experience. None of my social media has been updated as yet with our recent holiday experience, nor as Tripadvisor or other review sites I regularly frequent, I await your response before updating all.
I hope to hear from you forthwith
Yours faithfully
Claire Thrower