We go to Center Parcs about once a year, though mostly not to Whinfell Forest. Whinfell is a lovely park with nice bungalows and a lovely village square. We don't like the vibe of the outdoor activity centre quite as much as in the other parks, which marks it down a little. Overall, though, we had a great weekend at a decent driving distance from Scotland. read more

We have been regular visitors of Center Parcs, Penrith for over 10 years and love it so much that we visit every winter. Center Parcs brought what was Oasis several years ago and since then there has been lots of changes, some for the better and some for the worst. The most noticable being the price! It can be ridiculously expensive - especially during school holiday where you can spend over £1000 for 5 days in a standard lodge. The good thing about this Parc is the accomodation. No matter which level you go for (range between comfort and exclusive), you won't be disappointed. They are all wooden cladded lodges set within the forest and all a nice walk to either the Country Club or the village centre. We usually stay in an executive lodge which have a sauna. Not a necessity and we don't really use it too often but for 1st time visitors it is a nice extra. You also get a daily maid service in the executive which is very nice! The pool area is great fun for all the family. We like to sit at the top level where if you are lucky you will be able to get a sun lounger and chill out with a good book while the kids go off and play on the flumes and slides. The outdoor pool is small but great. We have never been in the summer so we don't know how overcrowded it gets but be prepared for a sprint to the outside pool in your 'cossie' as it is rather chilly! We have used most of the restaraunts either for take away or sit in meals and have enjoyed most of them. The on site pub - Tom Cobleighs has a small play area so is worth a visit if you have smaller children. As with most holiday parcs, the food can be expensive so we try and eat in as much as we can and then go out a couple of times. It is worth taking food into the pool area too as the drinks and snacks are pricey here. They have a well stocked supermarket on site too which again is a little more expensive than normal but you will find most things you need here. There is a cash point, creche, small cinema, and a doctors which we have needed to take our child to in the past and the doctor here was fantastic! Some activities are again pricey. The kids have enjoyed roller skating, badminton and football but we don't feel we need to spend our holiday doing lots of different activities. Just walking through the lovely forest from the lodge to the sports plaza to grab a latte and watch the kids playing pool is enough for us. We love it here and can't wait to go back! read more

I visited here in April 09 after getting a great deal on the internet. The park is located in the Lake District, close to Penrith. I stayed in an executive lodge which had 2 floors. It was very spacious and cosy, and best of all, there was a sauna outside! The whole park has a very quiet, scenic feel to it and there are lots of lovely woodland walks to take advantage of. In terms of activities, there are endless things to do although it can be quite pricey if you want to do lots of things. The pool is included in the price and is really good. There are 2 flume slides, a flat slide, childrens slides, a rapids section and wave pool. There are plenty of places to eat, Hucks is good for kids and Café Rouge is also really nice. Bella Italia and CafeRouge accept Tesco Deals vouchers which is really good and can save you a bit of money! The Lakeland pub is lovely to sit and have a drink looking out over the lake, and they have a weekly quiz which is good fun. I would definitely recommend a holiday here. read more