General important information and latest news about Center Parcs.
Keep up to date with the latest news and updates for all our individual villages.
Exciting new activities launching soon!
Posted 10 December 2024
Level up your break with three brand-new activities coming soon to Sherwood Forest and Woburn Forest.
Thrill-seekers can take on the TAG Challenge Arena at Sherwood Forest, where you’ll race through a thrilling obstacle course and collect glowing TAGs to score points. At Woburn Forest, families can get competitive at the Entertainment Hive, home to Puttify, Interactive Shuffle and Interactive Darts – or step inside the Immersive Gamebox, which transports you into an exciting digital realm using 3D motion tracking, surround sound and touch screen tech. Coming spring 2025.
Log Burners
Posted 10 December 2024
Our long-burning fire logs are a great way to relax after a day of adventures in the forest.
To use the fireplace safely and effectively, please follow these requirements:
- Only use one smokeless fire log at a time. This is the recommended maximum for the fireplace/stove.
- Approved smokeless fire logs can be purchased from ParcMarket.
- Do not use branches, logs or anything else collected from the forest or from other sources.
- For your safety, please ensure that a burning fire is never left unattended.
If we notice any smoke coming from a chimney, we will investigate and remove any logs or other prohibited fuel to prevent any potential fire hazard.
Center Parcs Celebrates Gold and Silver at British Travel Awards
Posted 22 November 2024
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve won both a gold and silver award at the British Travel Awards!
We’ve been awarded gold for Best Company for UK Family Holidays and silver for Best Company for UK Short Breaks.
The British Travel Awards are the largest consumer voted awards in the UK, and this year, there were over 1.2 million votes cast across all the award categories.
To be recognised for Best Company for UK Family Holidays and Best Company for UK Short Breaks, is a true testament to our colleagues’ hard work which contributes to our success each year.
Center Parcs is a place to enjoy precious family moments together. Our guests have always been at the heart of what we do, so we really appreciate all of your support!
Winter is coming...
Posted 14 November 2024
The weather is becoming a little more unpredictable and over the past couple of years we have experienced some very cold temperatures. Extreme weather does bring some safety and operational challenges for us. At Center Parcs we assess the weather forecast on a daily basis to plan and ensure our staff and guests are as safe as possible. We listen to official advice but we also consider local weather and conditions for each of our villages. We're in a forest setting so extreme weather can be a concern, for example, we look at how saturated the forest is and sometimes we have to change things to reduce any risks.
Below are some hints & tips and advice, along with some changes we may need to put in place if we experience extreme weather:
Outdoor activities, our lake & pool areas
It is great to be outside on crisp winter days but in previous years extreme temperatures have made it difficult for our staff and guests to safely enjoy some activities. Again, we will assess villages and conditions individually and only cancel activities, close our lakes and/or outdoor pool areas if we feel it is unsafe to go ahead.
Forest fires
Please do not start any fires no matter how small, this can be temping with children, but this isn't safe in our forest environment as small fires can spread very quickly, even in cold weather. If you see a fire in the forest, please let our team know as soon as possible. Keeping everyone safe will always be our priority and we patrol our forests on a regular basis. Please note that, if guests are found to intentionally start a forest fire, they'll be asked to leave the village.
Lodge log burners
It is important that guests only burn one log at a time.
Ice & snow
The forest looks magical with snow but such weather can make paths and roads unsafe. Our forests are 400 acres and not all areas will be treated so guests will need to take care when moving around. It is not safe to walk on frozen lakes.
Strong wind & gales
Stick to prepared paths and roads, depending on the severity guests should consider walking rather than cycling.
Arrival day
Extreme weather on an arrival day can cause disruption to our operations. We have a large team who need to travel to work to ensure our lodges are prepared for our guests. On occasion you may find that we delay lodge access time to allow our team more time to prepare.
How will we communicate?
We'll update our website, Facebook and Twitter with any known impact to our villages.
What if we close a village due to severe weather?
We will only close a village if it is not safe for our guests and staff. The decision to close will generally be made on the morning of an arrival day. If we do need to close one of our villages, we will automatically action a full refund of your break and any pre-booked activities.
What if we're open but you can't get to us?
We cannot accept responsibility for your travel/journey to our villages and we won't be able to offer a refund. If you cannot travel to your chosen village due to local adverse weather, please give us a call on 03448 266266 (United Kingdom), 1890 818200 (Ireland), 03448 267747 (Northern Ireland).
Exciting news: Our plans to bring Center Parcs to Scotland
Posted 5 November 2024
We’re excited to announce that, after many months of searching, we have identified a site for a potential Center Parcs village in Scotland.
The site is in the Scottish Borders, north of Hawick and south of Selkirk, and around 90 minutes from Edinburgh and Newcastle, and two hours from Glasgow. Whilst we expect the village to look and feel like our existing villages, we are planning to take a bold, new approach and create our own woodland by planting thousands of new trees on the site, which is currently mostly open grassland. We have already carried out a number of site surveys and we believe that this is the right location for a Center Parcs in Scotland. Although this is a big day for us, it is only the start of a long journey towards submitting a planning application to the local authority. We will now continue with rigorous site surveys and pre-planning works, as well as drawing up detailed designs.
We are hoping to submit a planning application for 700 lodges, plus a range of leisure facilities -including a Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Forest Spa - in 2025.
A website has been created to share information, updates and plans relating to the project: www.centerparcsscotland.co.uk. You can also sign up for email updates via this website.
The brand-new Center Parcs UK & Ireland app is here!
Last updated 3 October. Posted 1 October 2024
Available now in Apple and Google Play app stores, the new Center Parcs UK & Ireland app will help your break run more smoothly than ever!
Designed to enhance your stay from 12 weeks before arrival, our app will ensure you have everything you need at your fingertips, including booking activities and dining options, navigating around the village, and viewing your itinerary, plus all the information you’ll need to know for your stay.
[ comfort zone ] are coming to Aqua Sana Forest Spa
Posted 3 October 2024
After a successful pop-up event at Sherwood Forest, we’re excited to announce a new luxury Italian spa brand coming to Aqua Sana Forest Spa! Certified B Corp® [ comfort zone ] are bringing with them five new treatments that are now available for bookings across our locations from 1 November onwards, including the much-loved Himalayan Salt Back, Face and Scalp Massage, and the Acupressure and Cryo Sphere Massage, unique to Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
Book today and be one of the first to enjoy the [ comfort zone ] experience. Plus for a limited time only, you’ll receive a complimentary Cleanse and Nourish mini gift set worth over £21* when you book any [ comfort zone ] treatment. Feeling extra indulgent? Add a Forest Spa Experience to your break for 3 hours of full spa access.
*Offer valid until 28th November, subject to availability
You can now book your break up to 20 April 2026!
Posted 1 October 2024
Whether it's a summer adventure, autumn retreat, or winter escape, secure your stay early for the best prices and availability. With a huge range of accommodation and activities, there’s something for everyone.
Introducing Aqua Sana Forest Spa
Posted 12 September 2024
We’ve spent the last few years on a journey to transform our Aqua Sana spas into our award-winning Forest Spa concept, with up to 25 spa experiences inspired by the natural world. Today, we’re excited to introduce our new brand: Aqua Sana Forest Spa. Guests visiting Aqua Sana Forest Spa or viewing the website will see that we’ve recently had a makeover, with an exciting new brand and design style that’s rooted in nature and complements our forest setting.
Update to Cancellation Policy
Posted 24 June 2024
There is a change to our cancellation policy which will come into effect for guests who are on village from 9th September 2024 onwards.
From the 9th September 2024 you can cancel activity, restaurant and spa bookings up to 12 hours before the start time to receive a full refund. If you cancel within 12 hours of the start time, a 50% cancellation charge will apply.
Please see full terms and conditions for more information.
New Woodland Plus and Executive Plus Lodges - Elveden Forest 2024
Posted 15 April 2024
Introducing the newly designed Woodland Plus and Executive Plus Lodges at Elveden Forest, now available to book!
These are a small selection of nine upgraded lodges created to test new design ideas for future accommodation. They offer enhanced design features, including new kitchen and living space layouts, décor, and furnishings, perfect for a getaway with family or friends. With expanded outdoor areas, sustainable and recyclable materials, advanced technology and improved interiors, these lodges provide comfortable and relaxing spaces for families to enjoy.
We've added a range of special features to the five Executive Plus Lodges. Each lodge has its own distinct features for you to enjoy, from saunas, and heated outdoor areas, to games rooms, interactive gaming pods, bean bags, and yoga mats. To find out more information on the specific features of each new lodge, please check out the pages below.
Swapping to reusable cups at Canopy Café
19 March 2024
Since we launched new reusable cups for cold beverages at Canopy Café and Bar, Whinfell Forest in summer 2023, we’ve prevented around 54,000 single use plastic/paper cups entering our waste stream. We’re currently rolling this out at all six villages, so over the course of a year we’ll prevent around 650,000 single use cups from entering our waste streams.
Our guests get a better-quality beverage, we reduce our physical waste footprint, and we reduce our logistical footprint by not moving all the single use cups from delivery warehouses around the country and then around our villages!
Water Refill Stations coming to Center Parcs
Posted 28 February 2024
We are delighted to announce the installation of 15 Water Refill Stations across our villages (3 at Sherwood, Woburn and Longford, and 2 at Elveden, Whinfell and Longleat).
We carried out a 12-week trial of 2 units at Woburn to make sure these units would work on our sites and be beneficial to guests. It was really well received with over 28,000 500ml bottles being filled up across the two units for the trial period. The main aim of this project is to provide a better service to guests as the demand for drinking water increases as we begin to feel the affects of climate change and rising global temperatures. There is also the need to reduce reliance on single use plastics in order to reduce carbon emissions.
We’re hoping to have these all installed and ready to use by end of Financial Year. An estimated 60,000 bottles will be filled at each unit every year (based on the figures from the trial). For every 500ml bottle filled, 25 grams of plastic waste is saved, and 100 grams of carbon emissions are prevented from entering the atmosphere.
That means that if 60,000 bottles are filled each year, each unit will save 1.5 tonnes of plastic and 6 tonnes of carbon emissions!!
2023 Wrap Up
Posted 22 December 2023
Well, 2023 has gone by in a flash - and what a year it’s been! We’re always looking for new ways to improve the Center Parcs experience, and this year’s been no different. From thrilling new activities to an exciting new concept lodge for adventurous families, we’ve certainly been busy bees in 2023!
Need additional assistance on your break?
Posted 12 December 2023
At Center Parcs, we are dedicated to making every moment of your stay exceptional. Our team is here to assist you, so if you require any adaptations or special arrangements during your stay, simply complete our accessibility form at least 10 days before your break.
Please note we cannot allocate specific lodges or hire mobility scooters via this form.
NEW Woodland Explorer Lodge – exclusive to Sherwood Forest
Last updated 24 November 2023
We’re excited to introduce our brand-new Woodland Explorer Lodge, only at Sherwood Forest!
This lodge is packed with a variety of fun features for children and luxurious touches for grown-ups – from a themed children’s bedroom to an outdoor snuggle pod and TV, all offering an unforgettable break in the forest for fun-loving families.
There is only one Woodland Explorer Lodge available, so don’t miss your chance to experience this exclusive retreat!
To book the Woodland Explorer Lodge, call our Contact Centre on 03448 267723.
Gift cards
Last updated 18 October 2023
We are excited to announce that our gift cards are now available to purchase online. Our new gift cards will be automatically activated and available to use from your purchase date, whether its for yourself or a gift for someone else. You will have the choice to use the gift card to pay towards the cost of your break, as well as activities, shopping and food on village.
Cycle Centre
Last updated 16 October 2023
From today, Monday 16th October 2023, helmets will be offered free of charge with every hire made at our Cycle Centre. You don’t need to pre-book your helmet – you can collect it at the same time as you collect your cycle. We strongly recommend wearing a helmet for your own safety when cycling around our villages.
Breaks now available until 21 April 2025
Last updated 27 September 2023
We are pleased to let you know that we’ve added more breaks, so you can now book for arrival dates up until (and including) 21 April 2025 at Longford Forest.
Book your 2024 Christmas break or why not discover the beauty of spring with an Easter break.
Access for All - tell us how we can help
We're here to help you make the most of your time with us.
Center Parcs is a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation and we will do our best, where possible, to meet any additional requests.
If you need any adaptations or special arrangements, please complete this form as soon as you can after booking so that we can prepare for your visit.
We may need to hire specialist equipment which is subject to availability. The latest we can accept any requests is 10 working days before your arrival date. Requests received outside of this time will not be actioned.
Please note we cannot allocate special lodges or hire mobility scooters via this form. If you require either of these services please call us on 03448 266200.
Brand-new Electric Vehicle Charging Points
Last updated 9 October
Guests can now recharge their batteries and their electric car too! Our EV charging points are now available at all of our villages for guests to book. We have charging points available to pre-book online and a small number of points available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Guests will need to download the VendElectric App to charge their electric vehicle (payment is also made via the app).
Charging points can only be booked on Mondays for four nights and Fridays for three nights. The points will charge the vehicles overnight, although they can remain safely plugged in throughout the whole duration of your stay – checking the status of the charge on the app.
Pre-book your electric vehicle charging point for peace of mind and a smooth arrival.
Gift cards
Last updated 21 June 2023
We’re making some changes to our gift cards!
We’re changing gift card supplier and some of our old cards will no longer work.
How do I know if I have an old card?
Cards starting with 542424 will no longer work and we’ll need to replace your card. Please contact us on 01623 837134 prior to your break.
How do I get a replacement card?
Please contact us on 01623 837134 prior to your break and we’ll send you a new gift card.
Why does my card no longer work?
Gift card technology has changed and we’re working with a new gift card provider.
I’m on village, how do I replace my card?
Pop along to Guest Services.
Updates to age restrictions on our activities
Posted 23 February 2023
We’ve listened to your feedback about some of the age restrictions on our activities, and we’re delighted to let you know that we have widened the age ranges for 23 of our most popular activities so that your little ones can now enjoy even more adventures together.
The changes will come into effect from Monday 27 February.
Even earlier arrival
Posted 21 February 2023
We’re delighted to announce that our early arrival time has now changed from 3pm to 2pm. If you’ve booked early arrival (or have an Exclusive Lodge, Waterside Lodge or Treehouse booking), you can now check in to your lodge from 2pm and get your break started even sooner!
We’re now cashless
Last updated 25 July 2022 (originally posted 19 July 2022)
All our villages are cashless and can no longer accept cash payments, including for the purchase of gift cards.
Join Nutmeg and Clove on an adventure at Center Parcs
23 December 2021
We are pleased to share our exclusive stories featuring our friendly reindeer Nutmeg, Clove, and our newest reindeer Cranberry, Nutmeg’s friend. Watch our familiar storybooks Nutmeg’s Antlers and Nutmeg’s Little Sister along with our latest storybook Nutmeg’s Flyers and join in on the adventure.
Introducing Flex Your Stay
Last updated 6 December 2021
We understand that things change sometimes and our guests often require flexibility with their booking and therefore we are now offering a new bookable product name ‘Flex Your Stay’.
Flex Your Stay (“Flex”) provides peace of mind which allows you to cancel or amend your break without charge for any reason, much closer to your arrival date. It can only be purchased at the time of booking or within 14 days of booking your break.
Please note that the Flex Your Stay fee is non-refundable.
View the T&Cs and see how Flex Your stay compares to our standard terms and conditions.
Fireworks displays will not return
Last updated 3 December 2021
In line with our commitment to protecting our forests and wildlife, we’ve made the decision not to bring back our firework displays at Center Parcs. Whilst fireworks are beautiful, they can cause stress and anxiety to wildlife, household pets and some of our guests, and can be damaging to the local environment.
We know that fireworks have traditionally been an important part of the festive experience here at Center Parcs, so this winter we’re lighting up the forest with a brand-new Enchanted Light Garden instead – and you can visit as often as you like!
We are no longer offering the option to purchase Insurance
Last updated 2 December 2021
For many years we have offered the option to purchase an insurance policy at the time of booking a break. Following a review of this product we have made the decision to no longer offer this option to our guests on new bookings. Don't worry if you have already purchased insurance this will still be honoured.
We do understand that plans change sometimes, or unexpected circumstances mean that guests require some reassurance and flexibility. We are currently working on a flexible product that guests will soon be able to purchase at the time of booking. We hope to provide details of our new product within the next couple of weeks.
Allergen update
Last updated 03 November 2021
Like many other businesses, we are currently experiencing challenges due to staff shortages, some sporadic supply chain issues and remaining COVID-19 safety measures. Our menus clearly highlight where allergens are present within the ingredients and whilst allergy-free menu options are still available, unfortunately, we cannot, in the current climate, provide a 100% guarantee against cross-contamination, either within our supply chain or in our restaurants or takeaway service; we cannot provide details of any ‘may contain’ allergen statements.
The most important thing for us is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and we feel it is important to make our guests, especially those with severe allergies, aware of the challenges we are facing ahead of their arrival. Of course, our lodges do have kitchen facilities which many families already use for self-catering as another option. However, we understand how disappointing this situation may be to some families and we are offering anyone affected the option to cancel their break and receive a full refund or to move their break to a date in the future* when we hope to have resolved these issues.
We have long prided ourselves on our varied menus and excellent practices in regards of allergens and we are working hard to return to this standard as soon as practicable.
*We do not have a confirmed date when we will be in a position to offer the detailed information we previously did
Electric scooters, hover boards and other motorised wheeled equipment
18 June 2021
There are lots of ways to explore the forest but please be aware that electric scooters, hover boards and other motorised wheeled equipment are now prohibited. You can still use traditional non powered scooters and electric bikes, just make sure you are looking out for the no wheels signed areas and find an alternative scenic route. The Cycle Centre have plenty cycles and accessories on offer if you are looking to travel the village in style.
Center Parcs recognised for commitment to charity
13 June 2019
We are delighted to announce that Center Parcs have won the award for Best Scheme to Encourage Staff Fundraising at the 2019 Better Society Awards. Celebrating our long-standing partnership with Together for Short Lives.
Dog owners' advice
In recent years, an unexplained dog illness known as 'seasonal canine illness' has been found in an increasing number of forest areas around the UK, particularly in late summer and early autumn. The illness is currently believed to be triggered by a naturally occurring cause and has affected a number of dogs in areas across the country, including those local to some of our villages, particularly Sherwood and Elveden Forest. There appears to be no comprehensive explanation as to why this has occurred.
Cases of Alabama Rot have also been reported around the country. This is another unexplained disease affecting dogs. None of our villages have been identified as locations with cases of Alabama Rot, but in the interest of vigilance, we recommend dog owners familiarise themselves with the symptoms on the Forestry website.
If you are visiting Center Parcs with a dog please ensure you’re aware of the potential risks of a forest environment to animals. Please research or talk to your veterinary surgeon about SCI (Seasonal Canine Illness) and Alabama Rot.
If you are bringing a dog to one of our villages and have concerns, please call our Contact Centre team on 03448 266 266.
Please note: if you are visiting Longleat Forest, dogs are not allowed on our Land Train except guide dogs.
Parking on village
We are keen to keep our villages as traffic-free as possible so that guests can enjoy the tranquillity of the forest environment. There will of course be a small amount of traffic during times of developments and to support village operation. However, once you have unloaded your belongings from your vehicle, we kindly request that all guests move their cars to the car park as soon as possible, on the day of arrival. In response to recent feedback from our guests, the Security team will be supporting this by requesting that all cars left on the village after this time, are moved. Should the accommodation type include a car parking space, please use the space allocated.
External shows, events and festivals
Because our villages are set in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK and Ireland, they are often close to popular tourist areas which can mean increased noise and traffic in the surrounding area. Despite our best efforts to preserve the tranquillity of the forest in our villages, there may occasionally be noise from local events, shows and music festivals.
It's never too early to have a short break in the diary, so book now and give yourself something amazing to look forward to.
Accommodation upgrades
As many of our guests will already be aware, we upgrade a number of accommodation units every year at Center Parcs. Work is regularly underway across most of our villages to ensure we continually improve our standards. Such works are closely monitored and disruption to our guests visiting during this time will be kept to a minimum.
Forestry works
As we are in a forest setting it is essential that we manage the environment and preserve the natural outlook. This means that from time to time forestry works such as tree felling may be taking place during your break with us.
*available when break booked is 26 weeks or fewer away.
