General news
General important information and latest news about Center Parcs.
Keep abreast of the news and updates for all our individual villages here.
Latest update – 26th November 2020
Following the government announcement earlier this week and the news that we are moving back to regional tiers, please see the open/closed status of all our UK villages below. We continue to support government advice with our priority being the safety and wellbeing of our staff and guests:
|
COVID Alert level |
Village status |
Sherwood Forest |
Tier 3 |
Remains closed until at least Thursday 17th December |
Elveden Forest |
Tier 2 |
Open to welcome guests 4th December |
Longleat Forest |
Tier 2 |
Open to welcome guests 4th December |
Whinfell Forest |
Tier 2 |
Open to welcome guests 4th December |
Woburn Forest |
Tier 2 |
Open to welcome guests 4th December
|
Guests due to arrive on any village during a closed period
All guests impacted by a closure will have the option to change dates with £100 discount or cancel and claim a full refund. We will email all affected guests with instructions on how to cancel activities and restaurants and how to reschedule or cancel. Once activities and restaurant reservations are fully cancelled please complete this form*.
*Please ensure any activities, restaurant, spa sessions or treatments are cancelled prior to filling out the form.
All other guests
We understand that guests with breaks booked for when villages re-open and new guests looking to make a booking will have questions too and the information below should help.
Government COVID Alert levels may change and rules and advice are constantly under review. Guests must check government information themselves to understand any changes or new rules prior to visiting Center Parcs, booking a new break or when considering a date change or cancellation of an existing booking. The following Government links should provide the most up to date information:
You must check the Local Covid Alert level of your home area and the village you’re visiting and comply with both sets of rules.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
Very High Alert areas/Tier 3
If you live in a very high alert area you will not be able to visit any of our villages and will need to complete this form* to change the date of your break or cancel with a full refund. If you arrive at one of our villages from a Tier 3 area you will be refused entry.
*Please ensure any activities, restaurant, spa sessions or treatments are cancelled prior to filling out the form.
High Alert areas/Tier 2
If you live in a high alert area you can continue with your break to any of our UK villages but you cannot mix indoors with other households at any of our villages. The ‘rule of 6’ also applies outdoors. If you have a lodge booked with multiple households (or intend to socialise with other households indoors), you will need to complete this form* to change the date of your break or cancel.
*Please ensure any activities, restaurant, spa sessions or treatments are cancelled prior to filling out the form.
Medium Alert areas/Tier 1
If you live in a medium alert area you may continue with your break, however, you cannot mix indoors with other households as all of our open villages currently sit in tier 2. The ‘rule of 6’ also applies outdoors. If you have a lodge booked with multiple households (or intend to socialise indoors with other households), you will need to complete this form* to change the date of your break or cancel.
*Please ensure any activities, restaurant, spa sessions or treatments are cancelled prior to filling out the form.
Latest update – 24th November 2020
Following the government announcement last night we are eagerly awaiting details of which tiers our villages will be in. We don’t expect this information until Thursday and we’ll need a little time to understand what this means for Center Parcs. We will update our guests via our social media channels and website as soon as we can.
We’re crossing our fingers and hoping that we will be able to open our villages and welcome guests to our Winter Wonderland experience.
Latest update – 9th November 2020
Following the government announcement on Saturday 31st October all our UK villages are closed until at least Thursday 3rd December. We continue to support government advice with our priority being the safety and wellbeing of our staff and guests.
Guests due to arrive on or before 30th November
All guests impacted by the closure period (breaks due to arrive 6th November to 30th November. 30th October to 30th November for Sherwood forest) have the option to change dates with £100 discount or claim a full refund. We have now emailed all affected guests with instructions on how to cancel activities and restaurants and how to reschedule or cancel. Once your activities, restaurants etc are fully cancelled please complete this form.
Please do not contact us to allow us to help guests with imminent breaks, we promise to be in touch very soon.
All other guests
We understand that guests with breaks beyond the closure period and new guests looking to make a booking will have questions too. We are asking all existing and potential guests to check government information themselves to understand any changes or new rules prior to visiting Center Parcs, booking a new break or when considering a date change or cancellation of an existing booking.
The following links should provide the most up to date information:
You must check guidelines for your home area and the village you’re visiting and comply with both sets of rules.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-protection-levels/
https://gov.wales/coronavirus-firebreak-frequently-asked-questions
Breaks now available until 18th April 2022 - 13th October 2020
We are pleased to tell you that we’ve added more breaks, so you can now book breaks at all six villages for arrival dates up until (and including) 18th April 2022.
Test and trace - 24th September 2020
On all Center Parcs villages we will be following the updated government test and trace protocol. Unique QR codes are clearly displayed at entrance points to restaurants, leisure activities and other required locations. You will be able to use the new NHS COVID-19 App to scan the QR code and identify that you have then entered that specific location on village.
Update following latest Government announcement - 11th September 2020
At Center Parcs we continue to follow government advice. We ask all of our guests to check the latest government guidelines to see if the ‘Rule of 6’ announcement impacts their break. For groups of 6 or less your Center Parcs break will be unaffected. For parties above 6 that include more than one household/support bubble, please refer to our Book with Confidence guarantee.
We will assume that all guests arriving at Center Parcs are compliant with government guidelines. If you find that you need to cancel or move the date of your break within 4 weeks of your arrival date, you can do so by completing this form.
Our phone lines are very busy today, if you are due to visit later in the year please use our website for the latest information. Could we kindly ask that you only contact us within 4 weeks of your visit as we are supporting guests with imminent breaks.
Breaks now available until 19th April 2021 - 9th October 2019
We are pleased to tell you that we’ve opened up bookings until April 2021. You can get planning some quality family time together and put a break in the diary.
Center Parcs recognised for commitment to charity - 13th 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.
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 to 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.
Tommy’s Award for Best Family Friendly UK Holiday - 5th April 2018
We are delighted to have won Best Family Friendly UK Holiday Provider at the Tommy’s Awards, which took place on 16th March at the Landmark Hotel, London to a packed audience of household name companies and Tommy’s supporters.
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.
Using hoverboards on your break
Guests who wish to bring hoverboards on their break must be aware of the potential fire risks associated. For the latest advice, we recommend guests visit the National Trading Standards website here.
For your safety, please do not leave a hoverboard charging unattended or charging overnight.
External Shows, Events and Festivals
Because our villages are set in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK, 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.
The lake in winter
Being close to nature is an important part of a Center Parcs break, but it also means our villages are subject to the whims of British weather! For this reason, and for our guests’ safety, our lakes may close for watersports during the winter. But don’t worry, we still have plenty of indoor and outdoor activities available during this time, from cosy indoor crafts to bracing bike rides.
*available when break booked is 26 weeks or fewer away.