Center Parcs Longleat Forest review: It transformed my family break

This summer, I had a choice - spend a day navigating an airport with my three kids in tow, or be cycling in the forest with them all within two hours of leaving the house. I chose the latter, and it was one of the best holiday decisions I've ever made.

Located approx an hour away from us, Longleat Forest Center Parcs was far enough for my children to feel like we had ‘gone away’. And once inside the resort, it felt like we were (many more) miles away from home. Beautiful forest and wildlife at every turn, a lake for swimming and boat rides, a beach for the kids to play on – they were in their element, and, I, for the first time, was able to enjoy our holiday from the start.

The UK heatwave guaranteed us some incredible weather, which made all the difference. But I quickly realised having a fun and fulfilled holiday here was not weather dependent - there is so much to do, both in and outside.

About the parks

There are six Center Parcs villages in the UK. Each destination offers something different in terms of location, but inside all of them you will find acres of beautiful forest, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, Aqua Sana Forest Spa, and a range of restaurants, activities and accommodation types.

On the first day of your holiday, park entry is from 10am, meaning you can use all the facilities before checking into your accommodation at either early at 1pm or 4pm. Similarly, check out is also 10am, but you can stay and use the park until midnight. Having stayed in other holiday parks where you have to wait most of the day before getting in and then have to be out first thing, getting full days each end of our break made all the difference.

It meant the morning of our holiday, when the kids excitement was hard to contain, we didn’t have to wait around all morning to leave. We got to the park for 10am, went swimming, had lunch, hired bikes and really started our holiday properly long before checking in to our lodge.

The park itself is like a little bubble. Everything is inside the ‘village’ – all the activities, accommodation, restaurants, shops. But don’t be fooled that it means they are easy to get to. Longleat Forest Center Parcs is huge and very hilly, and so we were very grateful for the park train that runs every 20 minutes to help us get around, especially after a long day with the kids (they fell asleep on the train multiple times after a day out).

On arrival you are given a park map and wristbands, which wasn’t explained to us at the time, but act as a key to your accommodation and as a lock for the swimming pool lockers.

There is a supermarket where you can pick up any bits you may have forgotten. But, as you might expect, it is more expensive inside the park, and so I would strongly advise doing any kind of large grocery shop before you arrive. There is a free water bottle filling station in the village too, which you can use as often as you like.

Accommodation

Image 1 of 3

We stayed in Longleat’s new grand Forest 3-bedroom lodge - a two-storey house with ensuite show and bathrooms with every bedroom, a large kitchen, open plan dining and living space and a patio with outdoor furniture and sauna room and shower.

Newly renovated, the grand lodges have all the mod cons you might expect - dishwasher (with three cleaning tablets), coffee machine with pods, smart toaster and kettle with tea and coffee, and two built in fridges, each with small freezer compartments.

The lodge also included home essentials you have a home that are often too big to bring with you but make life so much easier - iron and ironing board, for example. There is an electric fire, which we didn’t use as it was so hot but can just imagine how cosy it would make the place in winter. An outside BBQ area, surrounded by woodland was one of the best evenings we had in the lodge (note, the supermarket sells disposable BBQs for £8).

There was sufficient toilet roll for us for a week’s stay, but nothing in the way of bathroom toiletries, and there were plenty of towels too. In the kitchen, dishwasher tablets are provided, as is a tea towel and bin/recycling bags. Basically all the little self catering bits you often need (and forget) are waiting for you, which, as a busy mum who has to pack for four people, I really appreciated.

The dining area is lovely and well lit, we spent every night sat round the table playing bingo or board games. And a small chalkboard, with a lovely welcome message on arrival, was a real treat for my youngest who has had a thing for drawing on walls since she could hold a crayon.

Activities & Swimming

It’s difficult to know where to start because there is so much you can do. Every day you could full your itinerary with the brilliant activities on offer. But – and this is a big but – it all costs extra and quickly adds up, especially when you have multiple children.

On our trip we did laser combat shoot, off-road adventures, wall climbing, face painting, pony rides and a boat trip on the lake. Some were definitely better value than others, but essentially the activities you do will come down to budget and what you and your family personally enjoy doing.

Swimming is included in the price, and, honestly, my kids would have been happy just swimming every day. The subtropical paradise is, by far, the best swimming pool I have ever been to with my children, and they loved it. We went every day, often for multiple hours, and they never seemed to get bored.

As a parent I loved the set up of a splash pad-style area with slides and water for the smaller kids to play in, alongside rapids and big slides my 9-year-old son went on repeat. I was also really grateful for the wall of boyancy aids available to borrow. It's little details like this, that save parents the hassle of packing or buying things just for holiday that I am always so appreciative of. I used them for my youngest every time and the extra peace of mind it gave me while she was in the pool was immeasurable.

The changing rooms let the pool experience down a little, sadly. In comparison to the size and maintenance of the actual pool itself, the changing area is very dated, small, and cramped. And unless you can find one of the few family changing rooms, the standard ones are a real struggle to fit more than one person in.

The lockers require your wristband to secure them, and there is a machine that you can hold your band against to remind you of your locker number (something we didn't realise until the last day). That might sounds unnecessary, but, trust me, in the madness of that changing room, especially with kids, I forgot our locker number every day.

There is a cafe inside the pool, where you can enjoy food and drink. We didn’t visit this particular cafe, but did see many families making the most of those facilities while we were there. We were very lucky with the weather so enjoyed the outside section of the pool too, which was like being abroad. And, despite it always being very busy, it never felt crowded as it is such a big space.

Aqua Sana Spa

Image 1 of 3

Longleat Forest Center Parcs has an Aqua Sana spa, where guests staying at the park and non-guests can use. This is a lovely addition if you are away with the kids and want to have a bit of relaxation/adult time too. I went for a treatment and three-hour spa visit one afternoon while the kids relaxed at the lodge after a busy morning, and it was such a lovely treat.

The spa has so many rooms to enjoy - an ice room, sauna, hot tub outside, pool, to name a few. The waterfall room was a firm favourite, as was the most simple room that had huge floor to ceiling windows looking out over a meadow. Watching the wind blow the wild flowers and plants around, and seeing all the wildlife enjoy them was a total joy.

The spa also has a cafe where you can get light meals and hot and cold drinks. I would definitely recommend a visit if you can fit it in and budget allows. A three-hour session if you are staying at the park, costs £45. Treatments costs more and price will depend on the service you choose.

Food & Dining

The park has a supermarket on site, that has everything you could need, but as you might expect, is pricier than shops outside the complex. I would highly recommend taking any essentials with you if you don’t want to pay over the odds.

At Longleat Forest there are around 10 restaurants and cafes to choose from, with a variety of offerings. We ate out one evening at Bella Italia, where cat robots served our food and the kids were beyond excited by. Prices were inline with the chain, and didn’t seem overly inflated due to its location.

We also had breakfast at Cafe Rouge, which I wouldn’t hurry back to, especially with young kids. The options for them weren’t the best, plus we waited longer than usual for food to arrive and when it did, some had to be sent back as it was clearly not fresh.

Huck’s American Bar and Grill was a favourite, we had lunch here a couple of times and found to be very good value – the kids 3-course meal for under £10 especially. You can sit in or outside, we did the latter mostly as there are a lot of TVs filled with any and all sports. But it also has a little soft play area inside, which I was very appreciative of while enjoying a quick quiet coffee one morning.

If you don't want to eat out, all lodges are equipped with cooking facilities so you can self cater. For our family, having a BBQ in the middle of the forest was one of the most enjoyable parts of our holiday, and will definitely be taking disposable ones with us on any return visits.

Before you book

How to book: Visit the Center Parcs website for details and availability on all villages
Prices: Dependant on time of stay - Autumn prices start from £529
Where: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire | Longleat Forest, Wiltshire | Whinfell Forest, Cumbria | Elveden Forest, Suffolk | Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire | Longford Forest, County Longford, Ireland
Best for: All ages, young families
Don’t miss: Subtropical swimming paradise, Aqua Sana Spa
When to go: All year round
Insider Tips: pack closed-toe footwear if visiting in summer (needed for various activities)

Kerrie is the editor of woman&home (digital). As a woman&home reader and senior digital editor with over a decade's experience, Kerrie’s main purpose is to ensure the brand delivers high-quality, relevant content to help enrich and improve women’s lives – a responsibility she feels hugely passionate about.