Center Parcs Park De Haan

“Wonderful site for a family holiday”

Just got back after a week Easter break. I wanted to write a review as some of the previous reviews almost put me off booking, but I’m so glad we went, we had a fantastic time. We stayed in VIP lakeside cottage 815, as previous reviewers have said, the accommodation is basic but perfectly liveable… more

Just got back after a week Easter break. I wanted to write a review as some of the previous reviews almost put me off booking, but I’m so glad we went, we had a fantastic time. We stayed in VIP lakeside cottage 815, as previous reviewers have said, the accommodation is basic but perfectly liveable for a week. I was expecting it to be pretty grim, but was pleasantly surprised. We took pillows and cleaning supplies, but didn’t need them. The beds were clean and comfy and we had no trouble sleeping. The lounge/dining furniture is garden style rattan, so if you have small kids you will spend all week pushing the cushions back on as they slip off easily, but all the chairs are comfortable. My children are 4 and 6 so we avoided restaurants and self catered. The kitchen is fine and well stocked for cooking. We only had to buy BBQ tools and a cheese grater. There is just one shelf in the oven/microwave, so you can’t do a lot of oven cooking. The water pressure wasn’t great for hot water in the kitchen or showering upstairs. The shower had just enough pressure to wash your hair, but it took a while. Our stay came with towels, kitchen kit, beds made up and a post stay clean - so make sure you have everything you need when booking. I think it’s cheaper and easier to include these things when booking, rather than sort it after you arrive. The site itself is great, our kids loved the pool and softplay. My four year old was a bit sad she wasn’t tall enough or old enough to go on any of the slides in the pool, but we still had a lot of fun playing in the different bits of the pool. Changing rooms were clean and well managed. The showers were good, so I often showered there instead of our cottage. The soft play was a great addition. Be warned there are rides and cars that require payment in there. You have to buy credits and you get just over 30 for 18euro, which sounds like a lot, but each ride is 3-5 credits and if you have two kids the money goes fast. Nice cafe/bar in the softplay. Outdoor playgrounds are great too. The included facilities were so good we only did two additional paid for activities. We did the Easter egg hunt, which the kids really enjoyed and the treasure river fossil panning activity. The on site shop is very expensive, so we mainly used the local Aldi and also drove 20 minutes to the hypermarket on the outskirts or Bruges. We love continental supermarkets and enjoyed the lovely Belgian and French, cheeses, cakes, meats, beer and wine on offer. We did buy fresh bread at the onsite shop for lunch each day, which was a real treat. We went to the beach once. We didn’t take or rent bikes as the site is so small you can easily walk everywhere, but if you want to explore off site, bikes are a good idea. There are great cycle paths linking all the neighbouring towns and villages. Our kids scooted to the beach and it probably took us about 20 minutes to get there. It’s a beautiful beach and we had a wonderful morning there. We never made it back though as the facilities on site were so good. On the last day we found a wonderful playground in the woods on the right as you turn out of the park, maybe ten minutes walk along the cycle path. Wish we’d found it earlier. We also got the tram to Blankenberge and then the bus to Bruges. It took about 1.5 hours each way. You can make contactless payments on board and with google maps it’s very easy. Bruges was busy, but we had a nice day exploring with the Lego store and Astridpark being highlights with small kids. If you want to go up the tower, book in advance. Overall we had a great stay and would like to come back next year to explore the local villages and beaches more

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“Fun family time”

A great family trip. Yes the lodge is a little tired in places but is cozy and comfortable. The pool was a big hit with the kids. Staff were friendly. You can walk through a nature reserve with a playground to the beach. De Haan is a nice town for meals out.

“Accommodation needs improvement”

If you're after a cheap weekend away with a great pool and access to Bruges, this is great, but don't go expecting anything like a UK Centerparcs! It's a completely different vibe. The standard of accommodation is awful! We have a one year old and the large (12 bed) house is unsafe (no stair gate … more

If you're after a cheap weekend away with a great pool and access to Bruges, this is great, but don't go expecting anything like a UK Centerparcs! It's a completely different vibe. The standard of accommodation is awful! We have a one year old and the large (12 bed) house is unsafe (no stair gate at the bottom) and it was generally very basic and unclean (see photos). The dirty white brick of the building also makes it look like a run down council estate, not a nice holiday village. The sound proofing between rooms is shocking - you can hear talking at a normal volume from downstairs/next bedroom easily which isn't great if you want children to go to bed at different times. That being said, the pros are: - easily accessible to Bruges (recommend the park and ride) - fabulous Aqua Mundo - huge soft play which my 3 year old could have spent all day in!

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