Center Parcs Le Lac D'ailette

“Nice Stay - Couple of Negatives”

Compared to Centre Parcs in the UK there are cars driving around the site at all times of the day, meaning that you don’t feel as safe to let your young children walk freely or cycle by themselves. There was a row of cars constantly parked outside our cottage during our whole stay. Although the po… more

Compared to Centre Parcs in the UK there are cars driving around the site at all times of the day, meaning that you don’t feel as safe to let your young children walk freely or cycle by themselves. There was a row of cars constantly parked outside our cottage during our whole stay. Although the pool area was great, it was marred by non residents being allowed to use the facilities, meaning that weekends can be very busy.

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“Tips for Future Guests: A Balanced Review”

After a bumpy start, I have to say we were pleasantly surprised with our stay overall. We stayed in cottage 527, a premium cottage. Having previously stayed in a comfort cottage at Park de Nature, we expected a clear upgrade—but honestly, it didn’t feel very premium, particularly the living space w… more

After a bumpy start, I have to say we were pleasantly surprised with our stay overall. We stayed in cottage 527, a premium cottage. Having previously stayed in a comfort cottage at Park de Nature, we expected a clear upgrade—but honestly, it didn’t feel very premium, particularly the living space which was very small. We asked about moving, but the only alternative was a six-bed premium, which didn’t offer the extra downstairs space we were really hoping for. I was also disappointed to find there was no oven; from the description of a “fully equipped kitchen,” I had assumed there would be one. Admittedly, I was tired after a long day of travel, and the next morning after a good sleep I felt differently. We fed the ducks from our deck which overlooked the lake, and some kittens wandered over to befriend us—my boys (6 and 3) were thrilled and at that point, we decided to stay put. The swimming facilities were a huge hit. The kids loved the slides, in particular the wild river, and they enjoyed some of the activities such as “Wannabe Pirate.” Unfortunately, “Wannabe Fireman” was canceled due to no-shows, which was a big disappointment for my eldest, but the staff handled it kindly and were wonderful with the kids throughout. The Orry & Friends disco/kids show was an absolute must—we went every night it was on (except one, when it was canceled for technical reasons). The weather was mixed, but we did get one beautiful evening at the beach, where the kids were fascinated by the abundance of crayfish. The beach area was very nice and imagine, had it been warmer, we would have spent more time there. We also hired bikes—a must for getting around. We rented one with a child seat and another with a pull-along trailer, and they made exploring much easier. My biggest gripe, and perhaps something we’ll know better for next time, was the lack of walk-in availability at the restaurants. On Wednesday, we decided to go out spontaneously, but despite three different restaurants looking far from full, we were told there was no space without a reservation. We ended up taking the kids to McDonald’s, but it closed at 7 pm (very early for dinner time!), leaving the adults with no meal options. The shop also shut at 7, so our “dinner” ended up being bread and cheese in the cottage. My advice: definitely book meals in advance and don’t count on walk-ins. Outside the park, we visited Laon, a beautiful medieval town, and also Reims, which made for another lovely day out and is well worth a visit. Overall, while the cottage itself didn’t live up to expectations, the friendliness of the staff, the great pool facilities, and the fun activities for the kids lifted the whole experience. What should really be a three-star stay has tipped into a four-star thanks to those touches.

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