Visiting a Center Parcs is a quintessential British experience, with countless families flocking to the lodges and treehouses every year.
Children and adults alike have been eagerly riding the rapids and taking on the wave machine in its Subtropical Swimming Paradise for decades — but the holiday park’s popularity is now causing some problems.
In fact, Center Parcs has been forced to make a major change to the way guests arrive at their accommodation.
After recent congestion led to traffic and long queues for guests across the franchise’s five UK locations, it’s now staggering arrival times.
The change will be implemented on September 29 for all customers, regardless of when they made their booking.
Arrival time will depend on the type of accommodation, with the priciest options snagging earlier check-in times.
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Guests booked into Treehouses – the most premium offering, including dedicated parking, a hot tub, games room and sauna – will be available to access from 1pm.
Then, those staying in Exclusive Lodges will be able to check in from 2pm, while those in Forest Lodges, Hotels and Apartments will have to wait until 3pm.
Lastly those in Woodland Lodges will be able to check in from 4pm.
If you want more time in your accommodation, early arrival can be purchased, allowing you to check into Forest Lodges, Hotels and Apartments from 1pm, or into Woodland Lodges from 2pm.
Given the park can sleep 4,806 people are any one time, it’s not surprising it’s a little hectic. And it’s only going to get busier, with 63% of Center Parcs’ capacity for next year sold as of July 3, 2025, compared to the 59% that had been sold at the same time last year.
A Center Parcs spokesperson says: ‘This new approach is designed to create a smoother, more relaxing arrival experience for all guests.
‘By staggering lodge entry times, we are aiming to reduce traffic on the village, minimise queues, improve availability of parking spaces and give guests staying in premium lodges even more time to settle in.’
Guests who can now check in earlier than expected due to the new staggered arrival won’t have to pay extra, and everyone booked in to arrive that day can still use the facilities from 10am as normal.
‘This change only affects the time your lodge will be ready,’ the spokesperson adds. ;If your lodge includes a hot tub, it will be cleaned, prepared and ready to enjoy from around 4pm — just in time for a relaxing dip after you settle in.’
‘I’ve been to every Center Parcs in the UK’
Metro’s Lifestyle Editor, Kristina Beanland, shares her memories of growing up going to the restorts.
I’ve been going to Center Parcs with my family since I was in primary school.
As a child, I signed up to some weird and wonderful activities: from street dance (picture the instructor as an older Raygun) to an oft-regretted two days making a music video to Madness’ Baggy Trousers (I was about nine at the time, and was more of an S Club fan).
There was also a few bizarre years when I was big into circus skills. I’m still yet to find a real-world use for my diablo practice.
As I got older, I was lucky enough to call Center Parcs my retreat amid GCSE and A-Level stress. A place to revise among the quiet, before throwing myself head first down the rapids for some light relief.
Mind you, whatever my age, cycling up the hills (particularly those in Longleat Forest) has become no easier – to the point where I’ve now ditched the two wheels for two feet instead.
I’ve celebrated some pretty important milestones in a Center Parcs village: the final episode of Friends, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, to name just a few.
I’ve visited the village up in Cumbria, the one down in Bedford, and all the others in between – meaning I’ve been to every single one in the UK (although I haven’t ticked the Irish site off my list).
The village in Woburn is small and compact, and less than an hour away from London, but my favourite is probably Elveden, with its huge lake (try cable water skiing) and award-winning water ride, the Tropical Cyclone.
I only have happy memories (apart from that one time my mum tore her Achilles during an ill-fated game of badminton, but that’s a story for another day), and now the visits are less frequent, but still just as fun. Circus skills have been swapped for spa days, and I’ve been drunk on a bike on more occasions that I care to admit here.
Now, we’re joined by my young niblings – a new generation of my family is becoming equally as obsessed with Treats (iykyk) as I am.
Center Parcs is far from a budget holiday, but it’s worth saving up for – I can’t wait to go back.
Center Parcs is expanding
The holiday franchise announced its plans for a new village in Scotland – the first in the country – back in November.
It will be in the Scottish Borders, north of Hawick and south of Selkirk – around a 90-minute drive from Edinburgh and Newcastle, or two hours from Glasgow.
Initial zoning blueprints show the scale of the project, including 700 self-catering lodges designed for family stays.
Frequent guests of Center Parcs will see the new park has everything you’d expect from one of their villages.
The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is adorned with foliage, a transparent greenhouse-like ceiling, and features both indoor and outdoor pools and waterways.
There’s also a children’s play area, with a small slide and lots of places to splash around in.
The village, which is expected to cost between £350 and £400 million, will be able to accommodate 3,500 guests at a time.
Although Center Parcs has yet to reveal a specific opening date, McKinlay said it is expected be some time in 2029.
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