Center Parcs, Oasis Whinfell Review

Overall Rating

Spacious accommodation, Starbucks overlooking the lake, woodland park.

Carpets seemed very smelly in the accommodation and in the indoor softplay area.

Having sampled our first taste of Centre Parcs in Longleat in May, we decided to try out the Whinfell one and have just returned. As an overview I have to say Longleat wins hands down and here's why. At Whinfell, the accommodation we stayed looked tired and in desperate need of a make over. The whole place was carpeted, not good with a baby who likes to experiment with throwing his cornflakes off his high chair! The decor and hair-dryers seemed like throwbacks from the 80s. The carpets smelled of sweaty feet (I didn't get on my hands and knees, it hit you as soon as you entered the building) and had been apparently freshened up with some air freshener...yuk! The building was spacious on two floors but we actually found it quite impractical with the master bedroom downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Our young children (3 1/2 and 1) were upstairs so we had to keep running up and down. We thought it'd be good to create some space between us but if your children don't settle so well initially in a strange environment it can be a pain. I know this wont apply to everyone but just something to bear in mind. Otherwise the accommodation was well equipped, and they'd put stair gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
The Parc itself was okay but for us everything was too close so you didn't really need bikes to get around. Again, for some families this would be ideal but for us it meant that everything there was to see and do was done in a day! We thought The plaza was ok, nothing special. The lake was probably its best point with the coffee shop and pub built around it and benches dotted here and there so you could sit and have a drink or ice cream.
Given this is in the Lakes, rain is almost a given and so the pool was pretty chocka block which can feel a little overwhelming, particularly having to step over and in between lots of people with their babies in the shallows. The changing room reminded me of a very uncomfortable public baths with not enough changing areas to accommodate the high numbers of people.
We only really tried Starbucks and the pub for food. Starbucks was really expensive, £25 for 2 coffees, 3 paninis and a piece of cake! The pub food was pretty basic for the kids but I will commend the staff who reserved a table for me whilst my daughter played in the soft play area, as you aren't allowed food there. The market was reasonably well equipped and priced and they did offer to deliver our food but we felt a 45 minute wait was too long when we needed our food for tea!
To summarise, I don't think I'll be revisiting...ever!