Sea View Holiday Park, Sennen Review

Overall Rating

Sea View Holiday Park, Sennen

First of all, check the location. The park is addressed as Sennen, PENZANCE. Sennen is actually 1 mile from Lands End! So instead of being on the edge of one of the main towns, you have to go a further 8 or 9 miles to, effectively, a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, almost at the end of the track. It's so blatently not Penzance when you get there, that you can't help feeling deliberately mis-sold.

We booked through the Sun Holidays, and chose this site because it advertised pretty much, a full list of facilites, making it sound like a large Haven holiday park. The truth is, it's a small, privately owned place, run by a small handful of people.

A few days before leaving, I found this site with the negative reiews. We decided to put those down to typical moaning Brits - you know, the kind who go to Spain and moan that the food's not like at home. I now apologise unreservedly to the authors of those reviews.

The main thing we wanted, was the evenings entertainment as we have a 14 year old and a 3 year old. There is a clubhouse, but it was always shut by 8 in the evening. This wouldn't have been so bad, except that the bad weather meant that the kids couldn't go to the on-site park (which is actually very nice)and so there was nothing to do after dinner, except watch BBC1, ITV1 or C4 - without the remote. There is a pub a few hundred yards up the road, but it's not the place for a little one for an entire evening. As we booked on the premise that we would have the full Haven/Butlins type thing, we feel deliberately cheated.

Another issue was the linen. We take our own on these things, as we've found that duvets and pillows (bulky in cars) are always provided in the caravans, and you pay to hire the covers/sheets. Wrong. There was nothing in the caravan, and we had to hire the rest to the tune of £16. The lesson; read the small print, and don't assume the norm.

We were also charged £20 against damage. Two cupbard doors came off - one certainly through rust. They said they would do their inspections after we had left and post the deposit to us. We've written it off as just another part of a bad experience.

We didn't get the bad attitude per say, that other people have claimed to have had, but that was because we didn't give them cause to. I go on holiday, to get away from hassle, not to get more. There was a definite air about the proprietress, though, that gave the impression she was telling you how it was - end of.

We always go out during the day, so we didn't get the hassle about the swimming pool. However, in reception, I did notice a sign on the door to the softplay, that stated 'Only children with well behaved parents would be allowed in'. It may be a safeguard against the cast of Shameless invading, but it was this red-taped attitude that made us feel like an incovenience, rather than paying guests to be catered for.

Talking to the locals, they've heard many complaints about the place from visitors - some of whom have booked privately and spent a fortune, rather than a cheap deal through the papers.

If you are a couple, looking for nothing more than somewhere quiet to lay your heads, surrounded by lovely scenery, this is for you. The caravan was, in fairness very clean and lovely (apart from the cupboard doors). My parents would love it. If however, you are looking for a place to unwind, while the kids are fully entertained - as we were - stay well clear.