The UK's lowest-ranked holiday park has been revealed, with some well-known names also scoring relatively low compared to smaller, perhaps less familiar providers.
A recent survey identified Pontins, established in 1946, as the bottom-ranked provider, with a customer score of 56%. The holiday park received a series of two-star ratings for aspects such as customer service, accommodation quality, cleanliness, range of free facilities, facility and activity quality, food and drink, and value for money.
Pontins' highest rating was three stars, awarded for communication and entertainment quality. Long-time competitor Butlin's also found itself among the bottom five, securing a customer score of 67%, just ahead of Park Holidays UK at 66%, Away Resorts at 64%, and Largo Leisure Parks also at 64%.
Read more: The nine theories devastating missing Jay Slater's family in Tenerife as conspiracy dismissed
Read more: Police called to woman's house after decorator spotted working naked
Butlin's guests gave customer service a two-star rating, while it earned three stars in key areas like accommodation quality and cleanliness, and four stars for children's activities and entertainment quality. Butlin's has resorts in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness.
Haven Holiday Parks and Center Parcs, the most visited brand in the Which? survey, both achieved a customer score of 69%. Center Parcs received mostly positive reviews but scored two stars in the value for money category and for the variety of free facilities available. Center Parcs' closest locations to Manchester are in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, or Whinfell Forest in Cumbria.
Survey participants reported an average spend of £76 per person per night, making it the most expensive option excluding meals and drinks.
It secured a four-star rating in multiple areas including overall customer service, communication, accommodation quality, cleanliness, facility and activity quality, and the range and quality of children's activities.
Haven, meanwhile, saw a spectrum of three and two-star ratings covering aspects like overall customer service, accommodation quality, and value for money.
The best holiday parks and resorts in the UK
All-inclusive Potters Resorts has been crowned the top UK holiday park. Potters Resorts outperformed other household names to secure the top spot, with a customer score of 87%, followed by Forest Holidays in second place with a customer score of 80%.
Having been in operation for over 100 years, Potters has two all-inclusive resorts in Essex and Norfolk that offer a variety of accommodation styles and live entertainment.
Visitors gave Potters full marks for the range of free facilities available, the quality of facilities and activities, the quality of the entertainment and communication, as well as four stars for overall customer service, food and drink, value for money and quality of accommodation.
Forest Holidays, with its 13 enchanting locations across England, Wales, and Scotland, including in Yorkshire, north Wales and Cheshire, offers guests the chance to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the luxury of hot tubs. The brand has been lauded for its high-quality accommodation, cleanliness, and exceptional customer service, earning a commendable four-star rating. Guests can choose from a variety of woodland accommodations, including cosy cabins and lofty treehouses.
Sharing the third spot with a customer score of 77% is Bluestone Wales, set amidst the lush Pembrokeshire countryside, an area that has previously earned accolades as one of the UK's best value holidays by Which?
Other notable mentions include Hoburne Holidays with a 75% satisfaction rate and Waterside Holiday Group close behind at 74%.
The rankings were determined through a survey conducted by Which?
The survey involved over 1,700 participants who shared their experiences at various UK holiday parks over the past two years. These holidaymakers rated their stays against 11 distinct criteria, such as accommodation quality, customer service, cleanliness, facilities, activities, and overall value for money.
An overall customer score was then derived from the combined factors of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the park.
Naomi Leach, the deputy editor of Which? Travel, said: "Holiday parks have been a mainstay of British holidays for decades, but with so many options to choose from it isn't always easy to know which will be the right fit for your family."
Adding her perspective, she mentioned: "Our latest survey shows that it's worth looking beyond the best-known names, with smaller and independent resorts offering excellent value for money, great customer service and plenty of onsite entertainment."
What were the responses from the holiday parks?
A Butlin's spokesperson reacted positively to the company's performance in entertainment and activities, proclaiming: "As the home of entertainment, it's brilliant to see that we're scoring highly when it comes to activities and entertainment. We've invested over £50 million across our three resorts with new openings like our Skypark playground and Playxperience indoor activity centre to ensure we continue to deliver incredible holidays for our guests."
They also acknowledged there are areas that need improvements, saying: "It is disappointing to see that some scores are lower but would like to reassure guests that we're investing in these areas to offer a better holiday experience."
A Center Parcs representative said: "Center Parcs offers unique family short breaks in the UK. We welcome over 2 million guests to our villages annually, and we are 97% full all through the year. We are proud of our consistently high guest satisfaction scores and over 60% of guests will go on to make another booking with us. Our guests demand a high-quality experience and each year we invest tens of millions of pounds improving our villages to ensure we meet their expectations."
Representatives for Pontins, Park Holidays UK, Away Resorts, Largo Leisure Parks, and Haven Holiday Parks have been contacted for a response.
