Our stay in the newly opened Center Parcs Longford in Ireland was already a month ago. Since then I have been asked by a lot of mummy friends whether it is worth the cost. I mean, of course it is expensive, but so is a week or two abroad. It all depends on your expectations.
In this post I am going into more detail about the accommodation, food, restaurants and activities themselves. This will include a few tips we have picked up on while we were there.
Accommodation
Center Parcs sits on approximately 400 acres of land. There are many lodges to choose from. It all depends on how big your family is. We picked a Woodtown Lodge that has three bedrooms. The idea was for the kids to get a bedroom each. However in the end they slept in the same room so we had a room spare. If you wanted something fancier, you can also choose an executive lodge which sleeps up to eight people. It includes a hot tub outside as well as a sauna.
There has been mixed opinions going around about the cost of the accommodation. Center Parcs is a self-catering holiday park. I am not going to do deny that it is expensive but if you book smart, you can keep it a low cost. For example, it was obvious that over the Summer holiday the prices are going to be at its highest. Our booking was a last minute thing and so we were prepared to pay the price. Apart from our holiday in Germany, we were not going on a sun holiday this year. There is a huge price difference if you book in June or September for example. This is the case with any type of holiday, not just Center Parcs.
Woodtown Lodge
As Center Parcs is quite big, most people are renting bikes or bring their own. I don’t own a bike and we didn’t want to rent one either. We wanted to spend the money on activities for the kids. For that reason, at the time of booking, we paid €50 extra to be closer to the village. If you don’t pay the extra, you could be allocated a lodge with a walking distance of up to twenty minutes. Chloe isn’t the biggest fan of walking. Our lodge was conveniently located with a walk down a small hill and we were already in the Village Square.
The Woodtown lodges are very spacious. When you check in, you receive your wristband which contains a chip that will get you into your lodge. This is also used to close your locker in the Subtropical Paradise. As you walk into the lodge, you will find a coat rack to hang up your jackets and a little area to place your shoes. The whole lodge is pretty much open plan. Located on the right of the lodge is the first bedroom. This is the master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom.
In the corner of the lodge by the window is the breakfast area which includes six chairs. Right beside it is the living area. The kids loved the big L-sized couch as well as the TV on the wall just above the log burner. If you wanted to use the log burner, the logs can be purchased from the super market located in the Village Square. Hidden away in the corner of the lodge, is the well equipped kitchen. Before we arrived in Center Parcs, I’ve done a quick grocery shop in Tesco. I was quite happy to see they had a coffee machine with capsules supplied for my every morning coffee. I don’t think there was anything we missed to be able to cook or open bottles/cans.
Right next to the kitchen is the main bathroom fitted with a shower. The two bedrooms have two single beds in it, wardrobes on each side of the bed, a mirror and a hair dryer in each room. At the back of the lodge is the BBQ area. It was lovely to just sit down and enjoy lunch together or simply sit down and listen to the birds singing. It was so quiet and peaceful around us. You can see the whole tour of the lodge in my highlights on my Instagram account.
Food
Eating out is expensive as it is. In my opinion though, when you are on holidays, you want to unwind and cook as little as possible. We ate out more than we planned to. It was a good way of trying out the different food options in the park. Lunch was mostly in the lodge and we had our big meal out in the village.
Before we got to Center Parcs, I booked one dinner ahead the evening we arrived. I knew I wouldn’t want to cook after traveling, even though it was just over an hour. I strongly recommend that you book well ahead if you want to have dinner out. When you do book it, a €5 deposit is applied per person which is going to be deducted from your final bill.
Bella Italia
Bella Italia is an Italian restaurant. Out of all the restaurants we have tried, I did like this one the best. Then again I do like Italian food. But also for the fact that there was so much choice particularly for the kids. It wasn’t just your ordinary chicken nuggets and chips that you get in every restaurant. The kids menu is divided into age groups 2 to 6 years and 7 to 11 year olds. You will get a starter, main, dessert and drink for, I think it was roughly around €7. That’s not bad at all in my opinion. Matthew loved the healthy starter option of bread, cucumber and carrot sticks served with a tomato dip.
Dessert options were amazing too of course. I had one of their local ice creams, while the kids enjoyed mini donuts dipped in chocolate sauce. One thing is for sure, their bellies were definitely filled. I should have booked the place another night really. Inside the restaurant you can find a little soft play area. It’s very handy to have when the kids are finished and the parents are still finishing their dinner.
Also something to note, in each restaurant the kids are given an activity sheet with a pack of crayons.
Pancake House
One of the days we decided to eat out for lunch. It just fitted right into our schedule, rather than heading back to the lodge because we had an activity booked shortly after spending the morning in the Subtropical Paradise. After splashing around in the water for a period of time, we got hungry pretty quickly and a simple sandwich wouldn’t have done it for us.
Instead we walked into the Pancake House by the Waterfront. This place doesn’t require a booking and is open from 10am to 4pm. I do advise to get there a little bit earlier than the lunch time hour. We got really lucky to get a table straight away but ten minutes later, I could see a queue of people trying to get a table.
For this one we decided to go for the kids meal deal again. (main course, drink and dessert €8.95) Matthew enjoyed a pancake filled with beans and sausage, a strawberry milkshake and an ice cream. During that week they probably exceeded the amount of ice cream they had but it was their holiday after all. Chloe had a banana milkshake, plain pasta with cheese and ice cream, too. I went for the stacked pancake with fruit compot. It was delicious.
Sports Cafe
We spent a lot of time in the Sports cafe. Mainly because it is part of the Sports Plaza. We ended up eating here two nights in a row because we didn’t book ahead to be able to go and dine in the Indian restaurant for example.
The Sports Cafe has a wide selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner. On our last morning we had breakfast here too. I think we hung out here quite a lot because of the soft play area inside the restaurant as well as the big adventure playground attached to it outside. The kids spent most of their time there. The meal deal for the kids is €7.95. One evening I had a lovely burger and the second night the fish and chips. No doubt the food is delicious, however I did notice the service was a bit slow. More so the second time we went than the first. I think they must have only realised then, how many staff they needed to serve everybody. They got our dessert order completely wrong too which was disappointing for the kids. Hopefully they will improve this.
Activities
Another thing I would advise to book ahead of your stay, is the activities. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what time to do what but we always had in our mind to either go to the pool in the morning or the afternoon. We built the activities around that.
Pedal Boat/ Electric Boat
On our first day we had booked the pedal boat. It was roasting outside and so it was refreshing to be on the water during our pedal boat session. You check in at the Boathouse to collect your life jackets. All water activities require for you to wear one of these. You then head onto the pier where you will be greeted by one of the staff. They will help you to get onto the boat. Each boat session is thirty minutes long. I think the pedal boat was only €12. It required a good bit of physical exercise. On our last day Matthew really wanted to go on a electric boat, too. Chloe was a bit fed up with the jacket and so stayed ashore with daddy.
The electric boat was €27. It is a bit more on the pricey side, however it is super relaxing once you are on it. I’d definitely recommend it. We did not book this boat in advanced. What I am trying to say is that not all activities have to be booked in advanced. It is advisable but particularly the water activities I found you can always get a slot within the next hour or less. We could get onto this particular one straight away.
Mini Captain’s Adventure
I am really glad I booked this one because both kids enjoyed it. Accompanied by an adult, each child gets onto a colourful little boat. You are being greeted by the instructor who gives you a board with a map attached. The mission is to write down all things you can see on each buoy in the water. We were three people in total. To make sure nobody crashed and didn’t approach the same buoy, everybody was assigned a different order of finding what’s on them.
At the end the kids were given a badge to say they completed the mission and they could also keep their captain’s hat. The experience was €23.50.
Off-Road Explorers
The next adventure we had on the agenda was the off-road explorers. It is located behind the Waterfront. Again this was another fun experience for them. Chloe was a little bit unsure at first but she managed well in the end. The instructor will go through everything with you. The most important bit really is that you have the remote with you that will allow you to turn off the car straight away in case the children crash into something. Probably the most fun bit for the parents. Before heading out into the forest, everyone had to complete a little course around the area to make sure they can drive okay. Matthew had no bother.
At the back of the Land Rover everyone had a set of missing puzzle pieces. The kids have to go around the parkour to find all the pieces. These were defined as animals that live in the forest such as squirrel and owl. Once the adventure was completed, everyone received an Off-Road Explorers badge. The whole experience only cost €12 which I find a decent price if I compare it to the Mini Captain’s adventure that is double the price.
Creepy Crawlies
Chloe is a big fan of animals but what she likes more are creep crawlies. She likes looking at them in the garden and studying them. Sometimes a bit too much and one ends up crushed but we won’t go into too much detail about that. One morning we met with the instructor at the cycle centre, at the bottom of the park. She explained how we will approach things and everyone was given a plastic cup with a magnifying glass attached. This is where we would catch a bug and once we have examined him, we will release him again.
The area we looked for bugs was just across from the cycle centre in a little part of the forest. Normally frogs are about too but unfortunately that week it was very dry and so the frogs were not close by. All the bugs and spiders we did find though, the kids were mesmerised by them. The activity took around an hour. It went by pretty quickly and in my opinion it is definitely something to book when staying in Center Parcs. Just for €8 per child you just can’t go wrong. Again the kids received a badge, even the adults received one, too.
Adventure Golf
We had booked the mini golf in advanced but I read in the leaflets while we were staying there, it is not necessary to do so. The adventure golf is a 9 hole course. Adults (12 years plus) is €8 and children under the age of 12 is €6.75. The course is absolutely beautiful. All the wooden carved forest animals are giving the mini golf course its own touch. I really hope that they can keep this one in good shape for many years to come. A lot of thought has gone into this I’d imagine. Definitely another activity I would recommend to do. I mean who doesn’t like a round of mini golf? Matthew has been playing mini golf since he was three or four years old. Even though he doesn’t quite get the hang of holding the club yet, he enjoys it.
Ten Pin Bowling
Last but not least… the bowling lanes located in the Sports Plaza. This is certainly an activity I would recommend you to book ahead. Particularly when you are planning to hit a few pins in the evening time. It is extremely busy then. Just like at any other bowling centre, the shoes are provided. All sizes are available. Chloe was so proud of her bowling shoes, she didn’t want to take them off again. We paid for a 45 minutes ten pin bowling session which was €31.
This is just a small selection of activities available to you at Center Parcs in Longford. There is so much more to do. Basically you will never get bored and this is what I remember from the time I went to Center Parcs as a child myself. I always had a great holiday every time we went. Of course this type of holiday doesn’t fit everyone’s budget but if you do have the money, do give it a go. It is fantastic. I’d say we will be back in a few years again. Once Matthew is older, he can hit up activities like the zip line or stand up paddle.
The prices of every activity in the park can be found here.
