First up, we have Forest Holidays. It’s basically Centre Parcs’s slightly more bohemian cousin who went to Glastonbury and never fully came back. You still get a lovely cabin in the woods, but instead of a man-made lake for pedaloes, you get actual, gnarly forest where deer might photobomb your selfie.
The real magic? You don’t need to book a ‘cooking experience’ two months in advance. You just light a fire in your cabin’s hot tub and burn a sausage. The planning is minimal, the chaos is manageable, and the Wi-Fi is just weak enough that you can blame it for ignoring work emails. Best of all, your biggest decision is whether to have a second cider at the local pub or fall asleep in a wood-fired sauna.
The ‘Bluestone National Park Resort’ Vibe
If Centre Parcs is the shiny new iPhone, Bluestone in Wales is the one with the cool silicon case that supports a local artist. It’s the same concept—a village of lodges, an indoor water park, and a strict “no cars” policy (unless you’re a golf buggy, in which case you’re royalty).
But Bluestone has something Centre Parcs doesn’t: a seriously gorgeous location next to a national park that isn’t just “manicured woodland.” I once saw a family of red kites circling overhead while my toddler tried to eat a stick. That’s the kind of wholesome you can’t buy with a voucher. The water park is a bit smaller, sure, but the queues are half the length, so you get double the slide time and half the kids’ screaming.
Center Parcs alternatives for May half-term 2026 great for staycations
