Well-established Pontins has been ranked the UK’s worst holiday park brand in a survey by consumer group Which?, with smaller, more independent resorts taking top honours.
Topping the list was Potters Resorts, which has bases in the Essex countryside and the Norfolk coast.
Which? surveyed more than 1,700 people about their experiences at UK holiday parks over the past two years, asking them to rate their stay across 11 criteria, including quality of accommodation, cleanliness, facilities and activities and value for money.
Founded by Fred Pontin in 1946, Pontins was bought by the Britannia Hotels chain in 2011. In the past nine months or so, three locations – Camber Sands in East Sussex, Prestatyn in North Wales and Southport – have suddenly closed, leaving just two locations open – Pakefield in Suffolk and Sand Bay in Somerset.
Pontins received consecutive two-star ratings in areas including customer service, quality of accommodation, cleanliness, quality of facilities and activities, food and drink and value for money, while the maximum three-star rating was awarded for quality of communications and entertainment.
The brand came in last with a customer score of 56%, remaining last in 2022, but Which? noted it was not the only major brand that “failed to live up to expectations”.
Butlins, which has resorts in Bognor Regis in West Sussex, Minehead in Somerset and Skegness in Lincolnshire, was given the fifth-bottom spot with a customer score of 67%, with customers unsatisfied with customer service, food and drink, the consumer group said. But the brand known for its red coats received four stars for the quality of entertainment and the quality and variety of children’s activities.
Just above Butlins in the table are Center Parcs and Haven, who are tied with a customer score of 69%.
Center Parcs, the survey’s most visited brand, which has five locations in the UK, received mostly positive reviews but “ultimately it didn’t offer good value for money and received just two stars in the category”, Wych? said.
Potters Resorts took the top spot with a customer score of 87%, followed by Which?’s ‘recommended provider’ Forest Holidays with a score of 80%. Potters Resorts is based just a short drive from Colchester in Essex and a few miles from Great Yarmouth.
Naomi Leach, deputy editor of Which? Travel, said: “Our latest research shows that beyond the most well-known resorts, it’s worth looking for smaller, independent resorts that offer great value for money, excellent customer service and great on-site entertainment.”
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Pontins was approached for comment but Which? reported that Pontins did not respond to a request for comment.
A Butlins spokesman said the company has invested more than £50 million across its three resorts and was pleased to see it receiving high marks for activities and entertainment. “We are disappointed to see some of the lower scores but want to reassure our guests that we are investing in these areas to deliver an even better holiday experience.”
A Center Parcs spokesman said the company was proud of its “consistently high” guest satisfaction rates, with more than 60% of guests rebooking, adding: “Guests want a high-quality experience and we are investing tens of millions of pounds each year to improve our villages.”
