Center Parcs Whinfell Forest
Whinfell Forest, Penrith CA10 2DW England
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#1 of 3 lodges in Penrith
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HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Bowling
Babysitting
Parking
Wifi
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Heated pool
Fitness / spa changing rooms
Fitness classes
Sauna
Restaurant
Mini golf
Squash
Tennis court
Water park
Entertainment staff
Table tennis
Indoor play area for children
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Spa
Massage
Steam room
Non-smoking hotel
Shops
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Room features
Additional bathroom
Housekeeping
Room service
Safe
Seating area
Kitchenette
Dishwasher
Flatscreen TV
Sofa
Iron
Microwave
Refrigerator
Kitchenware
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Location
42Car recommended
Grade: 42 out of 100
10Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
0Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Whinfell Forest, Penrith CA10 2DW England
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13398Reviews589Q+A100Room tips
ReviewsWe perform checks on reviews.Tripadvisor’s approach to reviewsBefore posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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Very mixed feelings about our 1st visit to Whinfell Forest as a family of six. Monday arrival at 4pm was dreadful, massive queues, very dark and difficult to find lodge. We waited in the queue for approximately an hour, not a good experience with a bored 3yr old and a very distressed 4mth old baby. When we did eventually find our lodge we had difficulty parking as the nearby spaces were already filled, not great with lots of luggage and 2 young children. Unfortunately things didn’t improve when we actually got into the lodge (Seven Pines) as it wasn’t very clean at all eg debris on carpets, crumbs on kitchen floor, discarded plastic sheeting on landing floor, dirty coffee table, unwashed dining chairs, stained sofa’s with sweet wrappings stuffed down sides, dirty plate inside microwave etc etc. To top it all there was also no welcome tea/coffee pack. We certainly didn’t expect to be cleaning our own lodge at 6pm. I complained to guest services the following day who were very apologetic and offered an immediate cleaning service which we declined as we’d already done it and didn’t want anyone visiting us, one of our party had also recently had a hospital stay and we didn’t want to be disturbed. We received some small gifts for our inconvenience but really all we wanted was to arrive to a clean lodge. Another huge disappointment for our 3yr old was the fact that there was no Christmas tree erected in the lodge….. we paid an extra £60 for the tree to find that we were expected to unwrap it, put it up and decorate it ourselves eh!!! On a more positive note, Winter Wonderland was magical, Santa and the elves friendly and approachable and lots of great activities on offer.…
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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The state of cleanliness at the lodge was extremely unsatisfactory, with noticeable issues such as a broken TV, couch tears, a significant bodily fluid spill (sick) near the upstairs double bed emitting an unpleasant odor, popcorn in the bathroom, misaligned pictures, and absent glasses, presumably shattered. Evidently, a large party occurred before our arrival, and the cleaning efforts were limited to vacuuming. The ongoing bug season exacerbated our discomfort in the lodge, leading to concerns about the overall cleanliness standards. Despite having been patrons in the past, we regret to inform you that we will not be returning and cannot recommend the lodge to friends or family. The unsettling experience during our stay prompted reflections on our son's illness during the journey home, raising questions about a potential connection to the hygiene conditions in the lodge and its surroundings. Our family felt very uncomfortable in the lodge as there were numerous examples of poor cleanliness which cast doubt throughout the stay. Allthough centre parcs activities and surrpundings are great and the children did have a good time, the review is terrible as we won't return as this is priority number one for us when taking young children to accomodation. …
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We stayed at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest for four nights and, on balance, we enjoyed our visit. The check-in on Monday afternoon was reasonably smooth, and our Lakeside Penthouse Apartment (which had just been refurbished) was spotlessly clean, well furnished, and extremely comfortable. We had a problem with a leaking shower during our stay, and the maintenance and housekeeping teams attended to the problem quickly. We had booked a half-day spa experience at the Aqua Sana Spa, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The spa is of a really high quality, with lots of different steam rooms, saunas, and a couple of pools. The public areas and the changing rooms were very clean and tidy. My wife had a spa treatment, which she said was excellent, and we shared a tapas board in the cafe, which we both enjoyed. The spa experience was the highlight of our visit. We also booked a ‘Boogie Bounce’ class which took place in the Fitness Studio in the Sports Plaza. The class was great, the woman who ran the class (Melody?) was welcoming and friendly, and we both really enjoyed the experience. We were a little surprised that the Sports Plaza had no changing rooms though, and the venue seemed more like a food/retail outlet with added games and pastimes. Even though we’re both a fair bit older than the target audience, we thoroughly enjoyed the Winter Wonderland, which is always a delightful experience, despite the lack of real snow! We spent a couple of evenings in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and whilst it’s great fun, we noticed that it seemed a bit dirtier and careworn than on our two previous visits. The changing rooms were very dirty, this may be because we were there in the evening, but the public areas should be clean whatever time you visit. All in all, we enjoyed our third visit to Center Parcs Whinfell, but I don’t think we’ll be going again.…
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
Headline - mice in roof space, dirty lodge, expensive… but lovely Christmas experience for children. Negatives - after a loooong queue and delays getting into Centre Parcs, we arrived to a dirty lodge (Forester’s Lane) with a broken oven, broken iron, broken coffee machine and oven / utensils with old food on them. The same night, we heard the scratching of mice in the roof space. The dining room window was also broken as was the shower rail. Traditionally enjoyed Centre Parcs since I was a teenager (now in my 30’s with a family), and never seen standards slip so much. Especially as it’s not cheap! To top it all off, we heard the unfortunate snap of the mouse trap go off on our 2nd night… let me tell you, it sounded much louder than a mouse… Positives - kids (6 and 3) loved it! Staff in leisure facilities were great and obvious effort made around Christmas wonderland. When my (multiple) complaints where made, Centre Parcs staff responded quickly. Also offered a small compensation. However, if they’d have done their job in the 1st place, they wouldn’t have had to rush out fix the multiple problems. Outcome: I never write Trip Advisor reviews, but having since seen other families write similar reviews recently, I think others need to hear the reality of the Whinfell experience… having already pre-booked a 2024 (Tree House) trip, we’ll definitely be telling friends/family about the recent uncleanliness of Whinfell and reconsider spending ££££’s to other UK holiday centres and not Centre Parcs (please sort it out Whinfell)…
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Bring mouse traps and bleach spray for Lodges.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Center Parcs, Other at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest
Responded today
Good morning, Thank you for taking the time to write this review following your stay with us at Whinfell Forest. I am sorry that we failed to meet your expectations and sincerely apologise for the cleanliness and equipment issues in your accommodation. We do have pre-arrival checks in place and any issues are usually picked up and either resolved or reported by our housekeeping team before your arrival. This clearly appears to have not been the case in your situation and again I apologise for this. I am happy to hear that you did report these issues and that an offer of compensation was made, however, it is clear that you are still disappointed and we would like to take the opportunity to discuss this further. I would ask that you write to us via the Contact Us section on our website and our Guest Services Executive will be in touch directly with you. Kind regards Center Parcs
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Excellent weekend within the Winter Wonderland. Normally go with family but we went just the two of us. The low temperature made the trees frosted and fitted in well with Wonderland theme and the lighting in the trees was marvellous. Rooms had just been renovated and being the first ones into them everything was brand new. The only very minor criticism would be that due to the renovation there were no instructions on how to use the cooker. I'm sure that will be sorted out as the staff were excellent too.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
On booking the description read New Lodge. We stayed in 44 Forresters Lane and the inside was shabby and in need of a facelift. The settees were so saggy and scruffy we sat on the kitchen chairs for comfort. The 3 bathrooms had been refurbished and were nice, but nothing else had been. The stairs and bedroom carpets were not vacuumed. There were no guests toiletries and on asking was given 2 very small soaps between 10 of us. Not the same standard as 5/6 years ago. So won’t be returning. The Santa visit was disappointing for the kids. Pools had scum around the periphery.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: We had supposedly arrived at nt too busy time but queued for almost 45 mins, this was really...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
The lodge was dirty. Bins full of rubbish, dishwasher full of other people’s dinner plates and the lodge didn’t look like it had ever been hoovered. Cup marks over all the sides and bathrooms in need of a full renovation. Regular visitors but this time we have decided we won’t be returning next December. The other areas of the centre were great and we did have a lovely family break but very disappointing that we had to clean the lodge before we started. We never complained as it was pointless because we saw all the cleaners leave on the buses. I wouldn’t have written this, however after telling them previously about our experience they sent yet another email to leave a review so I have.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Wonderful,magical. Me and my wife went with our family. We are both disabled, my wife has M.S and needs hoisting for all transfers. Nothing was any trouble we were provided with a mobile hoist and comode/ shower chair at no extra cost which was fantastic. The lodge was great, a good size and very clean with wheel in shower and profiling bed. We were apprehensive about going but so delighted we did as everything was catered for us. We have already booked for next November. Our four young grandchildren also had a fantastic time 😀. We would highly recommend Center parcs to anyone and also to disabled people with complicated medical needs.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
This was our first visit and was made with our son’s family. It was great fun that also allowed the parents to relax and was a great experience across all the areas that we visited. The staff were very helpful and friendly and made sure the children enjoyed their activities.
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
A fantastic stay and I really enjoyed that they was everything to do and I would definitely come back again and where we stayed the cottage was lovely and clean and not had far to walk and we cycled round
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Yes I definitely recommend to go to the pool early in the morning or evening
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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ALSO KNOWN AS
center parcs whinfell forest hotel penrith
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCumbriaLake DistrictEden DistrictPenrith
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
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Claim Your ListingCENTER PARCS WHINFELL FOREST - Updated 2023 (Penrith)
Frequently Asked Questions about Center Parcs Whinfell Forest
What are some of the property amenities at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an indoor pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Conveniently located restaurants include Bella Italia Center Parcs Whinfell, Cafe Rouge, and Lakeside Inn.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Yes, guests have access to an indoor pool, a fitness centre, and a sauna during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Brougham Castle (2.9 miles), Penrith Castle (4.5 miles), and Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens (3.7 miles).
Does Center Parcs Whinfell Forest have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the park view available here.
Is Center Parcs Whinfell Forest accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.