Highfield Grange Holiday Park
About Highfield Grange Holiday Park
Parkdean Resorts Highfield Grange Holiday Park is set in Clacton-on-Sea combining the traditional seaside holiday with a park that's bursting with fun.
Reviews
This week we have some excellent acts joining us that you won't want to miss!
📅 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE 📅
MONDAY 20TH – TROUPER VOCALIST – LEWIS... TUESDAY 21ST –SHOWSTOPPER ACT– EAST17 WEDNESDAY 22ND – TROUPER SHOWTIME – CLASS OF THE 00’S THURSDAY 23RD – MOVIE UNDER THE STARS – PETER RABBIT FRIDAY 24TH – SHOWSTOPPER ACT – JAKE QUICKENDEN SATURDAY 25TH – FAMILY ACT – THE LAUGHING LEGENDS SUNDAY 26TH – SHOWSTOPPER ACT – LIBERTY X MONDAY 27TH – COMEDY MAGICIAN – RICHIE AUSTIN
See More
This week we have some excellent acts joining us that you won't want to miss!
📅 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE 📅
Monday 13th – Male Vocalist – Trouper Jake... Tuesday 14th – Show Stopper – Exciting Science at 2pm Wednesday 15th – Trouper Showtime – Cirque Thursday 16th – Show Stopper Act – Paul Zerdin winner of Americas Got Talent Friday 17th – X Factor Vocalist – Che Chesterman Saturday 18th – Party Band – Funk Foundations Sunday 19th – Trouper Showtime – Live Lounge Rock FM
We hope to see you there!
See More
This month we have an unbeatable choice of live performers, from side-splitting comedians to sensational singers; you might even catch famous acts gracing the stage! 🌟
Joining us this week at Highfield Grange will be:
Friday 3rd - X Factor Duo – iTG... Saturday 4th - X Factor Vocalist – Lauren Murray Sunday 5th - Trouper Showtime – The Spirit Of Ireland Monday 6th - Male Vocalist – Mark Jones Tuesday 7th - Trouper Showtime – Cirque *New for 2018* Wednesday 8th - Trouper Showtime – Class of the 00’s Thursday 9th - -Kids Character Show- Kate and MimMim
We hope to see you there!
See More
Call us on 01255 689819 or pop into the Highfield Grange Sales Office to find out more about this amazing new offer ☀️
Join us for ice lollies and live music with Lewis the Trouper on the show-ground from 12pm on Saturday ☀️
If you are on park come and join us right now on the show ground for our owners BBQ! 🍖
Owner Breakfast 🍳
Please join us on Sunday at 9am for Owners Breakfast 🙂 Remember to book with the sales team to avoid disappointment!
Please join us on the Showground this Saturday at 12pm. We are giving out a free beer to all of our fathers for Father’s Day!
Arrive early to avoid disappointment. When they are gone, they are gone.
💃🏼🕺🏻🎉Entertainment 🎉🕺🏻💃🏼
Please be aware that this weekends entertainment will be held in the Time Out Venue!
See you there! ... Have a great weekend.
Highfield Complex Team
See More
⚡️⚡️⚡️Power Update⚡️⚡️⚡️
Due to last nights inconsistent generator performance, UK Power Networks are on park to replace the generator.
This will take place between 13.00 and 13.30 and will disrupt power for around 30 minutes.
... This should give us better consistency with power supply until normal power is restored.
Thank you for your patience.
Highfield Grange Owner Elite Team
See More
⚡️Power Update⚡️
All of the generators are now up and running. The whole park now has power.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused and hope that you enjoy the rest of the week with us.
... We appreciate your patience with this situation. The out of hours number is available should your require any further assistance.
The team at Highfield Grange
See More
⚡️⚡️⚡️Power Update⚡️⚡️⚡️
The utility company are now on Park, and have commenced the process of switching us over to temporary generators, while they continue to trace the fault locally.
This will be a phased return of supply, which will start with the central facilities. We hope to have this area back on for 6:30pm.
... We have been advised that all areas should be back on by 10pm.
Once again, thank you in advance for your continued patience.
See More
Join us on the show ground to meet Sparky and Sparkle and have your picture taken with them!
This Saturday at 13.00!
⬇️ Park Notification ⬇️
We are currently experiencing a power outage across the park and the local area. The team are working hard to restore the issue with our local suppliers and we hope to be operational again soon.
***UPDATE***... As we are currently unable to open the central facilities and swimming pool we are offering a complimentary shuttle service to our sister park, Valley Farm. The shuttle will depart from the main reception on the hour, between midday and 5:00pm - returning from Valley Farm back to Highfield Grange at half past the hour from 12:30 - 5:30pm.
Thank you in advance for your patience.
See More
Take a look at our great Entertainment line-up over the next couple of weekends...
Saturday 26th May WAW Wrestling - Live in the Showbar from 2:00pm
... Saturday 26th May Chico from The X Factor - Live in the Showbar at 9:00pm
Sunday 27th May Family Fun Day on the caravan sales ground, 12noon – 3:00pm
Saturday 2nd June WAW Wrestling - Live in the Showbar from 2:00pm
Saturday 2nd June Reggie & Bollie from The X Factor - Live in the Showbar at 9:30pm
We can't wait to see you there!
See More
Please join us on the show ground for ice cream 🍦 + jelly and live “Summer Songs” from Trouper Cydney 🎤🎼🎸 Starts at 12pm Saturday :)
We have just got home from a 7 day break at this resort and we are all so sad to be home! Everyone was lovely on the resort, from the lady that checked us in, to the bar staff to the life guards to security. Everyone was really welcoming! Massive shout out though, goes to Jo Jo, Lewis, Jake and Cydney. Absolutely brilliant troupers, took time to talk to us, kept us and the kids entertained all day every day and are all round just brilliant entertainers! We are coming back for the entertainment alone! Thanks you 4 lovelies!!! Graham, you have the best team at Highfields, they really made our holiday! �
Few minor things wrong with the caravan but were soon sorted as soon as reported.
All in all a great holiday park, fantastic customer service, clean park! We can't wait to book our next holiday with you guys!!!! �
My 11 year old niece came with me to my caravan for the weekend and had a blast! Great swimming, twice in one day! She thoroughly enjoyed Lizzies birthday party. Polished off pancakes and bacon for breakfast and cheese toastie and chips for tea. Not a thing was left on her plate. Thankyou to Andrew, Rhea, Graham, Dougie and your teams for making her weekend special. She is already planning her next visit! Well done Team Highfield!
Just spent the last week here and I have to say it was a massive improvement on last year, entertainments team have been amazing along with the live shows, caravan was lovely and allthough the park was really muddy due to the recent bad weather it didn't cause us any problems, only downside was the bar staff in the showbar, it took forever to get a drink and there were people getting served that hadn't even been waiting. Also if you use the launderette stay with your washing at all times, I left my stuff in the dryer for 10 minutes and came back to find my daughter's knickers had been stolen.
Just returned from Highfield Grange Holiday Park and would like to acknowledge how wonderful everybody is at this park! from check in through to entertainment. special mentions to Hannah behind the bar, Joanne on the Ents team and Rhea the complex manager who all gave 150% and ensured our weekend event ran without fault!
Caravans we're lovely
facilities available to suit all ages including a great park area!
we will most definitely be booking again!
Just got back from a five day stay here and it was the best holiday with had so far! So much to do for the kids and the kids night time entertainment was brilliant our three year old and seven month old loved it! the staff were all very friendly and helpful cannot fault anything about this place
I had an amazing time. Been to a few parks now but not enjoyed them half as much as this one. My little girl went to the tots club and even though there was just 2 of them there they put in 100% effort. My daughter's a weird combo of shy and hyperactive and the entertainment team really put so much effort in with her. She wouldn't look at Lewis the first night and by night 4 she wouldn't leave his side...she adores him. The entertainment was good for kids, they got them all involved. And when it moves on to a bit for adults the kids at first are involved to which is great we get to stay longer as there not bored. Sydney, Jake and Lewis together are so funny. The banter between them is really what makes everything fun. There's an Irish entertainer that have me in hysterics. The security are amazing...Mel is a life saver and found something very important and special and I'm so greatful. She's helped me with a couple of things one being stopping my daughter from flying out the door (terrible 2's). We was so tempted to stay longer...everyone was so nice. We honestly had such a fab time and definitely going back. Even meet some lovely family with children the same age which was great. If it didn't take us 9 hours to get home think we would book a few weekends as well as a week.
I can honestly say we have had a super bank holiday weekend thanks to Highfield Grange!! The kids have been kept entertained all weekend with kids club activities, wrestling, bouncy castles, and the fab entertainment team doing the evening kids entertainment 6:45-9pm all of which is included in our holiday price, such good value, not to mention the fab swimming pool set up and water flume and large kids park. We have tried many parkdean resorts now and can’t wait to come back to this one. The park in general is clean and tidy and our van was perfect 5* Highfield we will be back!!!
Stayed Mon 28th may till Fri 1st June overall had a great holiday. Caravan was nice, entertainment was great fun and staff were really nice and friendly . Only negative was on the Tues no power for at least 14 hours so nothing we could do for the whole day so that's was hard with 4 kids . This was not the park fault but still missed out on a whole day as nothing was open - no swimming for the kids all day till at least 7.30 that evening when everything re opened.
As compensation we received a letter saying £25 off the next holiday booked with them as a apology . I find this disappointing as £25 does not make up for the day lost at the park .
My husband, 4 year old daughter and I have just got home from a lovely weekend here. Having stayed with park resorts before, we felt that this park had a little bit less to do, but it's not a problem considering the town is 10 minutes away with lots of attractions.
Our caravan was lovely and clean. The only niggle was the shower was very hot, which was fine for us but too hot for my daughter.
The chip shop was nice, the swimming pool was fine (only 20p a locker unlike other parks) and the playground was fine but a bit small.
Starland krazy was great every night and my daughter had lots of fun playing games and meeting the characters. However it was very loud. We had to sit away from the front because of the volume.
The only other issue (and I know this can't be helped) was a lot of bird poo on the grass, meaning we had a few incidents with the wet wipes.
Already looking at booking again for next year. I wouldn't have a problem with returning here but may try a different park just for variety.
We arrived at your camp early after a 4 hour drive and was greeted by the receptionist who wasn't the friendliest of characters. I was told I could still use the facilities even tho I hadn't checked in. She told me she would open the gate for me and to park in the car park by the entertainment complex. I waited 5 minutes by the gate and nothing happened so I buzzed the intercom and got a the receptionist who didn't seem impressed that is buzzed. I drove round and parked (It's not clearly marked where your supposed to drive). We went into the boat house for a drink, i went to order and there were 2 staff serving, when i got to the front of the que the lad who was serving decided to wipe down the fridges and ignore the que of people waiting to be served. This was so unprofessional. I checked in at 4 and was asked my name and was given my little bag with my caravan key and was told where to find our caravan. When we arrived at the caravan I realised it wasn't the caravan I'd booked (our was supposed to be a extra wide) so I went back to complain. On my way to complain I looked at the bag and the surname was correct but it was Miss not Mrs, wrong postcode, wrong amount of guests, and wrong booking code. The parkdean trooper was so apologetic and managed to correct it very quickly (a clerrical error). We found the right caravan and was quite pleased with it. A few things were wrong. Toaster didn't work (got a new one provided), no iron but we had the ironing board, also the booking stated towels provided but they weren't (luckily I brought my own) I paid for a caravan but things weren't as they were advertised. I felt the park itself was nice but we'll understaffed. The other complaint I had was the lack of electricity to the entertainment complex. We were evacuated out of the pool on our 2nd day due to a power cut and this upset my 5 year old cause I wasn't waiting the 15-20 minutes the lifeguard stated it would take to get it back on as I am 30 weeks pregnant and wasn't going to get cold. We paid for WiFi for the weekend and every time the electricity went off we couldn't use it so we are out of pocket for that too. Luckily on the second day we managed to get our food in the boat house before yet another power cut. This park is not bad but needs a lot of improvement, we stay in many parkdean resorts over the year and this is by far the worst we have ever stayed at. I really don't think we will be returning.
Reception were not a great greeting and had closed nearly an hour early when I went back to ask a question, people were arriving and stranded! Facilities are good, bar amusements playground, pool is small but ok, nice that slide water was heated. Rest of park is a bit tired, rubbish gets mowed over and left in shreds everywhere. Make sure your van is not up the back near Morrison’s as their loading dock is very noisy in the early hours, we complained to them and they offered us a free meal but we were leaving and could not do so. I collectin of paper and plastics for recycling was disappointing.
No problem with the site, Entertainers were brilliant, kids enjoyed the park and pool, however dont bother to pay to stay in one of there "new 2018" caravans, everything you touch falls to pieces! windows dont open without using a knife? door only locks when it feels like! and although i knew i wasnt going to get cliff top views like other parks due to location; i didnt expect a ugly breeze block wall for a view!!! felt like sleeping in a jail cell!!!
Caravan a little tired/poorly maintained (there's another review describing the same issues on what I think is the same van from over a year ago and they've not been fixed - things like broken door hinges, blown bulbs, leaking taps and broken/missing window catches which mean they can't be completely closed making for chilly mornings), going on and off the site is a little tedious as you have to speak to security via intercom to get the barrier opened every time, and the police were on site twice in the week we were there - didn't seem to reduce the number of chavs whizzing round in their kevved-up hatchbacks though! On the plus side, the pool was pleasant enough and there's a big water slide which looks fun (only open in peak season I think).
Arrived at caravan and the area surrounding it was a boggy mess. There was no pathway to the door so the children and cases were filthy. We had drove 5/6 hours and all I wanted was a shower, well that wasn't happening because there was no gas. Returned to reception to find 4/5 families complaining about various issues, the receptionists really couldn't care less, there was very little empathy, I explained that I had three small children who were cold and we needed to get them washed but we were told we needed to be added to the list, how long could we expect to wait, no idea. We returned to the reception several times and at 10pm we actually bumped into the maintenance team and asked them directly to help us, they, to give them their due were fantastic & resolved the problem within half an hour. The caravan itself was quite nice, however there were dirty pots in the cupboards and the cutlery was dirty so needed to wash everything again, the shelf in the cooker wasn't secure and was an extendable shelf that randomly split apart, the heating element was hanging out of the grill too but I couldn't face going back to reception with more issues. The park itself is ok, a bit confusing and cramped but the clubhouse and amusements are clean & tidy, the entertainment was really good and the pool was well kept and most of the lifeguards, especially the girls were brilliant with the children.
Having spent many years going to different Haven caravan parks with the children. I can honestly say I won't be returning to a Park Dean resort again as there is simply no comparison to Haven. Because we came not in school holidays they decided to cancel all the kids activities through the week so there was nothing on and we had to spend days away from the caravan site to entertain the kids which cost us a fortune. The caravan was on a slant which we weren't bothered about but could effect others. The cooker didn't work as the knob was missing but we made do with grill and hob. At one point we had an intake of ants but when we contacted the reception we were told it wasn't their responsibility to sort it out. Partner had to drive to buy ant powder instead. Glad we spent two of holiday days in London otherwise we would have been very bored. Back to using Haven for us
We stayed here on the 6th July for a long weekend and wouldn't go back or recommend, I had extra for bedding and when we arrived it hadn't been done so I called reception and they said we will send housekeeping to sort it out for you, and they just dumped outside our caravan in a bag for me to make up myself, I have never been to another caravan park where this had happened before, they have always been made up upon arrival, the food in the onsite restaurant wasn't the best and over priced for what it actually was, they only meal we did enjoy was the carvery on the Sunday. When we arrived on the Friday we were told the pool was shut which was disappointing for my daughter as that is what we had planned to do when arriving, we wasn't even given any sort of explanation why but when we did manage to go swimming on the Sunday the pool was filthy and had lots of black bits floating everywhere which got stuck to your body underneath your swimming stuff �. Our caravan had mould in the bathroom and on the curtains in the living room. It was our first time visiting a park dean resort as we usually always use haven and can't fault them but thought we'd have a change for once but we won't be making that mistake again and will be sticking with haven in future!
We paid extra to Upgrade the caravan and get a travel cot.
The travel cot doesn’t fit in the main bedroom unless you put half of it in the wardrobe which is ridiculous, I asked to upgrade again but apparently all the bedrooms are the same size.
the 2 single beds in the other bedroom are so small my 9 and 10 year olds keep falling out, the fridge freezer is useless!! No storage in the doors for milk etc due to the rails being missing, the door on the freezer section is missing so all the frozen food has now thawed out, we did speak to reception about all these issues but got nothing apart from the promise of a baking tray as I told them I was on my to Asda to buy one as there were no baking trays or anything to cook food on, the shower door is missing and has been replaced with a make shift curtain, I’m failing to identify what we’ve upgraded to unless what we originally had before we upgraded was a shed in a neighbouring field.
all the kids activity’s in the pool have been cancelled due to the regional manager closing the pool bar which is where your supposed to book such things and buy stuff for swimming like goggles etc, they even offered to see what was going on in neighbouring parks to see if we wanted to go there, I mean come on!
The music at the entertainment is soooooooo loud which if there was more than 10 people in there talking over it wouldn’t be a bad thing but there’s not, and I don’t mean just a bit too loud I mean it’s so loud that your eyes start to water when they start speaking through the microphones.
The outdoor pool is closed although it’s blazing hot sunshine. There is literally nothing for the kids to do unless they want to do some colouring in, like any 9 or 10 year old is gonna want to do that.
I’m not one to moan beleive it or not after that rant but there just comes a point where it’s just taking the piss, I know it’s only a cheapo sun holiday and am not expecting 5 star accommodation etc but people pay full price for this aswell, it’s them I feel sorry for!
We Won’t be coming back!!
I certainly feel they need to either step up there security or something as I was greeted by 2 blokes in one cubicle with the door wide open completely oblivious to the fact I walked in snorting cocaine in the boathouse toilets in the middle of day, my flaming kids were in and out of that toilet let alone all the other families that were in there.!!!
We originally stayed here for a week 3 years ago and it was great which is why we decided to come back but on Day 2 and are already looking forward to going home.
Although most of the holiday was a shambles we could not fault the troopers who put on the entertainment in the evening, they were great with the kids and very funny.
Was at highfield grange 2 yrs ago and couldnt fault it caravan was clean went bck on monday 16th july for a wk and was so disappointed caravan was discusting not one thing had been cleaned sticky hand marks all over kitchen mirror and tv build up of dust and dirt, floors had not been brushed had to wash everything pots,pans,cutlery,plates etc mould on curtains cooker had grease running down cooker front.
The pool was dirty also. The entertainment was really gd only thing that was gd about it.
This has been given 1 star due to some of the staffs effort... it would of had none!!! Filthy.. run down.. pool was disgusting! Wouldn’t let my children in it as we could not see the bottom of the pool due to the crap that floated in the water and murky colour! The park was full of fag butts around the children’s play area! Our shower and kitchen sink was full of mould! Food was horrendous! Chicken was tough and rubbery, they had no gluten free foods in stock despite them having a section on the menu called ‘free from’ stock, had run out of ice cream in certain flavours despite knowing they it was peak season and they were fully booked! Arcade games were rubbish and the ticket prizes were ridiculously over priced for what they had!!! (Most of which you could buy in the shop next door)
One good thing is most of their alcohol is priced reasonably but guessing this is because they have a Tesco 2 mins away and would need to compete with the prices
Over all this was the worst 2 nights Ive experienced (we did not stay the full length of time)
Clacton-on-Sea Pier was nice..
We have just got home from a 7 day break at this resort and we are all so sad to be home! Everyone was lovely on the resort, from the lady that checked us in, to the bar staff to the life guards to security. Everyone was really welcoming! Massive shout out though, goes to Jo Jo, Lewis, Jake and Cydney. Absolutely brilliant troupers, took time to talk to us, kept us and the kids entertained all day every day and are all round just brilliant entertainers! We are coming back for the entertainment alone! Thanks you 4 lovelies!!! Graham, you have the best team at Highfields, they really made our holiday! �
Few minor things wrong with the caravan but were soon sorted as soon as reported.
All in all a great holiday park, fantastic customer service, clean park! We can't wait to book our next holiday with you guys!!!! �
My 11 year old niece came with me to my caravan for the weekend and had a blast! Great swimming, twice in one day! She thoroughly enjoyed Lizzies birthday party. Polished off pancakes and bacon for breakfast and cheese toastie and chips for tea. Not a thing was left on her plate. Thankyou to Andrew, Rhea, Graham, Dougie and your teams for making her weekend special. She is already planning her next visit! Well done Team Highfield!
Just spent the last week here and I have to say it was a massive improvement on last year, entertainments team have been amazing along with the live shows, caravan was lovely and allthough the park was really muddy due to the recent bad weather it didn't cause us any problems, only downside was the bar staff in the showbar, it took forever to get a drink and there were people getting served that hadn't even been waiting. Also if you use the launderette stay with your washing at all times, I left my stuff in the dryer for 10 minutes and came back to find my daughter's knickers had been stolen.
Just returned from Highfield Grange Holiday Park and would like to acknowledge how wonderful everybody is at this park! from check in through to entertainment. special mentions to Hannah behind the bar, Joanne on the Ents team and Rhea the complex manager who all gave 150% and ensured our weekend event ran without fault!
Caravans we're lovely
facilities available to suit all ages including a great park area!
we will most definitely be booking again!
Just got back from a five day stay here and it was the best holiday with had so far! So much to do for the kids and the kids night time entertainment was brilliant our three year old and seven month old loved it! the staff were all very friendly and helpful cannot fault anything about this place
I had an amazing time. Been to a few parks now but not enjoyed them half as much as this one. My little girl went to the tots club and even though there was just 2 of them there they put in 100% effort. My daughter's a weird combo of shy and hyperactive and the entertainment team really put so much effort in with her. She wouldn't look at Lewis the first night and by night 4 she wouldn't leave his side...she adores him. The entertainment was good for kids, they got them all involved. And when it moves on to a bit for adults the kids at first are involved to which is great we get to stay longer as there not bored. Sydney, Jake and Lewis together are so funny. The banter between them is really what makes everything fun. There's an Irish entertainer that have me in hysterics. The security are amazing...Mel is a life saver and found something very important and special and I'm so greatful. She's helped me with a couple of things one being stopping my daughter from flying out the door (terrible 2's). We was so tempted to stay longer...everyone was so nice. We honestly had such a fab time and definitely going back. Even meet some lovely family with children the same age which was great. If it didn't take us 9 hours to get home think we would book a few weekends as well as a week.
I can honestly say we have had a super bank holiday weekend thanks to Highfield Grange!! The kids have been kept entertained all weekend with kids club activities, wrestling, bouncy castles, and the fab entertainment team doing the evening kids entertainment 6:45-9pm all of which is included in our holiday price, such good value, not to mention the fab swimming pool set up and water flume and large kids park. We have tried many parkdean resorts now and can’t wait to come back to this one. The park in general is clean and tidy and our van was perfect 5* Highfield we will be back!!!
Stayed Mon 28th may till Fri 1st June overall had a great holiday. Caravan was nice, entertainment was great fun and staff were really nice and friendly . Only negative was on the Tues no power for at least 14 hours so nothing we could do for the whole day so that's was hard with 4 kids . This was not the park fault but still missed out on a whole day as nothing was open - no swimming for the kids all day till at least 7.30 that evening when everything re opened.
As compensation we received a letter saying £25 off the next holiday booked with them as a apology . I find this disappointing as £25 does not make up for the day lost at the park .
My husband, 4 year old daughter and I have just got home from a lovely weekend here. Having stayed with park resorts before, we felt that this park had a little bit less to do, but it's not a problem considering the town is 10 minutes away with lots of attractions.
Our caravan was lovely and clean. The only niggle was the shower was very hot, which was fine for us but too hot for my daughter.
The chip shop was nice, the swimming pool was fine (only 20p a locker unlike other parks) and the playground was fine but a bit small.
Starland krazy was great every night and my daughter had lots of fun playing games and meeting the characters. However it was very loud. We had to sit away from the front because of the volume.
The only other issue (and I know this can't be helped) was a lot of bird poo on the grass, meaning we had a few incidents with the wet wipes.
Already looking at booking again for next year. I wouldn't have a problem with returning here but may try a different park just for variety.
We arrived at your camp early after a 4 hour drive and was greeted by the receptionist who wasn't the friendliest of characters. I was told I could still use the facilities even tho I hadn't checked in. She told me she would open the gate for me and to park in the car park by the entertainment complex. I waited 5 minutes by the gate and nothing happened so I buzzed the intercom and got a the receptionist who didn't seem impressed that is buzzed. I drove round and parked (It's not clearly marked where your supposed to drive). We went into the boat house for a drink, i went to order and there were 2 staff serving, when i got to the front of the que the lad who was serving decided to wipe down the fridges and ignore the que of people waiting to be served. This was so unprofessional. I checked in at 4 and was asked my name and was given my little bag with my caravan key and was told where to find our caravan. When we arrived at the caravan I realised it wasn't the caravan I'd booked (our was supposed to be a extra wide) so I went back to complain. On my way to complain I looked at the bag and the surname was correct but it was Miss not Mrs, wrong postcode, wrong amount of guests, and wrong booking code. The parkdean trooper was so apologetic and managed to correct it very quickly (a clerrical error). We found the right caravan and was quite pleased with it. A few things were wrong. Toaster didn't work (got a new one provided), no iron but we had the ironing board, also the booking stated towels provided but they weren't (luckily I brought my own) I paid for a caravan but things weren't as they were advertised. I felt the park itself was nice but we'll understaffed. The other complaint I had was the lack of electricity to the entertainment complex. We were evacuated out of the pool on our 2nd day due to a power cut and this upset my 5 year old cause I wasn't waiting the 15-20 minutes the lifeguard stated it would take to get it back on as I am 30 weeks pregnant and wasn't going to get cold. We paid for WiFi for the weekend and every time the electricity went off we couldn't use it so we are out of pocket for that too. Luckily on the second day we managed to get our food in the boat house before yet another power cut. This park is not bad but needs a lot of improvement, we stay in many parkdean resorts over the year and this is by far the worst we have ever stayed at. I really don't think we will be returning.
Reception were not a great greeting and had closed nearly an hour early when I went back to ask a question, people were arriving and stranded! Facilities are good, bar amusements playground, pool is small but ok, nice that slide water was heated. Rest of park is a bit tired, rubbish gets mowed over and left in shreds everywhere. Make sure your van is not up the back near Morrison’s as their loading dock is very noisy in the early hours, we complained to them and they offered us a free meal but we were leaving and could not do so. I collectin of paper and plastics for recycling was disappointing.
No problem with the site, Entertainers were brilliant, kids enjoyed the park and pool, however dont bother to pay to stay in one of there "new 2018" caravans, everything you touch falls to pieces! windows dont open without using a knife? door only locks when it feels like! and although i knew i wasnt going to get cliff top views like other parks due to location; i didnt expect a ugly breeze block wall for a view!!! felt like sleeping in a jail cell!!!
Caravan a little tired/poorly maintained (there's another review describing the same issues on what I think is the same van from over a year ago and they've not been fixed - things like broken door hinges, blown bulbs, leaking taps and broken/missing window catches which mean they can't be completely closed making for chilly mornings), going on and off the site is a little tedious as you have to speak to security via intercom to get the barrier opened every time, and the police were on site twice in the week we were there - didn't seem to reduce the number of chavs whizzing round in their kevved-up hatchbacks though! On the plus side, the pool was pleasant enough and there's a big water slide which looks fun (only open in peak season I think).
Arrived at caravan and the area surrounding it was a boggy mess. There was no pathway to the door so the children and cases were filthy. We had drove 5/6 hours and all I wanted was a shower, well that wasn't happening because there was no gas. Returned to reception to find 4/5 families complaining about various issues, the receptionists really couldn't care less, there was very little empathy, I explained that I had three small children who were cold and we needed to get them washed but we were told we needed to be added to the list, how long could we expect to wait, no idea. We returned to the reception several times and at 10pm we actually bumped into the maintenance team and asked them directly to help us, they, to give them their due were fantastic & resolved the problem within half an hour. The caravan itself was quite nice, however there were dirty pots in the cupboards and the cutlery was dirty so needed to wash everything again, the shelf in the cooker wasn't secure and was an extendable shelf that randomly split apart, the heating element was hanging out of the grill too but I couldn't face going back to reception with more issues. The park itself is ok, a bit confusing and cramped but the clubhouse and amusements are clean & tidy, the entertainment was really good and the pool was well kept and most of the lifeguards, especially the girls were brilliant with the children.
Having spent many years going to different Haven caravan parks with the children. I can honestly say I won't be returning to a Park Dean resort again as there is simply no comparison to Haven. Because we came not in school holidays they decided to cancel all the kids activities through the week so there was nothing on and we had to spend days away from the caravan site to entertain the kids which cost us a fortune. The caravan was on a slant which we weren't bothered about but could effect others. The cooker didn't work as the knob was missing but we made do with grill and hob. At one point we had an intake of ants but when we contacted the reception we were told it wasn't their responsibility to sort it out. Partner had to drive to buy ant powder instead. Glad we spent two of holiday days in London otherwise we would have been very bored. Back to using Haven for us
We stayed here on the 6th July for a long weekend and wouldn't go back or recommend, I had extra for bedding and when we arrived it hadn't been done so I called reception and they said we will send housekeeping to sort it out for you, and they just dumped outside our caravan in a bag for me to make up myself, I have never been to another caravan park where this had happened before, they have always been made up upon arrival, the food in the onsite restaurant wasn't the best and over priced for what it actually was, they only meal we did enjoy was the carvery on the Sunday. When we arrived on the Friday we were told the pool was shut which was disappointing for my daughter as that is what we had planned to do when arriving, we wasn't even given any sort of explanation why but when we did manage to go swimming on the Sunday the pool was filthy and had lots of black bits floating everywhere which got stuck to your body underneath your swimming stuff �. Our caravan had mould in the bathroom and on the curtains in the living room. It was our first time visiting a park dean resort as we usually always use haven and can't fault them but thought we'd have a change for once but we won't be making that mistake again and will be sticking with haven in future!
We paid extra to Upgrade the caravan and get a travel cot.
The travel cot doesn’t fit in the main bedroom unless you put half of it in the wardrobe which is ridiculous, I asked to upgrade again but apparently all the bedrooms are the same size.
the 2 single beds in the other bedroom are so small my 9 and 10 year olds keep falling out, the fridge freezer is useless!! No storage in the doors for milk etc due to the rails being missing, the door on the freezer section is missing so all the frozen food has now thawed out, we did speak to reception about all these issues but got nothing apart from the promise of a baking tray as I told them I was on my to Asda to buy one as there were no baking trays or anything to cook food on, the shower door is missing and has been replaced with a make shift curtain, I’m failing to identify what we’ve upgraded to unless what we originally had before we upgraded was a shed in a neighbouring field.
all the kids activity’s in the pool have been cancelled due to the regional manager closing the pool bar which is where your supposed to book such things and buy stuff for swimming like goggles etc, they even offered to see what was going on in neighbouring parks to see if we wanted to go there, I mean come on!
The music at the entertainment is soooooooo loud which if there was more than 10 people in there talking over it wouldn’t be a bad thing but there’s not, and I don’t mean just a bit too loud I mean it’s so loud that your eyes start to water when they start speaking through the microphones.
The outdoor pool is closed although it’s blazing hot sunshine. There is literally nothing for the kids to do unless they want to do some colouring in, like any 9 or 10 year old is gonna want to do that.
I’m not one to moan beleive it or not after that rant but there just comes a point where it’s just taking the piss, I know it’s only a cheapo sun holiday and am not expecting 5 star accommodation etc but people pay full price for this aswell, it’s them I feel sorry for!
We Won’t be coming back!!
I certainly feel they need to either step up there security or something as I was greeted by 2 blokes in one cubicle with the door wide open completely oblivious to the fact I walked in snorting cocaine in the boathouse toilets in the middle of day, my flaming kids were in and out of that toilet let alone all the other families that were in there.!!!
We originally stayed here for a week 3 years ago and it was great which is why we decided to come back but on Day 2 and are already looking forward to going home.
Although most of the holiday was a shambles we could not fault the troopers who put on the entertainment in the evening, they were great with the kids and very funny.
Was at highfield grange 2 yrs ago and couldnt fault it caravan was clean went bck on monday 16th july for a wk and was so disappointed caravan was discusting not one thing had been cleaned sticky hand marks all over kitchen mirror and tv build up of dust and dirt, floors had not been brushed had to wash everything pots,pans,cutlery,plates etc mould on curtains cooker had grease running down cooker front.
The pool was dirty also. The entertainment was really gd only thing that was gd about it.
This has been given 1 star due to some of the staffs effort... it would of had none!!! Filthy.. run down.. pool was disgusting! Wouldn’t let my children in it as we could not see the bottom of the pool due to the crap that floated in the water and murky colour! The park was full of fag butts around the children’s play area! Our shower and kitchen sink was full of mould! Food was horrendous! Chicken was tough and rubbery, they had no gluten free foods in stock despite them having a section on the menu called ‘free from’ stock, had run out of ice cream in certain flavours despite knowing they it was peak season and they were fully booked! Arcade games were rubbish and the ticket prizes were ridiculously over priced for what they had!!! (Most of which you could buy in the shop next door)
One good thing is most of their alcohol is priced reasonably but guessing this is because they have a Tesco 2 mins away and would need to compete with the prices
Over all this was the worst 2 nights Ive experienced (we did not stay the full length of time)
Clacton-on-Sea Pier was nice..