Butlins Minehead

10 readers found this review helpful

Spent over £2000 on deluxe half board at Minehead. Patio overgrown with weeds, windows covered in seagull poo, front door didn't lock properly. Beer and vomit stains on the floor, smellt toilets in thee bars and restaurants.
Arrived Friday afternoon, my 6 year son was sick a few times Saturday night. We took him to be checked out at the medical centre Sunday morning. By Sunday lunchtime Guest Services had phoned us and told us we had to leave asap and we would get a partial refund as a GOOD WILL GESTURE! (Even though we were happy to stay in quarantine for 48 hours). My son was physically fine by then and we never had any illness.
Butlins do not care about the families just ££££££s Billy Butlin would turn in his grave SHAME ON YOU!
I have contacted the press about this.
They cannot contain their bugs, but are happy to penalise people who are responsible and report them. Unless you are really, really ill, stay in your chalet and tell no one!

1 reader found this review helpful

We stayed in the deluxe suite with breakfast and dinner, (which includes your own private carpark space outside the chalet) Check in was quick and the chalet was clean and felt abit like heaven after going to Pontins the year before! We were given loads of information, money off coupons, maps and timetables of showtimes, the only disapointment we had was we had expected to be dining in the yacht club as we had paid for for the deluxe holiday, but after a few complaints to the right people we got upgraded for free, much to the annoyance of the yacht club manager who insisted there was no possible way we would be able to be upgraded!
The entertainment was brilliant, but it does get very busy in some rooms so if you want to get a seat go early, pubs were great and plenty of choice of restaurants, the amusments were great and we came home armed with many stuffed toys from the grabbers!
the kids rides were fantastic, and very quiet in the mornings so no queues, the beach across the road is lovely and clean but there was so much to do on site we had little time to go out.
My kids had the time of their lives and I enjoyed it so much (after being vary wary of holiday camps after the trauma of pontins) Im looking to book again for next year.
Highly recommended.

3 readers found this review helpful

We stayed in the Silver self catering, all was good, clean, on top floor so was a pain getting the 3 year old and all the cases up a total of 4 lots of stairs but room and kitchen was adequate for what you use it. TV five chanels, not bad reception either and had a dvd player also. Bob the Builder Yard and Fun Fair was great for my son who is 3, unfortunatley things like the bouncy castle and inflatable slide etc was charged at about £3 for 10 mins or a bit more for the full day. Spar supermarket was very pricey but if you go out of the park and turn left then left at the roundabout there is a large Tescos and a McDonalds (burger king on site also a little pricey) You get what you pay for, but for a family holiday it was great, my son was always entertained and the shows on a night were great also, have been to the Skegness one and it was not half as good (althoug the room was better there as we were upgraded to Gold Apartment when we arrived) The pool was great ay Minehead although there are not enough changing rooms and you can end up waiting a while (we chose to go about 12 ish as most people were going for lunch then and it was a little quieter) We are going again later this year as if you keep an eye out they have really good offers on and for what you pay it exceeds most expectations. Dont get me wrong is isnt an adults vacation but the kids really enjoy every minute of it and there is always something for them to do. And the beach is brilliant, extreemly clean and just a walk over the road. However the seaguls can be VERY annoying when they are screaming at all hours.

7 readers found this review helpful

just arrived back home from a week in butlins minehead, as as to say slightly relieved. we stayed in a standard appartment 3 bedroomed, 4 adults 1 child, firstly cudnt get into appartment till 4 o clock ok standard procedure however trying to find your appartment was a joke no help from anyone it took us at least half an hour to find it then we eventually got in to find we had no bath/shower mat our shower was leaking, windows didnt open and bedsheets smelt awful of damp, the blind in the kitchen was full of dust and one table that had been just shoved in the corner with one broken leg after reporting this all was sorted until our toliet started playing up and wouldnt flush so having to use a bucket to flush the water all week!! not impressed. As we was complaining in reception with the member of staff who was so helpful and kind our complaints were solved before we got back to our appartment! impressive however some being foreign and not being able to understand. neighbours were noisy and as security did come up no0thing was sorted he just walked on, we decided to get the train into town what a scandel £2.00 each adult and £1.50 child that includes return well thats laughable when you actually dont get a return and you wait for the train to pick you back up and you wait a hour and it dosent turn up well was refunded!! as he decided to go on lunchbreak and not think to tell us.
Apart from that the secenery was beautiful beach and sea opposite the complex 5 minuite walk, with beach shop on front town was very good with shops like boots, whsmiths, and iceland which we did alot ov our shopping from as the prices to eat on site are far to expensive, the spar and shops are over priced and security sarcastilty tut at you if you report a problem to them! town was lovely and arcades were great. always won a prize infact came back with big bag ov teddys! pavillion was very good with great entertainment only thing was centre stage we watched george sampson he wasent even on 20 minuties wouldnt bother you dont get a seat and drinks too dear!! finnigans chip shop on site waas disgusting!! not good value for money at all 2 small sausages £2.15 :O, however bob builder yard wass good for children and entertainment didnt think much ov the fair as getting warnings for bumping on bumper cars.. go karts were appaling i would save your £5 pounds there are remote control operated.. staff were ok some very plesent but do take alot ov spending money with you as you will need it alot ov on complex shops like spar and burger king ripp off!! dont be falled there is co'op, iceland and a tesco! but if you like expensive holidays go along and see what butlins is all about however i did enjoy some ov the holiday except those seagalls do not eat outside they practically take your arm of for the food as we found out splash waterworld is brilliant have lots ov slides but changing rooms arnt too good also lovely outdoor pool for children is lovely too and pubs onsight are good too, the highwayman is a lovely quiet cheap pub too and those bikes are such a laugh you hire seems expensive but you do get your deposit back such a fun family day out with a smile..

18 readers found this review helpful

Just arrived back from Butlins Minehead today(June 2010) and thought i would give feedback about what Butlins and Minehead is all about! Lets start with the accomadation,i stayed self catering in the silver apartments and they are pretty basic with no frills,tv only 5 channels(no remotes as standard)shower,toaster,kettle,microwave but the only let down is there is no specific housekeeping,if you need anything doing,you have to txt a number for housekeeping to come out to you.The park itself is quite pricey to eat or to drink,a pint will cost you anything from £3.00-£3.60,food is really expensive,burger king,pizza hut and costa coffee are a few pound dearer than they are normally so plenty of spending money is needed and the spa,s are over inflated to say the least.The entertainment in the resort is good but if you are going in the main holidays you might have to que or arrive a bit early,free rides are decent but the resort lets itself down charging for bouncy castles,things like laser quest,paint balling are expensive and free things like archery and fencing will have to be booked early.Minehead itself is a nice town,the beach is only over the road from butlins,there is a few really nice pubs on the front that give a lot better value than butlins,the hairy dog is especially good for families,the food is good and there is an adventure playground out the back which will keep your kids happy for hours,bar mondo(english and thai food) is really good value for money,in the day they offer 2 for £7 on meals which includes steaks,wraps and burgers and at night offer buy one get one free on thai food and at the end of the front about a 15 mins walk there is a weatherspoon pub(the york) with great drink and food offers,boots,superdrug,subway,wh smith to name but a few can be found along the front,overall a good time will be had for the family if you dont mind spending a lot of money and basic accomadation but hey the kids will love it and thats what its about.

13 readers found this review helpful

My skin just crawled living there. It seemed to be constant theme. I went to guest services and complained with not really anything done. Seemed to be lots of other people complaining on the same issue. Bear in mind this is the beginning of the season too.
Arrived on May 31st 2010. Complete Butlins newbie. Went in Tues morning to book archery/soccer/fencing. All booked solid till end of break. If you arrive on Monday, book everything asap. Not enough slots for entertainment when camp is full.
The night entertainment is good if you can find a seat. Queuing to find a seat at five to get a seat from the nine o'clock show? Then back to filthy silver accommodation. Not really a holiday.
I'm writing a letter to trading standards as accommodation was nowhere near as advertised.

21 readers found this review helpful

I have just returned from Minehead in Butlins with my husband and 3 yr old son and we had a great time. I was quite worried after reading a few bad reviews but I have to say, it was a lot better than I thought. I think some people enjoy moaning for the sake of it - OK, it's not a hut in the Carribbean with the sound of dolphins when you wake up eahc morning, but take it for what it is - a family holiday park - and it does the job as well as it possibly can.
Our accomodation was a silver room and it was fine. Not many channels on the TV, but not much need for TV when you're in a holiday park!
The food court was great and convenient. The staff were friendly and the food, although mass produced, was actually pretty good. Lots to choose from and always a place to sit!
There was a lot to do for the little ones, and although the park itself is quite expensive, there are lots of free things to do aswell - 2 parks and a great swimming pool, plus the beach a short walk away. Also free soft play which is great if you have a toddler, and the Bob the Builder yard consists of great rides and an indoor park for the little ones, all free. Plus, a load of free funfair rides.
The evening entertainment is OK, although you have to start queueing early if you want a good seat. But the kids love it and there's plenty of room for them to tire themselves out!!
My only criticism would be the prices of things, as it was expensive. If you or your child has a photo taken, you're looking at £6 for a copy of it. The arcades are addictive and pricey - and if you ask me, almost impossible to win anything. Burger King was our last day treat, as the cheapest adult meal was £6, a child's meal was £3.29. Spar charge extortinate prices for snacks too.
Overall, it was a great holiday with lots to do and a friendly atmosphere. However, I would recommend taking a fair amount of spending money as it seems to disappear rather quickly!!

6 readers found this review helpful

Having just returned from Butlins at Minehead I have to say wild horses would not drag me there again. The silver acccomodation was filthy, we complained and asked to have our room cleaned but even after that it was still dirty with crumbs left on the carpet, dirt on the walls by the kitchen bin and several cobwebs in the kitchen. We were moved the next day to a silver bungalow which was still basic but at least clean. The kettle fuse blew the lights in the bedrooms and bathrooms and it took them 4 hours to sort out so no shower for us in the morning and I spent a long time reporting complaints and then wasting time meeting reps at the chalet to try and sort the problems out. The entertainment was good especially for little ones. The pool was great fun though very crowded, the little pool for infants has a fan vlowing cold air right over one of the little pools, the lockers are the smallest ones I've ever seen and there are not enough changing rooms for the amount of people using the pool. The food was adequate, the cutlery was filthy, but the staff were very friendly, most had adequate English.Get there early or else the food can run out. There are lots of areas where you have to pay extra money ie. bouncy castle £3 10 mins etc, they advertised a look round the Bay Side appts and free face painting for the kids, we wnet twice only to be told there had beena misprint, there was no face painting, we were given a letter for a free face paint in the Pavilion where the girl told us that they do this all the time and they were getting fed up having people turn up with free requets. I have been to Center Parcs several times and although I would say there the accomodation is basic, it's a lot better than Butlins whose accomodatoin I would say is sub-standard, and if you go and get rubbish accomodation, COMPLAIN, don't let them fob you off. Overall, the little kids enjoyed the shows, the older boys enjoyed the football and wrestling; go as a day visitor perhaps but to stay there, you'd be taking a risk. Go see Dunster Castle and Viallage nearby, it's beautiful.

9 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from our fist ever trip to Butlins as we normally go to center parcs, and i have to admit i was dreading it after reading the reviews left by people saying how bad it was etc etc......
We booked a Gold Chalet as the deluxe ones were fully booked on arival the cleaners had just finished cleaning our chalet and the first thing i noticed was that the bin bag from our chalet was full of beer cans and bottles etc etc.... i made my husband go in first as i was dreading what i was about to walk into !
I needn't have worried, the chalet was immaculate, everything from the bedrooms,bedding,bathroom,living and kitchen area etc etc....were spotless, it was modern,light and airey, the chalet was a little on the small side however it does the job you need it to :0)
We paid £300 for a 4 night stay for myself,my husband and 3 children aged 4,2 and 4 months for that all your entertainment was included, Bob The Builder,Thomas,Angelina Ballerina,Dora,Chico, Barney and much more...all of which are perfect for our little ones.
The pool was lovely and i found it an added bonus that they open between 9am and 10am just for pre school children, so you dont have older, rowdy children splashing and bashing into your little ones.
The Bob the builder fairground was again perfect for our 2 older children.
The outdoor areas i found to be clean, no litter on the floor etc etc....
Yes there were a some choice people there, Jogging bottoms,white socks and black platic stiletoes, and shell suit bottom, tattoed torso clad people however they didn't appear to be causing any trouble the majority of people i would say were fine.
We went self catering and bought our own food from tescos just around the corner as the on site shops were stupidly over priced.
We did eat out at Pizza Hut one evening, the prices there were the same as any other Pizza Hut.
The only downside i would say was the fact that you had to pay £3 for a 10min stint on the bouncy castle, however you do have the choice of paying £7 for the day.
The latest we stayed out was until about 8.30pm as the little ones needed to go to bed, i didnt witness any drunks staggering around the place (another one of the things i was dreading !).
All in all we had a lovely holiday, for us it was about the kids and if thats what you are looking for then fab.
We are likely to go back next year as its suited to little ones, i think if you have kids aged 7 or 8 or older then this is probably not going to provide a great deal of entertainment.
Once our children reach that age we will return the Center Parcs where the activities are more suited to that age range.

we recently stayed at butlins minehead. we paid nearly four hundred pounds for four adults three children and an infant to stay in silver bungalow for four nights. we found accomadation to be of standard class, more like a consentration camp than a holiday result with no added extras. very standard and disapointing. resort not grat. all good activities needed paying for. rides at pool hurt!!! could of been much better. nearly health and saftey issues!