Butlins Skegness, Lincolnshire, England
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
Butlins Skegness have teamed up with some of the biggest high street names to make you feel totally at home. Whether it's a quick bite at Burger King or a movie at the cinema. The kids can even meet Bob the Builder or a Marvel character. loading...
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Butlins Skegness Reviews
" Having just returned from a 7 night... "
Submitted By: Mr P Dickson
Having just returned from a 7 night break at Butlins in Skegness (our 1st visit to Butlins as a family), I have to say we, 2 adults and 2 kids (aged 7 and 4), thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to returning again.
I was a bit apprehensive after reading some of the comments on here, but from my experience, I cannot agree with any of the complaints I’ve read about the place. I think some people are just born moaners.
When we arrived, we were initially given the keys to the wrong apartment, one which we found out was already occupied when we opened the door to find suitcases in the bedrooms which had already been unpacked. This was quickly sorted and that little indiscretion aside, no real complaints about the resort, certainly nothing to get worked up about.
We were staying in a Gold Apartment, Neptune Court. From a distance the apartments look really nice, on closer inspection they could do with a lick of paint and the staircases are a bit rusty, but the ‘green’ area around the Apartments were nicely laid out and the apartments themselves were comfortable enough, especially the beds. A widescreen TV and DVD player were handy , especially on our first night when, after a long drive, we just wanted to relax in our apartment after our dinner. You can hire DVD’s at the Gold Reception for 24hrs, for a refundable £20 deposit.
We were booked into the Yacht Club for our dinner and breakfast. 7 dinners and 7 breakfasts later, no complaints of sore stomachs, all food was perfectly acceptable, a reasonable choice for adults and kids and there were also plenty of waiters and waitresses on hand to clear up your dirty plates whilst you went up for your next course. The seating was comfy and there was enough room between tables. There was also a pay bar if you want a beer or wine with your dinner.
The nightly entertainment was also good. The Redcoat entertainers are far better than their counterparts at Haven, at least they seemed to be interested in what they were doing and entertaining the kids. My eldest daughter got picked to go on the stage one night and won a prize, so she was well chuffed with that. The prices of the drinks are about what you’d expect to pay in a city centre pub.
After reading some of the comments about getting seats in the entertainment venues, we decided to queue the first night we went out, but unless your desperate for a front row table, there’s no need to waste your time queuing. If you find yourself there a bit early, walk around the Skyline or have a wander outside, 5 minutes after the queue has dispersed simply walk in and their will be plenty of tables free. Some nights we went into both Reds and Centre Stage an hour after they opened the doors and got good enough tables and could see the stage perfectly well.
The kids loved the pool and there were no complaints there, apart from the consistent blowing of the whistles from the lifeguards! The funfair was also decent enough for being free. We went several times during our stay and the most we had to queue for any ride was 15 minutes. To limit the queuing, better to avoid mid afternoon when it’s at it’s busiest.
We also went to the on-site ABC cinema where they show some of the latest films. £15 for a family of 4 is a decent deal and cheaper than you’d expect to pay in town.
They also have a good 10 pin bowling alley, which as you would expect, you have to pay extra for.
There is easy access to the beach if the weathers nice. There are also a few places to visit nearby and get out and about for the day, like Skegness itself and the market at Fantasy Island. We also went into the City of Lincoln for a day’s shopping.
Overall, we had a great time and would certainly book again. Your holiday at Butlins can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it to be.
I think some people need a reality check before going to Butlins. At no point from what I can gather, do Butlins say everything is free. You’d have to be very naïve, or a bit thick, to believe everything is going to be free! There are enough free activities to compliment what you’d expect to pay extra for.
We enjoyed our Butlins experience and will certainly book again in the future.
I was a bit apprehensive after reading some of the comments on here, but from my experience, I cannot agree with any of the complaints I’ve read about the place. I think some people are just born moaners.
When we arrived, we were initially given the keys to the wrong apartment, one which we found out was already occupied when we opened the door to find suitcases in the bedrooms which had already been unpacked. This was quickly sorted and that little indiscretion aside, no real complaints about the resort, certainly nothing to get worked up about.
We were staying in a Gold Apartment, Neptune Court. From a distance the apartments look really nice, on closer inspection they could do with a lick of paint and the staircases are a bit rusty, but the ‘green’ area around the Apartments were nicely laid out and the apartments themselves were comfortable enough, especially the beds. A widescreen TV and DVD player were handy , especially on our first night when, after a long drive, we just wanted to relax in our apartment after our dinner. You can hire DVD’s at the Gold Reception for 24hrs, for a refundable £20 deposit.
We were booked into the Yacht Club for our dinner and breakfast. 7 dinners and 7 breakfasts later, no complaints of sore stomachs, all food was perfectly acceptable, a reasonable choice for adults and kids and there were also plenty of waiters and waitresses on hand to clear up your dirty plates whilst you went up for your next course. The seating was comfy and there was enough room between tables. There was also a pay bar if you want a beer or wine with your dinner.
The nightly entertainment was also good. The Redcoat entertainers are far better than their counterparts at Haven, at least they seemed to be interested in what they were doing and entertaining the kids. My eldest daughter got picked to go on the stage one night and won a prize, so she was well chuffed with that. The prices of the drinks are about what you’d expect to pay in a city centre pub.
After reading some of the comments about getting seats in the entertainment venues, we decided to queue the first night we went out, but unless your desperate for a front row table, there’s no need to waste your time queuing. If you find yourself there a bit early, walk around the Skyline or have a wander outside, 5 minutes after the queue has dispersed simply walk in and their will be plenty of tables free. Some nights we went into both Reds and Centre Stage an hour after they opened the doors and got good enough tables and could see the stage perfectly well.
The kids loved the pool and there were no complaints there, apart from the consistent blowing of the whistles from the lifeguards! The funfair was also decent enough for being free. We went several times during our stay and the most we had to queue for any ride was 15 minutes. To limit the queuing, better to avoid mid afternoon when it’s at it’s busiest.
We also went to the on-site ABC cinema where they show some of the latest films. £15 for a family of 4 is a decent deal and cheaper than you’d expect to pay in town.
They also have a good 10 pin bowling alley, which as you would expect, you have to pay extra for.
There is easy access to the beach if the weathers nice. There are also a few places to visit nearby and get out and about for the day, like Skegness itself and the market at Fantasy Island. We also went into the City of Lincoln for a day’s shopping.
Overall, we had a great time and would certainly book again. Your holiday at Butlins can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it to be.
I think some people need a reality check before going to Butlins. At no point from what I can gather, do Butlins say everything is free. You’d have to be very naïve, or a bit thick, to believe everything is going to be free! There are enough free activities to compliment what you’d expect to pay extra for.
We enjoyed our Butlins experience and will certainly book again in the future.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Butlins
" ive been going to skegness for 10 yrs... "
Submitted By: Mrs Catherine Robinson
ive been going to skegness for 10 yrs with my kids and we love it
we stay in sliver app half board the meals are allways hot and good choice of food
sliver acc we have never incounterd problems allways been clean tidey
staff allways freindley
we stay in sliver app half board the meals are allways hot and good choice of food
sliver acc we have never incounterd problems allways been clean tidey
staff allways freindley
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP. DIRTY SMELLY... "
Submitted By: Mr O Gosh
WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP. DIRTY SMELLY WASTE OF MONEY OUTDATED AND WHITCH IDIOTS GIVE IT 10 OR 9 MUST LIVE IN S*** HOLES. THE POOL WAS MOLD ON TILES THE FLOOR BOARDS ARE CREEKY THE FOOD WELL IT SAYS IT ON HERE COLD SAME FOOD STAFF DONT SMILE MUCH SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO ELSEWHERE
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" My family and I have just returned... "
Submitted By: Mrs R Collins
My family and I have just returned from a 4 night break at Butlins Skegness and we had a wonderful time - I will try to be as thorough in my review as possible:-
Accommodation choice: Silver self-catering for 2 adults & 2 children
Firstly, booking in: we arrived at the Skegness resort at approx. 2pm, there were notices around informing us that booking-in was at 4pm - this was not a surprise because we were informed of this procedure in our holiday literature. When we returned at 4pm there was an extremely large queue and we stayed in our car until 4.15 - by this time the queue was very short and moving fast and thereby it took me approx 5-10 mins to get the keys to the accommodation
Accommodation: we stayed in no 12 Kingfisher and this particular apartment was extremely satisfactory, it consisted of 3 bedrooms - 2 with single beds & 1 with a double, an open plan kitchen/living room which had patio door leading onto a green, and finally, shower room with toilet (no bath) - the accommodation was clean and tidy, the bed linen fresh & clean, and the kitchen had ample cooking facilities & utensils - we did wash the utensils prior to use but we do this everywhere we stay self-caterting
The resort: was clean, no glass nor litter on the ground, everything was well laid out, there are a good range of shops and eating places. Plenty of staff and security guard presence. There was the ordinary funfair, a smaller bob the builder funfair, a softplay area, mini golf, arcades, outdoor play area, we saw a bouncy castle and slide (not sure if there was charge for those), a cinema, and apparently, there's a beach within walking distance. The Fantasy Island funfair is up the road and Skegness itself, a short car-ride away.
Entertainment: for families - simply excellent, I cannot find fault with the range and standard of entertainment which included puppet shows, character shows (which featured the likes of Bob the Builder, Barney & Co.), the redcoates own show, comedy acts, variety & family disco - we enjoyed it all. The redcoats were fabulous!
The other holiday makers: We are from Ireland and found the other holiday makers (the vast majority English & Scottish) extremely friendly. Because we had our 2 children under 6 with us we would have been back at our apartment after the main family entertainment ended, say 10-ish and the area in which we stayed was very quiet with no rowdy's or late night jinx.
Rating - why a 9 & not 10/10: I try to keep in mind the following - our break was just outside of the busiest time for Butlins when all the English schools stop for Summer & we were lucky in that the sun shone for most of our most time there. We didnt experience the Pavillion or other entertainment area's after 10pm. And lastly, if I am to be really picky, the swimming pool could do with a little more imagination.
Finally - As a family, we have been to each the the Canary Islands, many of the mainland Spanish Resorts, Disneyland Paris and Paris itself and although Disneyland Paris was also, no doubt about it, excellent for children, taking into account the overall picture including sheer value for money, we will definitely be featuring Butlins Skegness in our holiday plans in future.
Accommodation choice: Silver self-catering for 2 adults & 2 children
Firstly, booking in: we arrived at the Skegness resort at approx. 2pm, there were notices around informing us that booking-in was at 4pm - this was not a surprise because we were informed of this procedure in our holiday literature. When we returned at 4pm there was an extremely large queue and we stayed in our car until 4.15 - by this time the queue was very short and moving fast and thereby it took me approx 5-10 mins to get the keys to the accommodation
Accommodation: we stayed in no 12 Kingfisher and this particular apartment was extremely satisfactory, it consisted of 3 bedrooms - 2 with single beds & 1 with a double, an open plan kitchen/living room which had patio door leading onto a green, and finally, shower room with toilet (no bath) - the accommodation was clean and tidy, the bed linen fresh & clean, and the kitchen had ample cooking facilities & utensils - we did wash the utensils prior to use but we do this everywhere we stay self-caterting
The resort: was clean, no glass nor litter on the ground, everything was well laid out, there are a good range of shops and eating places. Plenty of staff and security guard presence. There was the ordinary funfair, a smaller bob the builder funfair, a softplay area, mini golf, arcades, outdoor play area, we saw a bouncy castle and slide (not sure if there was charge for those), a cinema, and apparently, there's a beach within walking distance. The Fantasy Island funfair is up the road and Skegness itself, a short car-ride away.
Entertainment: for families - simply excellent, I cannot find fault with the range and standard of entertainment which included puppet shows, character shows (which featured the likes of Bob the Builder, Barney & Co.), the redcoates own show, comedy acts, variety & family disco - we enjoyed it all. The redcoats were fabulous!
The other holiday makers: We are from Ireland and found the other holiday makers (the vast majority English & Scottish) extremely friendly. Because we had our 2 children under 6 with us we would have been back at our apartment after the main family entertainment ended, say 10-ish and the area in which we stayed was very quiet with no rowdy's or late night jinx.
Rating - why a 9 & not 10/10: I try to keep in mind the following - our break was just outside of the busiest time for Butlins when all the English schools stop for Summer & we were lucky in that the sun shone for most of our most time there. We didnt experience the Pavillion or other entertainment area's after 10pm. And lastly, if I am to be really picky, the swimming pool could do with a little more imagination.
Finally - As a family, we have been to each the the Canary Islands, many of the mainland Spanish Resorts, Disneyland Paris and Paris itself and although Disneyland Paris was also, no doubt about it, excellent for children, taking into account the overall picture including sheer value for money, we will definitely be featuring Butlins Skegness in our holiday plans in future.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" I never normally comment on sites... "
Submitted By: Mrs N Reed
I never normally comment on sites like this but having read some really bad reviews before we went, I felt I had to share my experiences.
We went to Butlins Skegness on 27th June this year and I went with low expectations to be honest as I had read some of the bad reviews on here. As we had spent £600 on a 3 night break I was very worried.
We stayed in a Gold apartment and went dinner, bed and breakfast.
When we arrived we had no queue to check in and the Gold reception was very good. There was someone there to give us a map and explain where our accomodation was. When we got to our room we found it has stairs in side which was unsuitable for us as we have 2 year old twins. We went back to reception and they changed us to another room with no problems at all. I would suggest to anyone with small children that you pay the £10 extra when you book to guarantee a ground floor apartment (we def will next time we go).
I was very surprised at how nice the restaurant was - leather chairs, nice decor. The food was reasonable - good choice. Roast every night. Breakfast was nice too.
My kids loved Bobs Yard which had free rides for them to go on - they would have stayed there all day every day if we had let them!!!
I was impressed with the swimming pool. Large and not filthy as I had read in other reviews. Larger family changing rooms which was good but not loads so did see small queues although we got straight in.
We didnt got on any of the flumes so cannot comment on those although they didnt seem open when we were there.
The evening entertainment was very good. When we went to Reds we only had to queue for about 15mins to wait for doors to open and got a good seat. It did get very busy a bit later in evening so glad we got there early.
When we went to Centre Stage we went in about abput an hour after it opened and still got a great table. We saw the V for Variety show and thought it was great.
Overall I thought it was fab! The only queues we had was waiting for the rides to stop or doors to open. Our room was clean as was everywhere else we went.
I am glad we didnt go in school holidays as I think this would be very busy.
I am already looking at booking again!
I would recommend this holiday to anyone with young kids as they will love it.
I think it is def worth going gold as I saw the queue in the Skyline Pavillion for standard check in and the gold recpetion and restaurant is worth the extra in itself!
We went to Butlins Skegness on 27th June this year and I went with low expectations to be honest as I had read some of the bad reviews on here. As we had spent £600 on a 3 night break I was very worried.
We stayed in a Gold apartment and went dinner, bed and breakfast.
When we arrived we had no queue to check in and the Gold reception was very good. There was someone there to give us a map and explain where our accomodation was. When we got to our room we found it has stairs in side which was unsuitable for us as we have 2 year old twins. We went back to reception and they changed us to another room with no problems at all. I would suggest to anyone with small children that you pay the £10 extra when you book to guarantee a ground floor apartment (we def will next time we go).
I was very surprised at how nice the restaurant was - leather chairs, nice decor. The food was reasonable - good choice. Roast every night. Breakfast was nice too.
My kids loved Bobs Yard which had free rides for them to go on - they would have stayed there all day every day if we had let them!!!
I was impressed with the swimming pool. Large and not filthy as I had read in other reviews. Larger family changing rooms which was good but not loads so did see small queues although we got straight in.
We didnt got on any of the flumes so cannot comment on those although they didnt seem open when we were there.
The evening entertainment was very good. When we went to Reds we only had to queue for about 15mins to wait for doors to open and got a good seat. It did get very busy a bit later in evening so glad we got there early.
When we went to Centre Stage we went in about abput an hour after it opened and still got a great table. We saw the V for Variety show and thought it was great.
Overall I thought it was fab! The only queues we had was waiting for the rides to stop or doors to open. Our room was clean as was everywhere else we went.
I am glad we didnt go in school holidays as I think this would be very busy.
I am already looking at booking again!
I would recommend this holiday to anyone with young kids as they will love it.
I think it is def worth going gold as I saw the queue in the Skyline Pavillion for standard check in and the gold recpetion and restaurant is worth the extra in itself!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" After reading some of the other... "
Submitted By: Miss L Young
After reading some of the other comments where people have decided to rate 0/1 out of ten, i have to laugh.
What do people expect from Butlins? You get what you pay for, and with this in mind, i am extremelly satisfied. I have been to Butlins 3 times this year with my partner, we are a young couple with NO children, yet still manage to thoroughly enjoy Butlins every time we go! We usually pay around £70 each for a weekend with breakfast and dinner included. We absolutely love every minute of it! The evening entertainment after all the kiddie stuff is excellent, but i would recommend travelling to Butlins at an off-peak time, as i assume these places get packed in the summer holidays, but i realise this is easier said than done for most families.
If you're a young couple like myself and my partner and are able to go to Butlins before the summer holls, i would definitely reccommend it. You can get late deals on their website and some are pretty cheap. Plus, there are less kids around, not that i don't like them, but i know too many of them can be a bit much.
I stayed in a standard room and was surprised at how clean and spacious it was. The last time i went, we got an extra bedroom at no extra cost, so even more space! The staff at Butlins are all friendly and all they want to do is offer a good service and to make you happy.
The only downside i can think of is the price of drinks. I would recommend drinking before you go out at night if you don't want to go bankrupt!
Overall, this holiday for me gets a 10 out of 10
What do people expect from Butlins? You get what you pay for, and with this in mind, i am extremelly satisfied. I have been to Butlins 3 times this year with my partner, we are a young couple with NO children, yet still manage to thoroughly enjoy Butlins every time we go! We usually pay around £70 each for a weekend with breakfast and dinner included. We absolutely love every minute of it! The evening entertainment after all the kiddie stuff is excellent, but i would recommend travelling to Butlins at an off-peak time, as i assume these places get packed in the summer holidays, but i realise this is easier said than done for most families.
If you're a young couple like myself and my partner and are able to go to Butlins before the summer holls, i would definitely reccommend it. You can get late deals on their website and some are pretty cheap. Plus, there are less kids around, not that i don't like them, but i know too many of them can be a bit much.
I stayed in a standard room and was surprised at how clean and spacious it was. The last time i went, we got an extra bedroom at no extra cost, so even more space! The staff at Butlins are all friendly and all they want to do is offer a good service and to make you happy.
The only downside i can think of is the price of drinks. I would recommend drinking before you go out at night if you don't want to go bankrupt!
Overall, this holiday for me gets a 10 out of 10
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- Date of Holiday:Apr 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Butlins
" Having read some reviews on here i... "
Submitted By: howardevansgb
Having read some reviews on here i must say we had a nice stay at Butlin's.It is 35 years since i stayed at a Butlin's as a child and thought that we would have a late deal break and check it out .Anyone that think's Butlin's is poor ,can i suggest you try Pontin's which seem to provide true 1960's holidays (we stayed at Hemsby last year...NEVER again.)Overall we felt everything was well catered for,not having Kid's with us was a bonus.The Silver accomodation was basic(like a Travelodge) but fine with Duvet's and clean sheets.Food was basic but plentiful,they even had the anti bacterial hand wash at the catering points that hospital's use.Tea,Coffee and squash included with meal's as well.Entertainment was fine ,Variety show and Adult comic was good.Some of the venue's are now furnished to a high standard .The splash pool was very large and good fun on a wet day ,we even visted the fun fair.It is very easy to get caught in the trapping's of spending a fortune ,but there is plenty to do without wallet dipping.The Spa is a first class facilityWe normally stay in 4*hotels and penny for penny for a short break it was excellent value for money.The behaviour of some of my fellow Brit's does need questioning thou!!!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Direct
" Terrible!!!! Where do I start?... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Sheen
Terrible!!!! Where do I start? Check in needs more organising! We lined up for ages, the kids bored -on the hottest day so far only to get a chalet that was so old and creaky it needs pulling down! The sheets were clean as was the bathroom but the rest was dirty, old and depressing. We booked silver expecting to be fairly near the entertainment, I had an OAP in our party who struggled to make the walk backwards and forwards along the mile or so road. The entertainment was not really right for my kids ages(14 & 8) so spent most of the time in the arcades spending money!! Be prepared to get your wallet out frequently. I spent over £700 and was only there for a week. The seating in 'Reds' and 'centre stage' were hard to get unless your're willing to queue for ages and I felt they are only there to take yet more money from us unspecting Adults. We ate out last night at the Coral resturant WARNING do not eat there unless you want a bug. I have been sick all last night and today as has one of my sons. Overall I would not recommend a holiday at Butlins which is a shame as they sell the concept as a one price, good British holiday. No chance.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" WHAT A DUMP!! i paid to live in rough... "
Submitted By: Mr P Kay
WHAT A DUMP!! i paid to live in rough conditions the food was crap cold the pool mold dew on the tiles the chalet was dirty creaky floorboards bed stunk the fridge dirty parking what a joke miles away felt sorry for the old ones who found it not easy to walk to the pub staff where a bit rude dirty glasses the main pub what a joke kids everywhere till past 11.00 at night no where to sit the fair well it was crap well outdated the butlins motto was you dont pay for anything what a joke !!!! well i would rate this as a big fat 0 DONT WASTE YOUR TIME MONEY OR EFFORT GOING HOW ANYONE RATED IT AS A 10 MUST BE BARMEY!!the cattle shed was the dining room where everyone eat like pigs put me off the food was bland cold undercooked started to feel ill after 12 hours later yuk!! i have had better hols in a tent and had more fun!! the red coats where never even seen one. booking in well not going there who reads this think before u go to skegness butlins!!! boring! crap!smelly outdated!and not free pay for the golf gocarts etc. ho! the camp doors are a bit dodgy !!! glad to be home
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" This was our first visit to bultlins... "
Submitted By: S W
This was our first visit to bultlins at skegness as a family with two children aged 3 and 5.
We stayed in the Gold apartments self catering and found the check in very smooth, The apartment was clean and roomy.
The children loved the holiday but my wallet didn't as eating and drinking out on site soon adds up. We ate in the Yacht Club once and although expensive the food and service was very good.
We also ate at the sun and moon which wasn't all that as the food tasted microwaved and the tables are never cleared very quickly also my wife had a lipstck stained glass of vodka which the barmaid solved by tipping the contents into a new glass, very classy.
The pizza place was nice with good table service and tasty food.
The pool although fun was not that clean and looks in need of some repair. You also need to queue early especially if the weather is not that good as it soon fills up and they start a one out one in policy.Also the changing system when you have a family can be difficult as you have to fight to get a cubicle as you are competing with other people leaving and those coming in to get a booth.
The general site is tidy especially around the gold apartments however the site toilets did not appear (or smell) that clean especially the skyline toilets.
The evening entertainment at Reds was ok the Kids loved it but if you want a table you need to get in the queue early the same in the skyline area as once a show is about to start the area soon fills up.
The fair ground looks very dated and much more fun can be had just down the road at fantasy island.
The red coats were very enthusiastic and were always ready to offer a smile and a hello.
My children's highlight was anytime the skyline gang were on and if they were to write this review it would be 10/10.
We stayed in the Gold apartments self catering and found the check in very smooth, The apartment was clean and roomy.
The children loved the holiday but my wallet didn't as eating and drinking out on site soon adds up. We ate in the Yacht Club once and although expensive the food and service was very good.
We also ate at the sun and moon which wasn't all that as the food tasted microwaved and the tables are never cleared very quickly also my wife had a lipstck stained glass of vodka which the barmaid solved by tipping the contents into a new glass, very classy.
The pizza place was nice with good table service and tasty food.
The pool although fun was not that clean and looks in need of some repair. You also need to queue early especially if the weather is not that good as it soon fills up and they start a one out one in policy.Also the changing system when you have a family can be difficult as you have to fight to get a cubicle as you are competing with other people leaving and those coming in to get a booth.
The general site is tidy especially around the gold apartments however the site toilets did not appear (or smell) that clean especially the skyline toilets.
The evening entertainment at Reds was ok the Kids loved it but if you want a table you need to get in the queue early the same in the skyline area as once a show is about to start the area soon fills up.
The fair ground looks very dated and much more fun can be had just down the road at fantasy island.
The red coats were very enthusiastic and were always ready to offer a smile and a hello.
My children's highlight was anytime the skyline gang were on and if they were to write this review it would be 10/10.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Butlins Skegness: the most depressing... "
Submitted By: Miss H Freezer
Butlins Skegness: the most depressing place in the world!
From the moment you step foot in the torture tent of the ‘skyline’, you feel the will to live slowly leaving your body. A glorified seaside arcade full of demented unsupervised children is highlighted as Butlin’s main attraction. Five minutes to escape the hurricane strength winds of Skegness sea front is too much to bear.
The so called ‘ fun fair’ consists of 5 rides which safety features include someone coming round banging in bars and bolts with a hammer! I don’t know how they even managed to ruin a beach but they did; the bars and barbed wire on the sea front fence resemble that of a prisoner of war camp.
The site itself looks like an industrial site. Industrial warehouses were obviously the main inspiration for the architectural horror which resembles lego. Every where you go, you see decrepit buildings, furnishings and facilities. The toilets were pure filth and I have seen higher standards in lorry driver’s roadside cafes.
The pool was a den of dirt! The changing rooms were disgusting, the lockers were all broken and there was a distinct lack of any evidence of any cleaning. As soon as you enter the pool the smell of old people’s homes and those with an aversion to washing, hits you. Pools of rust stained water litter the stair wells where one is expected to queue for an hour for a slide.
The infamous ‘red coats’ were no where to be seen and therefore had no chance to cheer up the miserable faces which permeate the site. The atmosphere in all bars and entertainment venues was one of those resigned to a life sentence of pain and boredom.
Absolutely horrible in every possible way.
I hope I never set foot in that hell hole again.
From the moment you step foot in the torture tent of the ‘skyline’, you feel the will to live slowly leaving your body. A glorified seaside arcade full of demented unsupervised children is highlighted as Butlin’s main attraction. Five minutes to escape the hurricane strength winds of Skegness sea front is too much to bear.
The so called ‘ fun fair’ consists of 5 rides which safety features include someone coming round banging in bars and bolts with a hammer! I don’t know how they even managed to ruin a beach but they did; the bars and barbed wire on the sea front fence resemble that of a prisoner of war camp.
The site itself looks like an industrial site. Industrial warehouses were obviously the main inspiration for the architectural horror which resembles lego. Every where you go, you see decrepit buildings, furnishings and facilities. The toilets were pure filth and I have seen higher standards in lorry driver’s roadside cafes.
The pool was a den of dirt! The changing rooms were disgusting, the lockers were all broken and there was a distinct lack of any evidence of any cleaning. As soon as you enter the pool the smell of old people’s homes and those with an aversion to washing, hits you. Pools of rust stained water litter the stair wells where one is expected to queue for an hour for a slide.
The infamous ‘red coats’ were no where to be seen and therefore had no chance to cheer up the miserable faces which permeate the site. The atmosphere in all bars and entertainment venues was one of those resigned to a life sentence of pain and boredom.
Absolutely horrible in every possible way.
I hope I never set foot in that hell hole again.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Butlins
" would like to rate a 0 but not able... "
Submitted By: Mrs C Snith
would like to rate a 0 but not able to, very disappointed with holiday, went as a child in the 70s when butlins was butlins, to call it butlins now is shame on billy butlins name, the accomodation is attrocious, floor boards squeeky in every room, dirty carpets, and fridge bottom was rusty, totally appalling living conditions, food was cold and very bland and very unappealing, felt ill after a day after eating the food, and things didnt get better, totally let down with entertainment as the childrens cabaret lasted until very late, and the adult entertainment only really got started near eleven so missed most of it, not recommended for any old butlins returnees like miself id give it a miss,
pity they changed so much the old was better than the new, why not call it bourne leisure if thats who own it, the whole butlins name thing is deceiving as you dont get free everything, u have to pay for crazy golf, go karts, etc so the old butlins motto u dont pay for anything isnt really true,
avoid if necessary 0/10
pity they changed so much the old was better than the new, why not call it bourne leisure if thats who own it, the whole butlins name thing is deceiving as you dont get free everything, u have to pay for crazy golf, go karts, etc so the old butlins motto u dont pay for anything isnt really true,
avoid if necessary 0/10
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Butlins never again i wish i had read... "
Submitted By: Mr G Ball
Butlins never again i wish i had read the bad comments on here first dirty rooms the food was very bad cold food being served daily got a very bad bug me the wife my son all came very ill watch out for cold food being served it should be hot not luke warm the under cooked eggs watch for pool looked great but never got to swim the the bar staff rude parking is 1/10. miles way from where u sleep cut the holiday short!! so did nothing but sit on the toilet most of the day not great fun to me or the family!! SO WATCH OUT!! TO ANGRY TO SAY ANYMORE !
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" i have recently experienced a 90's... "
Submitted By: Mrs J Carter
i have recently experienced a 90's weekend at butlins skegness, i went with a party of friends for a 30th birthday celebration. the accomodation was gold which is the best on site and we found this to be perfectly comfortable and situated well for all the spots on site we wished to visit over the weekend. the rooms were clean and up to date and also catered for everybodys needs.
the staff on the whole were very helpful in a way that they were always around in case anybody needed assistance but not smothering you with offers of help, which we found suited the party mood.
the facilities and entertainment were spot on for a mad weekend away with your friends but you could also see how this resort would apeal to families away from the themed weekends as they have super activities for children of all ages, first and foremost being the water park.
retail prices at this resort were found to be reasonable and the selection of shops on site are varied and well managed. they actually have a super toy shop which sells toys priced from pocket money value to named brands which i thought were of a reasonable price.
on the whole we had a fantastic weekend with a super atmosphere on site the whole time, sadly there was a down side to the butlins experience which was heightened by the very slack and ignorant way in which it was handled. STOLEN from our locked gold accomodation was a digital camera, ipod, docking station, hair straighteners and even a bottle of vodka!!
upon discovering the theft of our stuff we went straight to customer services for assistance with what we thought was a serious crime, as the door was locked and someone obviously had a way of getting in!, only to be told that there was nothing they could do. the customer service rep then suggested that we might like to go and see the security dept as it was more their line of work!, there was no sense of shock, urgency and no offer of calling the police, she didn't even want my details untill i insisted that she at least take them to mark the incident.
the outcome of all this is that we had to leave skegness feeling that we had been cheated and very frustrated at the way we were treated when it mattered most, sad when you consider the fact that it was nearly perfect.
to sum up, butlins have some serious security and aftercare issues which they need to concentrate on as they rake our money in!!!
the staff on the whole were very helpful in a way that they were always around in case anybody needed assistance but not smothering you with offers of help, which we found suited the party mood.
the facilities and entertainment were spot on for a mad weekend away with your friends but you could also see how this resort would apeal to families away from the themed weekends as they have super activities for children of all ages, first and foremost being the water park.
retail prices at this resort were found to be reasonable and the selection of shops on site are varied and well managed. they actually have a super toy shop which sells toys priced from pocket money value to named brands which i thought were of a reasonable price.
on the whole we had a fantastic weekend with a super atmosphere on site the whole time, sadly there was a down side to the butlins experience which was heightened by the very slack and ignorant way in which it was handled. STOLEN from our locked gold accomodation was a digital camera, ipod, docking station, hair straighteners and even a bottle of vodka!!
upon discovering the theft of our stuff we went straight to customer services for assistance with what we thought was a serious crime, as the door was locked and someone obviously had a way of getting in!, only to be told that there was nothing they could do. the customer service rep then suggested that we might like to go and see the security dept as it was more their line of work!, there was no sense of shock, urgency and no offer of calling the police, she didn't even want my details untill i insisted that she at least take them to mark the incident.
the outcome of all this is that we had to leave skegness feeling that we had been cheated and very frustrated at the way we were treated when it mattered most, sad when you consider the fact that it was nearly perfect.
to sum up, butlins have some serious security and aftercare issues which they need to concentrate on as they rake our money in!!!
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
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We have recently returned from a 7-night stay in a Gold self-catering apartment at Butlins skegness. We went as two adult couples plus my 2year-old son. I have been to Butlins many years ago when I was a child, and wanted to let my son experience some of the holiday joys I did as a child! We usually holiday abroad, and took my son on his first holiday last year to Mallorca. However, as my Girlfriend is pregnant we decided to holiday in the UK - although truth be told I thought it would be a big let-down following a lovely holiday last year - but boy was I wrong!!
Butlins is easy to find, well signposted and ou can see the Skyline Pavillion from miles away. Greeted with clear directions on where to go at the main gate, we were made to feel very welcome from the start. As we were in a Gold apartment, there is a seperate check-in area, which is very clean, modern and well-staffed.
The apartment itself consisted of a double room, two twin rooms, an plan plan kitchen/dining/living room with all cooking utensils, microwave, kettle, toaster etc plus a widescreen TV and DVD player - although eedless to say we didn't use this much!. There was also a bathroom with shower sink and toilet. All a very good size, well-lit, clean and modern.
We were worried about the distance between the accomodation and entertainment as it seemed a long way as you drive the suitcases round, but it is only a short walk as you dont have to go the long-way round! This distance also ensured we were away from much of any late-night noise for my sons sake - although we never once heard anything!
Overall, the whole holiday park was modern, very clean with very helpfull staff. No complaints what so ever. A good choice of entertainment day and night. If you go, you mus check out Reds in the evenings - great selection of entertainment including TV talent show celebs, such as Futureproof and Niki from X-Factor.
Daytime enterainment is just as good, with the Redcoats putting on child entertainment shows, in addition to shows from Kids TV characters - Bob the Builder, Barney, Fireman Sam, Pingu etc. The only disappointing thing is the characters dont walk aroung the site in the day and greet the kids - this would be a lovely touch.
My son really took to the playground - next to the sun and Moon pub, a trendy family pub which serves food and drink all day so I was happy!
The reasons why Butlins doesn't score a ten out of ten is as follows - 1) very expensive - but if you make the most of the free entertainment and rides etc, it becomes cheaper. 2) the private beach at the back of the resort is a real let-down. Very dirty, covered by millions of t spiders so you cant sunbathe without them crawling all over you and the shoreline view is ruined by a large wind-farm.
That aside, we were very impressed with all Butlins had to offer. In addition, the Skegness town was quite enjoyable. Buses come every ten minutes between the town and Butlins, costing just £1.50 for an adult. Two things to check out in the town, especially if you have young children have to be the Seal santuary and the large play area next to the Funfair on the coast - both very cheap but most enjoyable.
I found booking well in advance we got a great offer for the holiday - and you can pay it off bit-by-bit over the internet with a debit or credit card. This is ideal if you are going in a group as we did - then everyone can log in and pay their bit and you can easily track it.
The only problem is you never have enough time to experience it all, so we have booked to go again in 2 months time, although we have chosen to go in a Silver apartment this time due to a big price difference.
We found Butlins to be a great venue for all the Family and believe we will be going back next year too!