Cala Gran Holiday Park

4 readers found this review helpful

We all love Cala Gran Holiday park because of it's friendly family feel and it's flat which is great for my parents.
I live in Bracknell, Berkshire so you can imagine it's quite a drive but the family love the entertainment and facilities that Cala gran Holiday Park offers and close-by Blackpool.
We found it's far better to book privately and not to book directly with Haven.
You'll read why below. There is a happy ending and we now get our holidays through Sarah at Calagrancaravan.com

For the past 3 years we booked with Haven and everything was ok until our most recent visit to the holiday park. Haven provided with the most disgusting accommodation ever.
I don't think anyone not even a tramp would have wanted to stay there.
We found bottles under the bed and the van was filthy, smelt terrible and obviously had not been cleaned even the beds still had used sheets on them. The carpets were very badly stained.
When I complained to reception they said that they would send cleaners round and apologised. We waited in the complex until 7pm that evening and when we returned to the caravan it had still not been cleaned.
Whilst returning to the caravan my wife spotted an advertisment in a luxury caravan offering accommodation for hire so I called the freephone number as there was no way we were staying in the holiday home Haven offered.
I explained what had happened and the owners of the private caravan were very helpful and there in around ten minutes. They showed us around a beautiful well equipped holiday home with everything you could possibly want in there.
Clean, spacious and modern including a Digital LCD TV, DVD, Heated van the works. even a mini washing machine.
We got an amazing deal far cheaper than haven's and the caravan was 50 times better even had private patio, garden furniture and a BBQ. We moved our belongings over and had the best holiday ever. We went to reception the following day and did get a full refund from the haven. With all had a little extra spending money with the cash we'd saved.
We've just booked our 2009 summer holiday with Calagrancaravan.com again and have saved £100 on Havens discounted web price. I can't believe it! and my names not Victor Meldrew....
I told you it had a happy ending.
So you know what to do! book privately instead.
It's a great idea to have a walk round when your visiting the park, copy some contact numbers of the caravans and give em a call you'll be amazed what you can save.
Don't forget to asj the owners if linen and funpasses are included in the price as many private owners fon't include these.
Here is the contact number for Sarah. She's really nice and always makes you feel welcome.
Calagrancaravan.com (0800 970 4898)
or just search google for Cala Gran 2009 or Cala gran caravan fleetwood.
They are very easy to find.
Happy Holidays for 2009
Steve

2 readers found this review helpful

Disappointing Holiday
Just returned from Cala Gran Holiday today, after a 4 night break, from Monday to Friday. On arrival the park looked clean and well presented however this only seemed to occur around the complex whereas the park was very tight and caravans were on top of each other.
Check-in was awful. We were supposed to check in at 2.30pm as we booked a prestige caravan yet the reception staff didn’t turn up till 2.33pm! They were not even sorted. There were only 3 staff and all off them had to keep on taking a long trip back to reception to get the information packs because they were not in the baskets in which they had brought with them!
However when we were finally checked in we went to our caravan which was ideally placed not far from the complex, however it the caravans were so tight it seemed as though you had no breathing space. Caravan good however the heaters were awful! Wasn’t pleased as it was extremely cold with some degree of snow!
Supermarket was badly stocked! It had hardly anything in it. I can understand that it was coming to the end of the season but at least bread or milk shouldn’t be too hard to get hold of! Luckily we found a Morrison’s just located on the next roundabout from the park however there is an Asda in Fleetwood.
Swimming Pool. If you can call it that! It was very small, extremely cold and the slide wasn’t even open!
Entertainment was very very very poor. I thought being close to Blackpool there would be at least a variety but every night there was a signer. Very boring. Kid’s entertainment went onto 10pm! What on earth have they been doing since 6pm with the Kids then? In other parks the cabaret started at 9pm.
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Both the sports bar and the showbar had not larger! No lemonade! All was available was a coke and Carlsberg and carling I think? HOW TERRIBLE! This is a holiday camp full of adults and children! What do children drink..lemonade! What do adults drink.. lager. Disgusted. All the people in the queue were also disgusted and vowed not to return here again.
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Lastly, the young lads who worked in the arcade were awful at their jobs. All they did is actually play the games without paying of course and chatted up groups of girls every night. Security on the park was not very good walked through the door countless times without showing my pass to anyone! The breakfast and fish and chips in the Oasis was at best Luke warm
I give my 3 beacause..
1) The Bingo was very well organised and at a good time of 9pm instead of 6pm where you had to rush to get to the complex
2) Fairly priced food and drink which is good as other camps are expensive even though it wasn’t the best
3) The bar staff cleaned tables and collected empty glasses which is the first ive seen in a Haven camp.
I was very disappointed with this camp however I would recommend as a base for Blackpool and surrounding areas however try get into Marton Mere as its better, bigger, nicer and closer to Blackpool.

sad park, staff tried but with such poor facilities what could they do. Went with 4 other families we all had problems ranging from raw sewage to filthy caravans . Would I recommend not even to someone I don`t like ,you have been warned.

Be warned if you purchase drinks in the bar do not let them leave you sight as we had all our drinks collected in by the glass collecter and even though we reported it to the bar manager he clearly could not care less. He told us company policy was to not remove customers drinks without permission but he would not accept that infact we had seen the glass collecter removing drinks and this is why we were complaining. He was abrupt and even told us that other customers had stolen our drinks and became very defensive as we told him we had seen the drinks being removed and approached the glass collector who then denied taking them. We did not get our drinks back and were treated quite badly by the manager. He told us that the customers are the ones who had stolen our drinks and that was that! Very bad customer service and to be honest at 12pm you would not expect to be told the nite was over on a holiday site. Many other customers complained about the same issues we had raised and told us they had drinks taken by staff and could do nothing about it. The pool was very cold and the kids could not stay in it for very long as they could not stop shivering. One of our boys swim trunks had reacted with the water in the pool and disintergrated and as they were new we complained to the staff and again we were told it was a fault with the swin trunks and had nothing to do with the pool. I explained that they were perfectly fine before they were used in the pool and again was told that there was nothing they could do and that was that. All four boys after going into the pool had very itch eyes and the youngest son was infact ill that nite. When the boys went into the shop to purchase goggles etc the shop assistant told one of the boys as he was waiting for the others to pay to get out of the shop as he had paid. GREAT FRIENDLY STAFF! He stood outside in the rain. The goggles fell apart in the pool and for £4 you would expect them to at least last one swim. The site was just a rip off everything the boys wanted to do was an extra cost even having to pay to go on the trampolines when there was not really anything on the site that did not cost and arm and a leg. The only thing that kept the boys entertained on the site was the arcade and that was about it because after the bad experience with the pool and the lack of concern from the staff the pool was a no go. The caravan was an upgrade so this was a newer model and was great although we did have to empty the last persons rubbish away as the bin had not been cleared. We had booked in for three nights but there is only so much money you can spend in an arcade and we decide to pay to use another pool and spent most of our time off the camp so that the boys had something to do. The general staff attitude is no matter what they are always right and afer two days of poor customer service we left a day early. BIG THUMBS DOWN!

We had a great time at Cala Gran. All my family enjoyed themselves and there was always plenty to do.
The staff were always friendly and helpful and the entertainment was great. There was something on every night.
We arrived on the annual charity day and there were so many activities for the kids, it was an enjoyable day out.
Our caravan was clean and we had plenty of room. The park facilities we wonderful for the kids and they were never bored.
We will definitely be going back!

2 readers found this review helpful

of all the reviews i have read i think the one from mr ad enough takes the packet, who would want to listen to some stuck up racist idiot trying to look like he has a clue.
Cala gran is one of the parks that actually cares that their holiday makers enjoy their experience. we had a great time on our week away, staff were great even the shows were well put together. If you go on holiday to enjoy yourself then this is the place to go. sorry if tracksuits dont fit your approval but does that not show a happy relaxed family lets all get a tux or a ball gown on to go and watch a show. Go to cala gran relax and enjoy your break like most people do.

1 reader found this review helpful

Dont be put off by some of the reviews on this site. We stayed at Cala Gran and had a fabulous time. We thought Food and Drink prices were reasonable, the facilities were excellent, and the staff were very friendly, The funstars were the best we have ever seen at a Haven site, they work extremely hard and ensure that all children have a fabulous holiday, they certainly don't single any particular children out. We will be going back, thats for sure. Thanks to all the staff for ensuring our stay was most enjoyable.

The site woa okay unfortunately when we located the caravan i noticed an open bag of soilet nappies and food scattered all over the ground with dirty laundry accompying it. So instead of chilling with a nice cup of tea i had to march down to reception to complain. They told me that beds were mad up however no duvet covers. A cupboard door nearly bashed on the head as it woz not attached correctly they had no intention of fixing it either. Entertainment were shall we begin, the club was rammed like sardines too many holidaymakers not enough tables. Expensive drinks and rank entertainment. The girl they had mid week was tone deaf, she sure knows how to crusify a song. They took a particular shine to people from Scotland and Ireland, as for the kids from the midlands didnot get a look in all. The pool you have to wait in half hour queues. The hiddne extras and the arcade games didnt hardly payout wot a ripoff. The fish and chip shop was overpriced. Would i come back i think not

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just got back from CG. we absolutely loved it. we had been in April and enjoyed it so decided to go back and it was even better this time. We arrived on the park at about 12 noon but could not check in til 4 but we already knew this so not a problem we could still use the facilities.
we have 2 girls age 5 and 9 and they enjoyed every minute of the kids clubs and loved everyone of the funstars especially Kelvin and Michael. All the entertainment staff bar staff and everyone else made us feel very welcome.
we didn't want to leave so much so the girls were crying their eyes out. the caravan was clean and the park is the cleanest i have been to. We did have a shortage of pans but the reception sorted this out instantly when we informed them.
we are already trying to book to go back in october and the girls are counting the weeks.
Cala Gran is truly a wonderful park and worth the money everytime.

1 reader found this review helpful

Haven, Haven, Haven...Where do we begin??
Having read many of these review type sites before we went to Cala Gran, in retrospect we should have listened. Cala Gran, Fleetwood, really is a pitiful excuse for a holiday park.
Reasons we think this is :
1) Food is over priced, over processed, inedible rubbish.
2) The 'pool' is run by 18 year old lads who control with iron fist...I was told to not hold onto the side of the jacuzzi...yes really! The pool is also very small and inaquate for amount of potential guests using it. The slide is never open and the pool is nothing like the brochure picture.
3) The ShowBar...Oh dear oh dear. Better turns at our local Working Mens Club...literally the dregs...yes enthusiastic but not enetertaining at all. Also the children's shows weave in any opportunity to get the children to beg for sweets / toys / flashing things for the 'magical' parade. The only magical thing about this is the way the entertainment manager keeps all the gullible guests into lining up for a £5.99 souvenir photograph.This is after the emotional blackmail that the children NEED a flashing wand to be in the parade, naturaly, they were ranging from £2.00 to £10.00 each. Imagine the cost if you have several children! The childrens games were not inclusive, 2 or 3 children picked per night, all other poor buggars expected to watch..My daughter is almost 3 and she didnt like it either..DO NOT BE TAKEN IN!!!!
4) The childrens play ares....just a bit of scrap land behind complex with trampolines, a flat bouncy castle ( which cost of course) and a hard football court. No grass or soft floor..Not safe. Indoor soft play area is literally a slide and a mat..
5) Location. Weged between derelict factories and an industrial estate. All I can say is do not come without a car unless you can help it, you will not want to stay on site.
6) The endless ripping -off. Arcades that eat momey 12 hrs a day and offer no returns for prizes except 'tickets' - redeemable at the on-site prize shop. 1000 tickets was starting point for something worth 50p, so you would have to spend at least £20.00 in arcades to get something that wouldn't be out of place in a xmas cracker.
7) Constant adveritsing / leaflets to get you to buy a caravan....they say "enjoting your holiday? It need never end" For us it couldn't end fast enough.
The best thing was the caravan, but even that was ropey. Missing picures / torn wall paper and slightly rank smell in toilets. All cosmetic but could do with tidying up. We paid for a superior caravan....Considering its age (2 years) its a bit shabby. Would hate a 10 year old van..
Second best, Asda Fleetwood...if you have a car go. The onsite shop is over priced and stocks nothing that you realistically want.
No landscaping...it is a caravan carpark.
I must stress that we are no snobs but if this was our main family holiday which we had looked forward to and saved for months for, I would have been sorely disappointed. We renamed the sire "Cadge-a-grand" All they want is your money, they dont care how they get it or about customer service. I regret to say we wont be returning.
Hope reading this helps you to make an informed desicion about Cala Gran before booking.