Burnham-On-Sea Holiday Park

1 reader found this review helpful

the camp itself isn`t too bad although i wouldn`t want to go back there. the caravan was`nt as clean as it could have been and the brochure is deceiving as it shows the accomodation which is privately owned.it isn`t a good place to be if you don`t own a car and for someone with walking difficulties as the caravans you are staying in are quite a distance away from the amenaties again the private ones are the closest.the shop on site is a spar store so my advice is to take your own food and then shop at the morrisons store in burnham itself. the bar itself is also expensive so unless you have a huge amount of spending money, you couldn`t afford to drink there on a regular basis. i wasn`t very impressed with haven on the whole and as i said previously i personally wouldn`t go back there and certainly not back to burnham on sea.we went there for a break with my grandson so we made the most of it and enjoyed it with him but had it have been just myself and my husband i would have benn ready to come home after a few days so it wasn`t a total waste of time still this is just my opinion ,what doesn`t suit me will suit others

3 readers found this review helpful

WOW, the staff were fantastic, the site was clean and most importantly our caravan was immaculate. was within easy walk of burnham itself, also brilliant bus service from site to take us direct to brean leisure park........ didn't need to move the car.....if i had one complaint it would be i felt the swimming pool hours could have been slightly extended but other than that it was fab....... i did a really early booking and got 7 nights for an amazing price. FANTASTIC HAVEN, WOULD DEFINATELY BRING MY FAMILY BACK AGAIN...

2 readers found this review helpful

the hoiliday camp its self was brill loads 2 do an the fishing was great to. I would recomend it to families all over england its great

Pleasantly suprised by Haven Burnham. We had a 3 bed private caravan near the beach access and had a great time. It was April and off season so could swim in peace everyday. Everything very clean, friendly staff and right on top of the town - perfect. One of our party was disabled and staff could not have been more helpful. Would recommend off season. I can imagine it's not quite as tranquil in August, but we had no complaints whatsoever.

11 readers found this review helpful

I cannot praise this site enough. Good accomodation, lovely clean park, loads of entertainment, helpful staff.
We went on a Sun holiday package and really enjoyed it. I will certainly be going back again.
You can get really good food in the site club at good prices, cheap beer, great entertainment.
Close to beach and town centre. excellent location.
Really, really good holiday park.

9 readers found this review helpful

After reading such bad reviews about this caravan park I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised to find our accommodation to be a lovely 2 year old 2 bed caravan, which was clean tidy and modern with all the kitchen equipment, bedding, facilities we needed as a family of four with a 10 year old and a 4 year old, there was plenty to do for the children and the indoor and outdoor pools were nice as well as the grounds, crazy golf, playground etc, the beach is ok although bit muddy and you cant go in sea because of mud and sinking sand, the entertainment in the night is very good and well organised but a bit too busy hard to get a table, the only thing is the slot machines in the only entrance, exit to the pool, entertainment, bar, restaurant etc, there is a Morrisons close by walking distance and the Port Hole restaurant and Pier Tavern are very good for food in the local town walking distance away, we all had a lovely time.

5 readers found this review helpful

Just come back from this [--] hole RIP OFF prices filthy caravan site A £10 SUN NEWSPAPER holiday what a joke the whole site needs to be NUKED :)

10 readers found this review helpful

This was our 3rd visit to this park as we had enjoyed our previous stays. However this visit was such a disappointment. This park has deteriorated drastically and although our so called prestige accommodation was moderately clean it bore no resemblence to the internet description of a prestige model. There was no coffee table, no heating in the bathroom and no luxury fixtures and fittings. The caravan we had suited the description of a superior plus rather than prestige. My parents however booked the same week and grade of caravan (prestige) and their caravan was pure luxury with heating throughout, new curtains including nets, free standing furniture, coffee table and all those added extra luxury fittings. We queried this with the Customer Services Manager who was not in the slightest bit interested, apart from her response that both caravans were graded prestige. We argued this and told her we were most unhappy with the state of our caravan compared to our parents' van (for a 2008 model there was blood all over the carpet, the curtains were drab and faded and the wood was pealing off the so called dressing table shelf in the main bedroom). She refused to look at the caravans with us even after we told her ours had been wrecked and the only excuse she gave was that head office graded the accommodation therefore it was out of their hands. We used the Barrel and Mash restaurant and on every occasion there was something they didn't have such as crisps, cakes and containers for peanuts sold at the bar, we were always told they were awaiting a delivery - they just couldn't keep up with the demand considering the park was full. We had the family from hell next to us and the police were called after the 2nd night of disturbance, however the occupants still remained on site the next day. We ran out of gas and had to wait 45 minutes and ring their customer line TWICE - when you have a baby waiting for its lunch its not easy! I have sent a letter of complaint to head office with photos, I received a call from them saying they will reply within 28 days but this has nearly expired - SO WARNING IF YOU COMPLAIN YOU SHOULDN'T EXPECT A REPLY VERY QUICK AND THE PARK STAFF ARE NOT INTERESTED AND TELL YOU TO WRITE TO HEAD OFFICE!
We certainly will not be returning to this park again, and may not ever visit any Haven park - we were most dissatisfied and it was very overpriced for the sub-standard accommodation we stayed in. Their complaints system is not customer friendly and this company do not deserve the amount of business they get from hard working families as they are just a ripping them off. So be careful when you book the luxury caravans you might end up with a lower grade and they will refuse to acknowledge it!

4 readers found this review helpful

We were here for 7 nights arrived 9/8/08. Well, we arrived an hour after our check-in time, booked a Prestige caravan, we have been to Burnham on sea twice before, the last time in 2002. This time was such a disappointment. On arrival, check -in was quick, on driving to our caravan there was piles of linen in heaps outside every caravan in the pouring rain, it looked awfull, scruffy like, you'd think they would at least put dirty linen in a bag, not just dump it on the roadside in the rain! Anyway, we arrived at our caravan to find it not locked, and when we entered, it was dirty! Now if the cleaners had not been around yet, I could understand, but they had been in, some of the beds had been made, others left with dirty duvet cover taken off and left in a heap with duvet left in another heap, grass and bits in every room, it was everywhere, toe nail cuttings on bedroom floor which was disgusting! the living area had bits of crisps and food all over the chairs/settee, table was dirty with dried food on, the sink had a bobble with hair still in it and a pot noodle lid! and the bin under the sink in cupboard was still full of rubbish, and at the side of that a half eaten yoghurt..... and not only that but the window in the living area was broken and would not close, gaping open about an inch, bearing in mind it was raining aswell!! Not the welcome I had hoped or paid for on arrival to our supposed luxury accommodation. Needless to say just after arriving we were up reception complaining, I am quite easy to please, but the fact it was dirty and the window looked to me as though someone had tried to wedge it open from the outside. Reception sent out cleaning manager to inspect, as they were unable to move us, he was disgusted also, and a member of staff told us the window had been reported broken the week before! A new set of cleaners came out, we sat in the car to let them get on with it, and the maintenance guy came out to see the window, which had to be rammed shut and we were told not to open it! that was the last that happened to the window, maybe its still broken. The cleaners did do a great job, and it felt a lot nicer and fresher after they had finished. Our kitchen utensils were a waist of time, saucepans with handles falling apart, no oven trays, no toaster, no plastic jug or anything like that, dirty cutlery and spatula had to wash them all, and plates, glasses ect. And the caravans could do with a hoover, or ewbank even. For the first 2 nights my eldest (18) stayed in the caravan in the evenings, but on the monday we all decided to go up the club, only to find the key did not lock the door! so we locked it from the inside, locked the other door and reported to reception again, maintenance came out and he was baffled to as the key was correct for the barrell. He had to replace the barrell, this made me think that maybe forced entry had been attempted previously, with the door lock broken and the window! I felt uneasy about leaving belongings, and you don't want to be carrying them around all the time.
The park has expanded a lot since we visited before, and I felt it has gone down hill a bit, the daytime activites were great and despite the showers, we managed to keep busy with the football courts, outdoor pool when the sun came out briefly, This pool is advertised as heated, no way, it was freezing! either they(haven) are fibbing, or staff just can't be bothered to heat it up, which is a shame. The night time entertainment I find has gone down hill, there are just so many people in there, you can not hear half the entertainment as everyone was talking over it, and the funstars were plodding on regardless, bless them, even bingo was a disaster for people up by the bar, as the funstars couldn't hear or see them calling out! it was a little chaotic, and if you were not there early you had no chance of a seat. We only went here a few times as we had been to Doniford Bay the week before and it was the same entertainment. We did watch the circus again which was good, and although we new what was coming, it was worth watching again.
The location, so close to the beach and town are good points for this park, on site shops are expensive, Somerfield on the front is the place to shop, this was our convenience store. The last time we came here I sent the park a letter praising them up. This time I was so disappointed. At the end of the day this holiday cost me more than the other 2 I booked with haven for this year, and no matter what standard caravan you book, it is expected to be clean on arrival, and that is not much to ask. Caravans are vacated at 10am, there is ample time for them to be cleaned, no excuses, especially when the cleaning staff decide to just leave it after making 4 beds, and not clean anything else. The week before in doniford the caravan was lovely, and the kitchen had everything you could imagine, toaster, all crockery, just everything, (this was a privately owned caravan that we were placed in), in Burnham we were in a Haven caravan, the caravan when cleaned was lovely, only 7 months old, and lovely and warm with heating, But I found that because there are so many caravans on this site, no nets in windows, caravans are so close to each other you can see into each others windows unless you close the curtains, this did not bother me so much, but my hubby likes a bit of privacy when we are in the caravan, and so did others as they all seemed to end up closing their curtains in the day! Also due to the lakes, water rats aplently in the evenings, scuttling under the caravans! I don't think I will go back here, as we've been 3 times now, and I think it has gone downhill a bit. We did enjoy in general, and really made the best of the weather, had time down the beach, in the pools on site, sports activites ect, the kids always had something to do, but the dirty caravan on arrival, broken window, broken lock on door, and rats running everywhere have dampened my views on this park, I'm sorry Burnham but there is no excuse for arriving at a dirty caravan, and it would be a good idea to get some little hoovers in them for people to use, and decent cooking aids, it is meant to be self catering after all! I've booked to go back to Doniford bay next year, more compact smaller resort, also going to try riviere sands. Burnham only gets a 7/10 for activites, location, ect and sadly a 1/10 for cleanliness on arrival. Although this is close to a lovely looking beach, you have to be carefull with young children, this beach has sinking mud and sand, and the tide comes in quick, there are warnings everywhere, but it is nice for donkey rides and sandcastles when the tide is out. I wouldn't say it was safe bathing. you can't swim here due to the mud. If you come here I hope you are lucky enough to have a privately owned caravan, I think they maybe looked after a little better, sadly when we book we can't choose! I have booked with Haven for next year, as in general the holidays are good depending on the park you go to, Next year I am at Doniford bay and Riviere sands, we are also visiting riviere sands for the first time this september (08), Hopefully it will be nicer accommodation on arrival than Burnham.

1 reader found this review helpful

We stayed in a standard caravan, 2 adults and 2 children for 2 weeks. The caravan was fine, carpet a little dirty and a little tatty but basically clean.
The site is well set out with the beach at one end and two fishing lakes at the other. The kids loved the lake, especially the family of swans who often came round the caravans. The beach was fine but a bit muddy, you have to be careful at low tide. It is worth walking along the beach into Burnham for donkey rides and more sand.
As we do not drive we were pleased to find that there was a Somerfield nearby.
There are buses going to Brean, Weston Super Mare and Wookey Hole. It is worth getting the leaflets from Reception about days out as most have small discounts for the attractions.
The main problem was the weather, it rained most days! This made indoor activities very crowded, especially the swimming pool. The indoor pool was very heavily chlorinated, especially in the jacuzzi. The outdoor pool was cold, Haven claimed it to be heated but I doubt it. This really does need addressing.
Also due to heavy rain the play park became very muddy, putting people off using it. The park really did need more to do in the poor weather.
the food was standard Haven fair, on the expensive side but tasted ok. We visited The Lighthouse Pub at the site entrance where the food was good and with a free bottle of wine Mondays and Tuesdays.
Overall, it was a good holiday, but really needs more to do in poor weather. I would visit again, probably in a few years and hopefully in the sun!