Reviews of Pontins Camber Sands, East Sussex, England

Hi we had the most amazing stay...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs K Dodd

Comments:

Hi we had the most amazing stay at pontins camber sands, me my husband, son 6 and daughter 1 1/2.



We like pontins as my husband used to go as a child i used to go to Haven



We have only ever been to pontins prestatyn but was a little bored so thought we would venture out a little, we stayed for 7 nights Friday to Friday, we arrived about 10am in the morning from Warrington Cheshire, and we had a little walk aroung the complex and then went swimming until we could receive our keys at 4pm, once receiving our keys we went to find our apartment it was lovely and clean the entertainment was just fantastic every one works so hard, my children always had something to do, my daughter was absolutly amazed by all the different characters especially croc, she loved it.



Considering we went to Turkey for a week in May and paid double the cost of this holiday, us and the kids enjoyed Pontins 100% more.



Go to Pontins if you want all round fun obviously the place could do with a bit of a touch up, but how can you complain when it is cheap to go, you need to go with the attitude of just having the best time what ever,and making the most of every minute that you there, that is what we did and it works.



Oh yeah my Husband won the sponsored snooker competition so we have been invited to attend a free finals weekend at Prestatyn in November and i can not wait.



While we were there we booked again to go next year it was £20 to book but they give you £20 ponins pounds back that you can spend any where, and also when you arrive there next year they give you £100 pontins pounds for spends, how can you beat that.

My Mum, me and my two children...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss N Farrow

Comments:

My Mum, me and my two children (aged 3 & 5) stayed at Pontins for a long weekend at the end of August and we had a great time. I was very worried about going after reading the reviews but we didn't encounter any major problems. Our Classic chalet was spotless when we arrived, the kitchen and bathroom were very clean, the living area had wooden flooring which was dust free and looked like it had recently been mopped, the curtains looked new and the kids bedroom was fine. I took my own chair bed from home so me and my Mum could have a bed each but the Pontins' sofa bed was fine, it was bit worn around the edges but the mattress and pull-out mechanism looked new. The areas around the chalets had well kept gardens and staff were constantly going around clearing up the rubbish and emptying the bins etc.

We only went to the entertainment in the eve at the Fun Factory but the kids loved it and me and my Mum enjoyed it too, I would imagine that it could get a bit repetetive after a week but for the weekend it had lots of variety. It did get warm in there but we sat near the air con units which was fine and I never experienced any funny smells etc!!

The Pontins staff were very lively, helpful and I think they do a great job considering the hours/wages. We especially liked Alice.

I would advise anyone to travel by car because it is in the middle of nowhere but the beach is very good and we spent a lovely day there on the Sat when it was v hot. We also ventured in to Hastings and went to the Bluereef aquarium and went along the seafront which the kids loved.

On a final note, when we reported to reception that we only had 3 dining chairs and we needed clean bedding (my 3 yr old wet the bed) the extra chair and bedding was delivered within the hour. My one complaint would be that the kids beds do not have waterproof mattresses but luckily I took my own cover.

Overall, I thought the holiday was good value for money but you have to accept that the site is a bit worn out in areas and keep an open mind. I would say it is more suitable for primary school children than teenagers.

OMG....Ok so when we arrived we...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss A M Vale

Comments:

OMG....Ok so when we arrived we walked in and got hit by a really damp smell.

The floor looked as though it hadnt been hoovered in a year!

When we pushed our beds together (as we didnt get a double room) The walls either side of the beds were very very mouldy and just black. Also same with the curtains in our room and the kitchen.

The 2nd bedroom wasnt too bad but was still damp.

The sofa...well....It was a sofa bed but id say it was from the 1900's. When you sat down on it you just sank in the middle and revealed the metal frame so felt as though you were sitting on a metal frame rather than a sofa.

The kitchen...Ill give it its do's it was respectable and equiped fairly well but still the whole set was bizarre. You had to put in Electric, you couldnt have the Shower and the Cooker on at the same time. It had a hot water heater!

The Windows looked like theyd never been cleaned since they were put in. And they were very very thin.

There was no privacy i.e a simple thing such as Net Curtains, so everyone who walked by our upstairs appartment could just look in a nd see evrything. So spent the whole day practically with the curtains drawn.

The whole 'When you check in' was TERRIBLE it was like being back at scholl, we had to go into the main hall and cue up in alphabetical order (going by surnames).

Absolutly disgusted with that! I know they cater for a mass amount of people but that really wasnt nice.

The main complex was drab, unmaintained, they have guards on the entrances that look more like big ole butch Bouncers! Scary i imagine for kids.

They had nothing for our lil boy who is 4. There was 1 adventure playground and a crazy golf course.

We spent most of our time either in the towns surrounding the area or in the pool...which was superb but i feel very very over crowded and being pregnant i was very concerened about being knocked around.

Very very disappointed will definitly NOT going back!!

If I could give this place zero...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked IndependentlyPontins Website

Submitted By:

Mrs G Graham

Comments:

If I could give this place zero out of ten, I would. We arrived on the Saturday afternoon (last week of August) and concur with other people who have given a low rating. This place was an absolute disgrace and the only thing it needs is a bulldozer.



Like others we experienced, mould over the curtains, mould in the shower tray and over the floors, a shower door that did not fit and therefore soaked the floor, windows that did not close and latches that had been broken, unidentifiable stains over the carpets and furniture you neither wanted to touch or sit on. We took digital photos of the whole place, including the electric heaters which had last been electrically tested in 2005 and I presented them to the customer service team. Having arrived on the Saturday, we left on the Monday with a refund for the nights we had not stayed. We paid £476 for a week and in the end we moved to a Premier Inn which cost us considerably less than Pontins, and was the height of luxury in comparison. What galled me most was how we were ripped off, when I divided the cost of the holiday over 7 days, it worked out at £68 a Premier Inn costs £65.



The two nights we stayed we were awoken by a crowd of drunken guests (if that's what you can call them, I can think of stronger words) shouting their heads off, without any regard for anyone else. We didn't experience the pool, the entertainment or anything, we just wanted to get the hell out and leave.



I told the customer service lady, that quite frankly the place was sub-standard, should be condemmed and bulldozed and she didn't seem to disagree. I was more incensed that some people staying here who had paid good money for maybe their only holiday of the year, were being completely ripped off. I had absolutely no problems in obtaining a refund and simply completed a complaint form and presented my credit card. It seemed quite a normal procedure with the staff.



Without doubt it is the worst and most disgraceful place I have stayed and would wholeheartedly NOT RECOMMEND THE PLACE EVEN IF IT WAS THE LAST PLACE LEFT ON EARTH. I will be forwarding my photos to Watchdog.



WE WERE EXTREMELY GLAD TO PACK OUT BAGS, EXIT THE MAIN GATES AND GET THE HELL OUT OF PONTINS CAMBER SANDS AS FAST AS WE COULD WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.

The only reason we have given a...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

SUN BREAK

Submitted By:

Mrs K DAVIS

Comments:

The only reason we have given a rating of two is that our three children enjoyed the break. The apartments were filthy with mould all over the curtains and in the shower. We had three wardrobes and only one had a rail to hang your clothes on and all three had no doors! Our youngest son said "its raining outside" but this was because you couldn't see out of the windows as they were so dirty. The main topic of conversation was "my place is dirtier than yours".



One night, the Queen Vic (pub on site) had to be shut because of an assault on a member of staff and two families were thrown off site but had to return on Monday to attend court!!! Children were not allowed in the pub after 8.30pm which we thought was a bit overboard as you would only go to a pontins site if you had children, but some people may have preferred that.



We went into Lunars bar, which was downstairs, and the carpets, tables and chairs were sticky and it smelt horrible in there. Also in the upstairs showbar there was an awful smell of vomit as you waited by the bar to get served..



We did eat in the restaurant and found it ok, not gourmet but edible. We also had the pizza takeaway which we thought tasted as nice as Pizza Hut.



The main problem on this site was within the apartment blocks being run down, dirty and desperate for a makeover and clean. It seemed that once everyone went back to their apartments they were told to make as much noise as possible and cause as many fights as they could.



We only paid £100 for five of us with the Sun £9.50 holidays but are going to write to the Sun and advise them that the APARTMENTS should be knocked down and rebuilt and they are misleading people when they advertise in their paper "FANTASTIC HOLIDAYS". We would never go back to Pontins Camber Sands and we advise you not to waste your money. Camber Sands beach itself is lovely, so if you can find accommodation around there you will have a nice time just make sure it's not PONTINS!!

We have just come back a day...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss T Saunders

Comments:

We have just come back a day early from pontins as we could not stand it there any longer.

After reading reviews on here i was worried that we were wasting our time traveling to camber sands and our money was wasted but we decided to go and see what i was like for ourselves and OMG it was AWLFUL!!!!

The apartment was FILTHY,DIRTY,DAMP AND MOUDLY,it had not been cleaned so we ended up cleaning it ourselves.

The curtains had thick black mould over them and the floor was all stainned and dusty where it had never seen a hoover.

The entertainment was rubbish and the kids were bored,someone pooed in the swimming pool so we could not go swimming.

There was no air con in the Funworks so you sweated like a pig,The resturant was like a school canteen with over priced meals that tasted of nothing.

The area Pontins is in as nothing to do and the kids were bored the whole time,we felt sick and dirty and could not stay there a moment longer so we came home a day early.

So whatever you do DO NOT HOLIDAY AT PONTINS CAMBER SANDS!!!!

I wish i had found this site...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independentlyweb site

Submitted By:

ab5474

Comments:

I wish i had found this site before i booked pontins camber sands and i would have taken heed to all the negative comments left about this holiday park

THIS IS NO JOKE

HEALTH WARNING !!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe my eye's the amount of rubbish flying around and the amount of empty glasses and bottles laying around and fag butts !!!!!

The accomodation is lower than low i was in the classic and when i say rank i mean rank we paid £500 for a 4 night stay what a rip off.

The swimming pool full of sand

The climbing wall falling down and need of repair use it at your own risk !!

Activities are on for 1 hour a day HUH you heard anything like it

Playground is the hub of activity fun fun fun not .......

piste de resistance was captains croc jungle gym should gave a warning sign play at your own risk...thick with filth, no finger gaurds attached oh they are there but not attached correctly baby play area which needs bleaching before the kids go in and as for the jungle Gym enter at your own risk sign is much needed.

Lift the floor mats too find week's month's years of dirt yum i hear you say.

We had it on the authourity of the manager that the soft balls get bagged and thrown in the swimming pool for a clean that went from weekly to fortnightly then every 2 month's great especially as the swimming pool filter has been out of action for month's.

Fire door's with the wrong attachments on and the list is endless.



PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SAVE YOUR MONEY you work hard for it why disappoint yourself and go here this site needs demolishing no other thing for it really ......

I have photo's to show this is no joke .



Save yourself the misery i have now informed watchdog and trading standards this can no longer go unsaid.



Don't make the mistake i have made and scarred my family for life with this experience

i am never going to recomend this company ...



Whom ever made the web site needs a gold medal as if this was not a misleading piece of advertising lurring you to spend your pennies don't be fooled.

Just to get the worst thing out...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr E Chambers

Comments:

Just to get the worst thing out of the way first- one of the matresses on the children's bunk bed was soaked with urine. Which meant whoever cleaned our room before our arrival either didn't notice or didn't care- not sure which is worse.

Apart from this we had a very enjoyable week. We were In Club (ie 'best') accommodation, and could check in from 2pm, a process which took less than 5 minutes. Our chalet was clean, apart from the matress, and although some fixtures and fittings were well worn, old, cracked etc it was fine as a base for a holiday. The bathroom had been tiled relatively recently and had a decent shower with plenty of hot water.

We didn't eat on the site at all, having walked into the main restaurant on the first day and not liked the look of what we saw. There are plenty of alternatives- Camber has two family friendly pubs and various fish and chip shops, cafes, restaurants etc. Hastings, just up the coast, is well worth a visit, as are Rye, Dymchurch and Hythe (via the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway). There's a great pub with a huge beer garden just up the road from Camber at Brookland, called the Woolpack, serving good food all day in summer.

Entertainment was Ok- the bluecoats worked very hard to keep the kids entertained, our only criticism was that there were too many talent/karaoke competitions which were invariably entered by the same half dozen kids, supplying very little entertainment to anyone apart from their own familes.

Parking spaces didn't match the number of cars on the site, which meant many vehicles had to park on grass verges instead of proper parking spaces, something Pontins will need to address as the percentage of people arriving by car is unlikely to decrease.

The pool was Ok- fairly large and with some slides to keep the kids entertained.

The supermarket was expensive but not outrageously so.

Finally, if going to Pontins, under no circumstances should you pay the price in the brochure. These are set ridiculously high so that you can take advatage of a 'special offer' and feel like you're getting a bargain. We went 'half price' thanks to a 'special offer' at my partner's place of work. Failing that, a local supermarket offers half price Pontins vouchers to anyone spening £50 on groceries- not difficult for anyone with a family.

In a nutshell, we felt that anyone who uses Pontins as a base rather than as the whole focus of their holiday, and isn't too picky about evry cracked tile or stain on the carpet, will have a pretty good time. Our children really enjoyed themselves and were sorry to leave.

Were do i start i recently...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr Unk Unknown

Comments:

Were do i start i recently worked at pontins camber sands for 16 months and my word it was a expierince from the minute i worked there I knew it was going to be a exciting summer. i worked on the bar and how many pints had been brought back to me complaining about the taste was unbelievable. the staff are treated absolutely disgracefully. for example one weekend very busy 3000 mods had bought pontins for the weekend extremely busy yet we still got a shouting at on the friday meeting due to glasses bein everywere ? there is no common sense at all. staff morale hit rock bottom a long time ago staff expected to take abuse while the managers sick in there comfy office collecting there high salary while the staff earn penuts. didnt have a glass washer for the last 6 months of me being dispite telling the manger that the machine was broke he continued to get it fixed all for it to break 4 hours later which he would then blame the staff for get ready over using., the place is a joke

bar staff get treated like the lower class of pontins bluecoats r treated like gods which is to be expected but how can pontins run without a bar were people can get drunk as you have to be drunk to watch the shows

i for one wouldnt let a skunk go on holiday to pontins camber sands the place needs demolishing

absolute joke

Returned from our week long...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs P Davies

Comments:

Returned from our week long holiday at Camber Sands on 16th August. We had a lovely time, although we were quite worried after reading some of the reviews on here! Accommodation was fairly clean but very very basic and was in desperate need of a lick of paint and some modernising. For what we paid, we expected our accommodation to be alot better than it was, especially as it was middle of the range. This was our first holiday with Pontins, as we usually go with Park Resorts, and their accommodation is much better. To be honest, the apartments all lined up looked like a concentration camp and some serious money needs to be spent on them!!



However, the daytime and evening entertainment was fantastic and there was always something going on. The Bluecoats were very friendly and hard working and the shows they put on for us were very professional. They all had loads of energy and were always there to help with a smile. Although we went self-catering, we did eat in the half board restaurant a few nights, which was spotlessly clean and very reasonable, but there could be more variety on the menu. The swimming pool was ok, except there was all sand at the bottom and it was so busy that there was not much room to swim.



We also had some good days out, such as Hastings, where we went in the Smuggler's Caves, and Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway which was good. We managed to get on Camber Sands beach one day, and the beach is lovely...well worth a visit if you get nice weather!



Overall, we did have a really good holiday, but unfortunately, the accommodation did let us down. We would return to Pontins again, but would definitely choose Club accommodation.

First time we had been to...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr M Goble

Comments:

First time we had been to Pontins and didn't know quite what to expect after reading the reviews on here. We had booked for 7 nights.

The reception staff were very professional and helpful and directed us to our apartment and briefly described the site to us.

We opened the door to our budget apartment and were pleasantly surprised, the cooker, fridge and bathroom were spotless and although the carpets were a little dirty in places the place had obviously been well vacuumed. There were no horrible smells and I could have eaten my dinner off the worktops!

The decor was O.K. and was obviously regularly maintained. I didn't have to use any of the cleaning products I had brought with me!

In my opinion the apartments do not need raising to the ground, they seem well cared for and although a little dated they have plenty of life left in them yet. Everything was working and the only major downside I can think of is that showers should replace the baths, but we knew that before we booked. Oh yes the sofa bed dipped in the middle so take an extra duvet to sleep on if you want a bit more padding!

The entertainment was a bit repetitive after the first 5-6 days/nights but the blue coats have boundless energy and do their best to keep you entertained. The children were shattered by the end of every day, which was great!

We had a great experience and would definitely go back again.

Thanks Pontins

Well, were do I start!
...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked IndependentlyPontins Website

Submitted By:

Mrs C Bugg

Comments:

Well, were do I start!



You MUST read on if you thinking of taking a break to PONTINS CAMBER SANDS!!



FILTHY is not the word, nothing can describe it. When we arrived our hearts sank, drab blue building, a one way system for parking (if you can find a space). We was in two minds whether to go back home or not, but my 2 children wanted to stay! The Apartment had Mould in the shower and Damp on the ceiling, Dirty Carpets, Windows so Dirty you could hardly see through them. Go Karts if that’s what you call them, don’t tell you in the brochure height restrictions of 5’, only 1 double car and 4 single cars that they controlled when they wanted you to slow down. Climbing wall looked as if , if you was to climb it, it would fall down. The Fun Factory was were most of the entertainment happened, the Blue Coats could not sing, they were awful at the Pantomine they just laughed on stage over nothing, even my daughter of 9 years noticed they didn’t no what they was doing, Captain Croc Time was the only time you see the Characters and even that got Boring, same old entertainment every night, STUPID Adult Gameshows, it was filthy, parts of the Bar sunk of SICK, the chairs and tables were sticky and dirty, no windows open because there weren’t any, we felt dirty sitting in there, you needed a shower after you went in there not before! The Lunars Bar & Queen VIC were just has Bad, Ripped Seats and Smelly Bars. We went Half Board, we wish we didn’t, we thought we would have plenty to choose from, but we didn’t, your evening meal allowance was £6.95 and what they dished was not worth that, same old menu everyday, same old grumpy people not a smile in sight. Whilst we were there we had a 2 hour power cut, we couldn’t even go to the loo as the toilet was on a electric pump, as soon as the electric came back on, we went straight to the restaurant to see what they were doing about breakfast, to our dismay they had kept the bacon, eggs, sausages etc on a heat plate and was trying to dish that up to people, the bacon was green and the chef kept touching the sausages with the back of his hand, we complained but they just said nothing. That was the last time we visited the restaurant. The Security was a joke, you needed passes to go to the supermarket, that was one step away from the gate, arrogant and grumpy that’s what they were. The H2o Zone sounded really good in the brochure! They might has well have called it the Swimming Shack because that’s what it was, with sand at the bottom!! You look forward to your holiday but when you come up against this, it’s Heart Breaking. I would NEVER EVER go back to PONTINS . Believe what you are reading, Pay that little bit extra for a better holiday. A visit from Health & Safety wouldn’t go a miss.

It upsets me to write this as I...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs E ODONNELL

Comments:

It upsets me to write this as I normally rate Camber highly but for the last 2 holidays I have been insulted very badly by a act I reported it to the head of the camp and he said that they think he is funny I would recommened if you dont like to be insulted or watch others cringe if you do go to Camber avoid GARETH OLIVER like the plague I cried for 4 hours twice after the so called ventrilaquist show.

I am stuck now cos Camber is cheap and y boys love it and they feel safe there but I have really bad memories there now due to this and nothing was done not even a apology so not sure if we will be going back I totally agree with a person a few posts down we have been going for 4 years and it has gone down hill big time since we started.

Our Chalet is always clean but my boys get very bored with the same stuff over and over again so do we.

Ok here goes....

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss V Christopher

Comments:

Ok here goes....



last month i found this site and was gutted and so scared as i had just book a 3 night stay at Pontin's in Camber Sands for a group of 20 kids.And the reviews were horrendous. Im a youth worker and this was our summer residential. I was scared as i'm 7 months pregnant and could not cope with going there and having a breakdown once i saw the state of the place.



I discussed it with my colleagues and the young people- aged 15-16 and they all agreed to just go and if it was bad we could leave and try and get a refund. So off we went.



It was NOT that bad!!!We were self catering but were in the middle range i think its called Classic..it was clean and to be honest you got what you paid for. The bed linen was clean, as were the showers, fridge, cooker ect. And we had 4 apartments so i got a good look at them all.



What i wasn't impressed with is the staff and how my young people- black, Phillipino and mixed race teenagers were treated. Coming from london they were treated like gangsters which was unmerited cause i wouldn't let them act like that. The Dj in the club told me he would not play any Sean Paul as he was associated with drugs and if any of my group requested music they'd be wasting their time. Also when we were outside on the green before going out as a group a security guard was sent to tell us they'd had complaints about noise. I noticed he was the only black worker there and though it was a bit rude that he was sent. And considering it was only 11pm i was suprised. More suprised when the next night my neighbours were screaming and swearing at each other...chucking beer cans and chairs around at 3AM yet no security came when i called. Maybe it is ok if you are white but i would not recommend taking any ethnic minorites to such a place-especailly young people!!



The food was over priced and quite bland but we cooked most things ourselves, the pool was good, cept the amount of crap on the bottom..felt like sand, but the inflatables were good fun. If you go try and get down to the beach which is lovely..but take shades as the sand will blind you on the the way there!!!



Overall i think it was ok cause the kids enjoyed it, especially getting out of london and seemed to ignore the rude people there.Considering we paid over £1200 for 4 apartments it wasn't worth it but as we were funded by other sources i can't complain. What i would say is i personally would not use my wages which i work hard for, to go to Pontin's. I'd rather try butlins or Haven



I can't say much about the blue coats as our group were too old for all of that but did enjoy the go carting and pool tournaments and disco( they made the most of the 70's, 80's and disco music!!)

Had a weeks holiday here last...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs S Youseman

Comments:

Had a weeks holiday here last week and thoroughly enjoyed it as did my daughter and her friend.I had read the reviews on here so was a bit worried, but our family had 2 budget apartments and both were fine,basic but fine.The site could do with some refurbishment admittedley but the bluecoats do a fantastic job keeping everyone entertained and after i couple of days wasnt at all bothered by it.

I am a little bothered by some comments on here about 'council house people' being there,maybe thats why i enjoyed myself !me andmy family are obviously considered to be beneath certain people here,we are all hard working and deserve our holidays as much as anyone so think carefully about how you say things.

Anyway,all in all we had a great time and will be going back at some point in the future,the only reason i only gave 8 out of 10 was because the food was not great.