Pontins Brean Sands

2 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from a long weekend at Pontins and overall we had good time. We were annoyed that check-in wasn't until 5pm especially as our paperwork said check-in from 4pm. This meant that by the time we got into our room it was too late to go out as we had to feed our three small children. The room was basic but clean. The only thing I didn't think was safe was that the kettle was on a low level counter as there were no plugs higher up. Not good if you have small children! The kids loved the swimming pool but the showers were freezing. They were dissapointed when they went to go swimming on Sunday morning and it was closed although it did reopen at 1pm. I think we enjoyed it so much because the weather was brilliant and we went to the lovely beach and the funfair. The kids loved the evening entertainment (they are 5, 3 & 2). We thought the staff were very helpful especially when we needed a first aider for our 2 year old. We enjoyed our weekend but if the weather was bad my review may have been different.

5 readers found this review helpful

Arrived to mayhem, massive queues and delays in check in. You could guarantee anything you wanted to do or buy was either broken, not working or not in stock. Captain cods chip shop food was vile, and the one decent activity, being the pool, closes for a 2hr lunch break!
Place in serious need of refurb/tidy up.
On the plus side, bedding was clean and evening entertainment quite good, comedian, jackson live, madhatters etc.
Thank god for the beautiful weather and the leisure park next door.
Been to many holiday parks, this has to be the worst! :-(

4 readers found this review helpful

We booked to stay at Pontins through the Sun holidays. The treatment from the park was appauling. When we arrived to collect our keys, we were turned away several times due to the shally not being ready, however we were due to check in at 4oclock, we eventually obtained our keys 2hours later.
When we arrived at the shally, there were only 2 single beds and a sofa bed, however the matresses were dirty, flat and hard. We suffered from back pain due to this. Also when we had a shower the bathroom would flood, due to there being a hole in the side of the shower. The cups and plates that were provided within the shally were unhygienic.
The members of staff within the Pontins site were also very unhelpful and unapproachable, and the facilities on the site were very dated and the toilets were very unhygienic.
It has put us off applying for the Sun holidays again, and we will definately be not staying at any Pontins site.
We felt that our break was spoilt by how long we had to wait when we checked in, and by the poor standard of service that we recieved from them.

3 readers found this review helpful

where do I start, having recently been on a sun holiday at brean sands and having been on several different sun holidays over the years I can honestly say this is the worst one we have ever been on, there's more freedom in a prison camp, check in was dreadful,the fun factory was disgusting you stuck to the carpet where it was so filthy, we were supposed to of checked in at 4pm but it was 6.30pm by the time we checked in to which there was no apologie or reason why there was a delay if there had of been people would of been more understanding,when we arrived at our chalet there was the dirty laundry from the previous occupants outside the doors of all the chalets, these were not collected till 9.30 in the evening. The chalet smelt when you walked in and as for the headboards over the bed which was two half moons cut out to match the carpet in the bedroom and was stuck on the wall for headboards! Our children wanted to know whether it was for their heads or their feet to rest on. The swimming pool was dirty it was only once we were in the pool that we noticed the black scum line all round the pool. The crazy golf area was falling apart and as for having to hand in your chalet key as part of your deposit, which is not very good security wise. We can honestly say that we didn't use any of the other facilities there after using the pool and crazy golf and as our children wanted to go home the first evening we were there, to me that says alot because if the children aren't happy, then there's no point. We made the best of a very bad thing!

4 readers found this review helpful

Well what a week we've just had at Pontins, Brean. Definitely highs & lows but enjoyed spectacular weather throughout which perhaps contributes to our optimism. Tips if you are visiting on a Sun Holiday here:
1. Definitely pay to upgrade. You can check in 2 hours earlier than everyone else & can be enjoying a pint by 2.15pm whilst watching the carnage that is everyone else starting to queue for their 4pm check in. Upgrade def got us a cleaner chalet in a better location (ie nearer all the amenities
2. Remember what little money you've spent to book it so set yrselves fairly low expectations...you may be pleasantly surprised
Negatives:
Cleanliness & size of chalets
State of sofa bed
But use the chalet only to sleep & cook in & you'll be ok
Too many smokers
Positives:
Near great beach
Superb activities day & night for children & adults alike
Helpful & hardworking staff
On site activities are varied and the ones you pay for aren't extortionate in price
Loads of parking
A lovely old fashioned feel about how holidays should be- kids free to make friends & play safely-

1 reader found this review helpful

I have been agreeing with all previous comments on here regarding a stay here 11th April - 15th April. We saw the 2pm check in queues, and decided to go off to have an early dinner as we have 2 children aged 2 and 5. Got back at 5pm to find all 4pm check ins in the hall waiting in very long alphabetical queues... think I was lucky in the fact it was past 5 when I joined, as presume others had waited from 4pm. I waited while husband supervised two very teasy children outside. Finally got pack, then realised no key in there! No staff around to ask for help - in fact think everyone ws hiding. Stopped a blue coat, who said see Rec... more queing! Anyway, only option was to join the next lot of check ins,, looking at an hour or more wait... in fact couple behind were contemplating the Travel Inn... we 'd even thought about driving home (hour and half) instead of waiting... Anyway, finally saw blue coat, who got key without any questions in about 2 mins... wondered if I wasn't only one not to have a key?!
Accomodation was ok. Bedding was clean. TV not working, we compalined several times , but it was never sorted - bit of anightmare with small childen!
Huge safety issues - firstly, kettle had to be boiled on a low level work top, as no plugs on higher spaces - had to be extra vigilant with the kids about... thought that was a disgrace! Secondly, electric heater in bedroom, would flicker when turned off.. not sure of that is right, but stopped once off at mains.
Crocs adventure land was a disappointment, kids were separated due to age diff, by corridor, but 2 year old wanted to follow anyway, then to add to matters, there was a "secret exit" which led children out of the play area into another part of the place! Activities were dismal, painting with small dollaps, and they had to look around for extra paint brushes as only had 2. Cupboard with "do not open/ touch" written all over just added to the "friendly family fun" atmosphere! As a teacher, I felt this was a wasted opportunity for children to have fun!
Eve entertainment, boring. Children's hour games were badly thought out, and failed.
Captain Cod's - fish ok, chips oven like quality.. not proper potato, no till later discovered fish and chip shop across road.
Saving graces - swimming pool and tikes play equipment which kids loved. The Place - restaurant across the road, very quick service, good food, friendly staff. Beach 2 mins walk through Seagull Hotel.
I could go on... families leaving accomodation on Tuesday morning, and decorators in Thursday, leaving strong pain fumes... but I think most people have covered it here.
I wouldn't ever go back again. I have been on a few Sun holidays, and quite frankly this gives them and the whole scheme a bad name.
Advice - don't book!

4 readers found this review helpful

Arrived on friday after months of looking forward to our break. While stood in the mile long queue for check in a lady who had not seen the booking form in my hand asked what was wrong with our room???, she had just came from hers and was mortified because of the poor condition it was in. We quickly realised this was both the checking in and complaints queue, not an ideal start. Once we got our key and approached the chalets we soon realised why? run down and outdated is an understatement. We were dreading turning the key once we did the first thing that hit us was the strong smell of damp.The room was less than basic and our two children didnt even want to sit on the sofabed bed let alone sleep in it. An upgrade wasnt an option because by the state of the place in general they werent going to be much of an improvement. My partner went to complain and was told by the lady they were improving them by painting the outside???? he spent the rest of that evening looking for accommodation elsewhere because this was not somewhere you could spend and hour in let alone your holiday. We were fortunate to find other accommodation which obviously meant using most of our planned spending money. We left within hours of booking in. We did use our passes the following day to use the swimming another bad idea, my little girl came out of the pool and thinking the shower would be fine i poured the shampoo on her head the showers werent just cold they were freezing, there were other little girls screaming while their mothers desperatly tried to wash the shampoo out too. Brean itself is a great place to stay we have had many fantastic camping holidays there. DO NOT BOOK PONTINS IT NEEDS KNOCKING DOWN NOT REPAINTING.............

2 readers found this review helpful

Arrived at brean sands thinking what a nice seaside resort. Pontins on the other hand was disappointing, queuing for room keys was like a concentration camp, all squashed in one room in alphabetical order.
chalet buildings look like prison blocks and im sure prisoners get better beds!
the only saving graces were 'The Place' across the road and 'The Seagull' entertainment and food were great.
beach was nice and we made it through the nights by getting very drunk!

2 readers found this review helpful

April 2011.
Just got back from a very dissappointing holiday, Which started the minute we arrived. We were told check-in was going to be delayed by an hour, but ended up being 2 1/2 hrs by the tme we got our key. At no point were the staff able to give an explantion for this delay. The apartments were an absolute disgrace. Mould every where,filthy windows which u could barely see through, dirty and inadequate utensils which meant you had to eat out every night. Bathroom door lock was broken, top bunk bed railings were hanging off. Ripped wall paper, and the bed settee was a joke, oh and a small t.v that we were'nt able to watch all week.
As for the 70+ activities that they brag about!! Well i think they were a maximum of 10 things to do there.
The entertainment was average, i expected better from a well known holiday company. The staff were not friendly ,or at all helpful in the slightest.
The final nail in the coffin was on Friday morning after handing the key in ON TIME AT 10AM, our plans to take our children swimming and go karting failed to happen as everthing on site this day was closed, until later that evening. The one thing that was left open were the amusemnts, which obviously meant spending more money, to which we sighed and left.

1 reader found this review helpful

We arrived late on the Tuesday as we had a family bereivement and was looking forward to a break away. We booked in nothing was explained to us we was just handed the key told were to go and that was that, we took a good 20 mins to find the chalet at which point we started to get a little agitated, on opening the door to the chalet to our disgust it was smelly, the curtains were dirty and only had a few hooks on them, the dining chairs had stains we had to put the spare pillows on them to sit down the cuttlery was still dirty and there were hair clips on the floor from the last people who stayed there we actually went out and bought new cups to drink out of as we couldnt use the ones in the cupboard, the staff in the main fun factory bar were rude, and the childrens entertainment was rubbish to which at one point our 5 year old asked to go back to our smelly chalet as he was bored. We will not be visiting this place again. EVER