Pontins Hemsby, Norfolk, England
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
Just a short drive from the peaceful waterways of the Norfolk Broads, the charming little seaside village of Hemsby offers quiet golden beaches, a host of attractive buildings, a funfair, bingo, swimming pools, children's play areas*, supermarkets, gift shops, restaurants and a wide choice of top class evening entertainment.Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
Pontins Hemsby Reviews
" RIP PONTINS HEMSBY & BRIXAM "
Submitted By: Colin01Yes I agree, both sites were very dated and Pontins have been honest in admitting they were overdue refurbishment, but the sites did not make enough money to pay for this expense, soy uo can not really blame them for that....
With the credit cruch being on - These sites would have been brilliant for people with young families, now where are they to go.......Have you seen the cost of going to a Haven or Butlins for a week during the holidays????? Most people can not afford that, and that does not mean they are low lifes & rough....
I have '4' kids and over the Years we have been to most of Pontins sites in the UK. Yes they are shabbie, but our chalets were mostly always clean although very old and shabbie and I think that was the main problem.....besides if you complained, they always moved you (but yes,you should not have to complain really...I can see that point)
In the end of the day it was just a base to sleep and so long as the sheets and matress was clean who really cares about the rest as you go out and have fun in the area - who goes on holiday to be stuck in a chalet all the time??...For the price, no-one should knock Pontins, if you want something posher, then rob a bank and pay nearly a grand for a family at Butlins for a week....
I just wanted to say you WILL BE MISSED and I thank you PONTINS for serveral cheap and chearful holidays over the Years !!!!!
Well it Wall Park, Brixham going 1st in 2008, Now Hemsby in early 2009 - Which site will be next ???? My money is on Camber Sands....
Come on guys, give Pontins a break, they are clearly struggling like like hell and they need your support really to stay in business.
Advice: Hemsby is GREAT and that is why we bought a Caravan there
Activities:
- Date of Holiday:Jun 2007
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" happy hemsby holidays "
Submitted By: snoponyAdvice: check out louis tussards- its so bad its good!!!!
Activities: Visit Hemsby and Great Yarmouth its great for children
Good for: Beach
- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" we loved it "
Submitted By: natalierosethey were very accomodating towards my autistic son and moved us to a closer appartment free of charge so we could be closer to the attractions.
i found the staff very polite and the entertainment was of a good standard.
we pay up to £400 to go to butlins each year yet this was by far our most enjoyable and relaxing holiday.
Advice: a lovely place to visit
Activities: the broads
- Date of Holiday:Mar 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" the lnew yr party "
Submitted By: flash gordonAdvice: nothing at all as its gone now
Activities: the beach
- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Final Curtain "
Submitted By: howardevansgbPontins to close Hemsby holiday centre
Wednesday, 07 Jan 2009 12:25
End of an era at Hemsby
Pontins has announced it is to close its site at Hemsby on the Norfolk coast.
According to the holiday camp owner the site is need of "significant investment" and is faced with "escalating costs" and a decline in bookings.
As a result the site is scheduled to close later this month, bringing a presence of more than 70 years to an end at the site.
Over 50 jobs will be lost as a result of the closure.
A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed the six remaining centres – located at Pakefield, Southport, Blackpool, Prestatyn Sands, Brean Sands and Camber Sands - would remain open.
Pontins, which was founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin, specialises in half-board and self-catering breaks for British and international holidaymakers.
However, the organisation has faced a tough time in recent years, with Ocean Parcs buying the chain of seven resorts for £46 million in March last year.
By Chris O'Toole
- Date of Holiday:Jan 2009
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" horrendous "
Submitted By: hubbsAdvice: Never never go there
Activities: Restaurants? What restaurants
- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" woop loved it! gone but not forgotton ! "
Submitted By: hanas_ewoopthe bluecoats are fantastic they put everything they have into it and are absolutley amazing.
im so sad to see it go but i wish all the bluecoats all the best for the future. i will miss it so so much but you are only gone and not forgotton.
Good for: Beach
- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" family holiday to remember "
Submitted By: kermit.1974Of course the rooms could do with new carpets to get rid of the 20year old smell(i'm not exagerating- I've been coming here since I was 9 and am now 34 and the main hall has the same carpet!)
It's basic but has all you need.
The entertainment staff put their heart and souls into the performances tho are not around in the day as much as when I was young.
I started coming to Hemsby with my family when I was 9. we go every couple of years and over the past 5 yeears have been 1 or 2 times a year as a memory holiday with parents and grandchildren or myself husband and kids.
The local beach at hemsby has a great beach and play area, giant slide rides, shops etc and is quieter than Great Yarmouth.
I have just heard it is no longer under Pontins, I love it my kids love it and so do all my family and it will be greatly missed.
Good for: Beach
- Date of Holiday:Oct 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" filth "
Submitted By: rick@rjrelec.fsnet.co.uk- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" security "
Submitted By: bobbobAdvice: do not go to hemsby at xmas
Activities:
Good for: Beach
- Date of Holiday:Dec 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Pontins Hemsby. "
Submitted By: hemsbyHowever having come back after having one of the best most relaxing holidays I have ever had. I would have scored it 10/10 from that point of view, but from an overall point of view I have capture most of my reasoning below.
We found the the welcome from the gate house staff to be very warm, and instantly felt on holiday.
CHECK IN WAS ABYSMAL. The queues were ridiculously long, and the response that 'oh its half term and we had not realised there were so many people' was just insulting. PONTINS PLEASE IMPROVE CHECK IN, as it was a very poor first impression.
Earlier postings commented on the smell of the venues/arcade, and I agree there was a lingering horrible smell, though I am not sure if this was dirty carpets or some sort of cleaning chemical smell, either way it was unpleasant.
We were budget accomodation, and found our apartment to be clean and presentable upon arrival, and a very good size for the 5 of us. Plus point was the sofa bed, which actually gave good support when sitting on seat, or lying on bed, as previous Pontins visits have had poor sofa beds.
There were several items missing in the apartment, and house keeping were very good and responsive at repairing or replacing items. (I just wish that I could go to a place Pontins, Butlins, Haven etc and not have to always go to housekeeping in the first place, it would be so nice if all the things were there and correct.)
Evening entertainment was let down significantly by the fact that there was only the one main venue open (excluding the pub venue), which was full with families having to stand around. Unless you liked Bingo and got yourself a seat 1 1/2 hours before the childrens entertainment came on, there was limited opportunity of getting a seat. This led to us on some nights not going to the venue at all. Even more the disappointing that there was another full sized venue which just remained closed the whole time we were there. This should have been opened up for a couple of hours in the early evenings (i.e. whilst Bingo was on) so that young families could be entertained away from a Pub venue.
Blue Coats were friendly.
Childrens Crocland was really good venue during the day, and our children really liked it.
SWIMMING POOL IN MY OPINION WAS DANGEROUSLY OVERCROWDED. We went swimming once as the pool in my opinion was so overcrowed with very poor life guard coverage. I would not be suprised if there is a serious incident at the pool due to this.
Crazy golf was good.
Daytime games activities for the children could have been better, although the autograph hunt was a big sucess with our children.
A big WOW for us was the beach. Walking up the road through a bit of a shabby looking beach food / shops area, we did not think there was anything really special up there, but when we got to the very end of the road and went to the beach, it was fantastic. Looked like miles of soft sand beach. I would not reccomend it for swimming, as the sea breaks in on the beach, and is far to rough for novice even good swimmers. However as it was October we were not going to be swimming anyway.
As regards the Arcade at Pontins I thought it was overpriced, and gave away far to few tickets. If you want a fair priced Arcade I would recommend the first one on the left as you walk up towards the beach, as this seemed to give a fair amount of tickets out.
Maybe coincidence, but the one day I had food at Pontins, that night I had a poor stomach.
But please do not let the above put you off, as we all really had a great time a Pontins, and despite the above I would whole heartedly reccomend it. I just wanted to put what I think is a full honest review of the place, as some of the reviews I had read I think were so negative in the extreme, that looking back on them, they almost read to me as though they were written by other holiday venue people.
- Date of Holiday:Oct 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" [--] Hole "
Submitted By: Mr N JayIt may of been cheap to book but they are quite right that you only get what you pay for. Even so I think we deserved better than this crap hole.
The stinking Queen Vic "pub" was only out stunk by the stinking "show bar".
I have been to scores of holiday camps which range in my opinion from 2/10 to 10/10. Well done Pontins at Hemsby for making my range complete with 1/10 (no lower option available suggest holiday watchdog add demolition to the range!).
There were no redeeming factors and this place needs to be dragged through the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's to what people expect in 2008 as some sort of normal standard.
- Date of Holiday:Oct 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:The Sun Paper
" congrats hemsby blues you do a great job "
Submitted By: bebbybyrne- Date of Holiday:Jan 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" After holidaying every year at... "
Submitted By: Mrs S Stevens- Date of Holiday:Sep 2008
- Board Basis:Self Catering
- Tour Operator:sun tokens







Advice: Norfolk itself is a lovely place. Great beaches and good weather.
Activities: Bewilderwood - a tree based fairy activity . Little ones loved it.
Good for: Beach