Center Parcs under fire after closing 'unmissable' attraction without clear warning

Center Parcs has been accused of misleading potential visitors at one of its locations, after closing a popular attraction and refusing compensation to affected guests.

Center Parcs Longleat Forest, one of the company’s five water-park villages in the UK, closed the Wild Water Rapids attraction for six weeks starting last month.

The ride is one of the most popular attractions at the park, because of its suitability for most ages and health conditions. Unlike other Center Parcs rides, families can ride together at their own pace. Center Parcs describes it on its own website as “unmissable”.

The attraction was closed on 11 September and is expected to reopen on 20 October. Center Parcs notified guests who’d already booked of the closure on 9 August. Visitors who requested to change their holiday dates or move to another Center Parcs location were told that it wasn’t possible.

But now more than 400 people have joined a Facebook group to complain about the company’s treatment, saying that Center Parcs knew the attraction would be closed, even before requesting final payment.

Center Parcs requires guests to pay a deposit of £75 or 30 per cent (whichever is greater) to secure a booking, and the balance to be settled 10 weeks before their stay.

“Coincidentally they decided to send this email [of 9 August] right after full payment of the holiday was taken on 7 August,” Megan Cook, from Southampton, wrote in the group.

A spokesperson for Center Parcs told The Independent that Longleat became aware of problems with the Wild Water Rapids in July, when it closed a portion of the ride for repairs. During those works, “it became clear that what was required was a more extensive and more urgent repair,” he said.

Contractors were appointed on 4 August, the spokesperson confirmed. Guests were notified five days later – but not before many had settled their final balance.

Many of the guests affected say that they booked their holiday at Longleat Forest specifically for the Wild Water Rapids – because of its suitability for most ages and health conditions. “We have spent around 70 hours on the rapids between our whole group, based on previous stays,” Tracy Critchley, from Bridgwater, Somerset, told The Independent.

They say that although they asked Center Parcs if they could change dates or move to another location – even offering to pay any price difference – the company refused, despite having availability at other locations. The company's terms and conditions state that guests aren’t allowed to amend or cancel bookings less than 10 weeks before their stay.

Center Parcs told The Independent that “Any guests booking their break after this date [9 August] will have seen an advisory note before making their booking requesting that they check the Village News” – the news centre on its website.

Yet several people on the Facebook group say they were not aware of the closure until after booking. Anna Hill, a local government officer from Bristol, told The Independent, “I booked on 15 August, and got the email informing me of the closure exactly a week later on 22 August.”

Nine weeks after announcing the ride’s closure, Center Parcs still lists “the unmissable Wild Water Rapids which carries you along a series of dips and dives” as an attraction at its Longleat location. The only notification of the closure on the website is on the Village News page – accessible via a link on the homepage.

When The Independent made a dummy booking for Longleat, a small pop-up appeared advising of “planned project works” and suggesting we check the Village News page – though it did not provide any link. There was no specific mention that Wild Water Rapids would be closed.

The Center Parcs spokesperson says that Wild Water Rapids is “only one part of the overall experience” and that two new rides opened at Longleat in August. He said that they decided not to offer any form of compensation to the affected guests “due to the new facilities”.

Yet many guests have noted that the new additions – Typhoon and Tropic Cyclone – are “thrill rides” which are not suitable for all ages and incur long queuing times. What’s more, several guests in the Facebook group and on TripAdvisor claim that some of the other facilities were also unavailable during their stay. The Center Parcs spokesperson says they are looking into whether any rides were closed or pools were cold - another complaint - during this period.

And while the ride is due to reopen again next week, many of those affected by the closure won’t be back to try it out. Marian Dickons, of Ipswich, told The Independent, “I certainly won't be going again over the next few years. Their customer service had been absolutely appalling. I'm amazed that such a company can treat its customers so badly."

Update: A Center Parcs representative told The Independent: "Of the 11 features within the Subtropical Swimming Paradise at Longleat Forest, it is true we had minor issues with one of our new water rides. Tropical Cyclone was closed for one day and one evening. As with any specialist structure, there can occasionally be teething problems in the weeks following installation but these are reported and rectified as quickly as possible. New features Typhoon, Venture Harbour and Venture Bay have remained in good working order throughout.

The temperature of the pools does occasionally fluctuate within pre-set parameters. Temperatures are being maintained within these acceptable margins."