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It may not be the first type of holiday that springs to mind when you think of celebrities, but even the most glamorous of stars aren't above going to Center Parcs with the kids.
Despite numerous complaints in recent years about the middle-class holiday park's 'criminal' prices, 'tacky' food options, and drunken louts ruining the serene atmosphere, the likes of Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury and Scarlett Moffatt have headed to Center Parcs for a UK staycation.
Some celebs - including Kate and Rio Ferdinand - even love it so much they return again and again.
The latest star to holiday in Center Parcs is Dani Dyer, having recently returned from a week at the Woburn, Bedfordshire, resort with her son Santiago, five, and two-year-old twins, Summer and Star.
The former Love Island winner, who's married to West Ham football captain Jarrod Bowen, was seen enjoying a dip at the indoor tropical swimming pool, cycling around the park, and eating pancakes.
Commenting on Instagram, in response to a pal, she said their holiday was 'soooo fun! I’m shattered but it was great.'
Replying to someone else, she confirmed she'll 'definitely go back' at some point.
I'm A Celebrity star Scarlett Moffatt also went to Center Parcs for the first time recently, opting for the Whinfell Forest park in the Lake District, with her two-year-old son, Jude.
The latest star to holiday in Center Parcs is Dani Dyer, having recently returned from a week at the Woburn, Bedfordshire, resort with her son Santiago, five, and two-year-old twins, Summer and Star
Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague have also been - although they weren't happy about having to 'fend for themselves'
I'm A Celebrity star Scarlett Moffatt also went to Center Parcs for the first time recently, opting for the Whinfell Forest park in the Lake District, with her two-year-old son, Jude
In a video posted to Instagram, Jude can be seen enjoying the Barn Owl experience, which Scarlett said is '100 per cent worth it', as well as the Mini Golf and Mini Trek, which she also recommends for little ones.
Scarlett also noted the 'swimming pool is amazing' - but warned her followers not to book the cabanas if they want to save a bit of cash.
She added: 'Not worth the money in my opinion - you're barely in it and you'll spend most of your time in the pool anyway.'
Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle had a similar opinion to Scarlett after he went in August last year with his two children, Chester and Primrose, and girlfriend Maia Ellen.
Despite confessing he thought it was going to be 'cheap and tacky', he instead found some of the activities and food to be 'pricey', revealing he'd spent £100 on a pottery session.
Writing on Instagram, he advised his followers: 'Activities are good but can be pricey for what they are... don't over book them maybe 1/2 a day max plus swimming.
'Take your own bikes if possible and a big shop and eat in your cabin as some places can be pricey and it's nice to have a rest in the cabin.
'We ate out on nights but in future would do that once maybe and just eat in and chill.'
Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle noted how expensive Center Parcs was - and ended up splashing out £100 on pottery
He added: 'Be careful on things like pottery where you have to pay to do it and then buy your pottery haha. Four people and all of a sudden you're £100 down.'
But when Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury went with their daughter Bambi, now four, in 2024, the former Love Island star had a very different complaint, having been so used to being waited on hand and foot in luxury hotels in Dubai.
Molly-Mae told her millions of followers in a YouTube video: 'So what I didn’t realise with Center Parcs is that you rent the lodge for the weekend, and you fend for yourself. You fend for yourself, like, you can’t call up for anything.
'Then, when you run out [of toilet roll], you will run out. And if you’ve not brought toilet roll with you, you’re gonna have to just wipe with air, because no one’s gonna help you there.'
While Molly-Mae is unlikely to ever return to Center Parcs - especially without a full family pack of Andrex in tow - there are some celebs who have returned more than once.
In 2023, Kate and Rio Ferdinand took their daughter Shae, now two, on holiday there for the first time, along with their five-year old son Cree, as well as Rio's children Lorenz, 19, Tate, 17, and Tia, 14.
Sharing a collection of sweet pictures from the UK staycation, including a snap of Cree on a bike, Kate wrote: 'Fun few days in Center Parcs with the family. Cree is my dare devil, riding round with one hand.'
It's not the first time the former England footballer and TOWIE star opted for Center Parcs over Dubai.
Tommy Fury with his and Molly-Mae's daughter Bambi at Center Parcs
Molly-Mae wasn't impressed with running out of toilet roll during the trip
They went the previous year too, as a post-lockdown treat for the family - and, in photos, were seen cycling around and wearing matching pyjamas as they watched a film together.
At the time, Kate wrote: 'Back from the best couple of days in Center Parcs!
'We haven't been since Pre lockdown, forgot how much fun it is....(& how tiring).'
She added: 'Cree is obsessed with bikes, this was like heaven for him. I've never seen him so happy the whole trip, he just couldn't believe how fun everything was, bless him.'
Another family who have holidayed at Center Parcs more than once is the Radfords.
Britain's biggest family enjoyed a festive outing there in Christmas 2023, with parents Sue and Noel taking some of their 22 children to the Winter Wonderland experience at the holiday site.
One clip on their Instagram saw everyone marvelling at a huge Christmas tree arch which featured fun interchanging fairy lights, while another also saw the crew enjoying the winter decor, with one area adorned to look like an elf's front yard.
The holiday came two years after Sue and Noel surprised their big brood with a trip to Center Parcs in 2021.
Britain's biggest family, the Radfords have been to Center Parcs more than once
Kate and Rio Ferdinand are also returning customers
In 2023, Kate and Rio took their daughter Shae, now two, on holiday there for the first time, along with their five-year old son Cree, as well as Rio's children Lorenz, 19, Tate, 17, and Tia, 14
They went the previous year too, as a post-lockdown treat for the family - and, in photos, were seen cycling around and wearing matching pyjamas as they watched a film together
In a YouTube video at the time, Sue said: 'Kids have enjoyed playing out, they’ve been playing out until about 9pm tonight and worn themselves out. Finally gone to sleep so hopefully we might get a lie in in the morning you never know.'
Meanwhile, with many Center Parcs-goers complaining of the rip-off prices in the UK holiday parks, The One Show presenter Alex Jones cleverly chose to head on the Le Shuttle to a branch in Belgium for five nights, where it's cheaper, in 2023.
She said on Instagram: 'It was incredibly quick and then drove from Calais. It was around three hours.
'The children had the time of their lives with lots to do to suit all of their ages. Some activities were more geared towards older children but there was still plenty of choice for little ones.
'They especially loved the giant soft play and the pool and slides which we went to every day! It was ideal as a the weather wasn't particularly kind.
'We usually prefer more rustic/ organic holidays, but glad we tried it. Also, it would seem that the European Center Parcs are quite a lot cheaper than the UK ones (even with the travel) so definitely a good option if you want to give it a go.'
The extortionate prices of the UK Center Parcs are the main reason why many middle class families are turning their backs on the holiday parks, a PR expert previously claimed, adding the activity holiday brand once adored by well-heeled travellers can now feel like 'a Wetherspoons experience at Mayfair prices'.
Ongoing criticism over high holiday costs and 'too mainstream' dining options at Center Parcs - plus the bizarre decision to try and evict guests ahead of the Queen's funeral in 2022 - haven't helped the holiday operator's image in recent years.
The One Show presenter Alex Jones headed to Center Parcs in Belgium to cut the costs
Some two million visitors spend their holidays at the UK's five Center Parc villages in the UK every year - but are the middle class families who once loved the brand opting for other holidays now? (Pictured: The brand's signature Subtropical Swimming Paradise)
The first Center Parcs to open on UK soil was in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire in 1987 (pictured)...and the well-heeled couldn't get enough of the Dutch activity holiday brand
One Daily Mail journalist, who's visited all five UK parks, described them recently as 'a bit tacky and out-of-date - or, you could say, just plain naff'.
It's a far cry from where Center Parcs was in the early 90s - when booking a holiday at the first village in Sherwood Forest, which opened in 1987, suggested one subscribed to an active, wholesome lifestyle.
And, crucially, it told people you could afford the not-inexpensive price tag - a Center Parcs holiday was once a status symbol to be flaunted in the way that a big TV or an expensive car might be.
Those heading off on more modest traditional English getaways - a caravan in Great Yarmouth, or a camping trip to Devon - dreamed of escaping to this man-made nirvana in a woodland setting, with its futuristic domed swimming pool and dizzying array of activities.
Nearly 40 years on, four more UK villages in picturesque settings have been added, at Elveden, Longleat, Whinfell and Woburn forests, with a Scottish Borders village set to open in 2029.
While many maintain that a Center Parcs break is 'worth every penny', others have suggested that even a short break in the school holidays is out of reach for many families.
Earlier this year, the rising costs of Center Parcs breaks sparked a backlash from British holidaymakers searching for a family holiday, saying the inflation in prices during the school holidays was 'criminal'.
A one-week holiday this October half-term in a standard two-bed self-catering woodland lodge for a family of four at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire racks up at from around £3,148.
Since then, the brand - different to Center Parcs Europe, which is often cheaper - has expanded to sites at Elveden, Longleat, Whinfell and Woburn forests, with a Scottish Borders village set to open in 2029
Swish: A sixth park will open in the Scottish Borders in 2029 between Hawick and Selkirk. A spokesperson for Center Parcs told Daily Mail the brand invests 'tens of millions of pounds improving our villages to ensure we meet their expectations'
While access to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise pool and a selection of playgrounds is free, almost every other activity comes with a charge - with bikes from around £160 per family (if booked in advance), paintballing coming in at around £50pp and spa treatments from £99 for body and face treatments.
Add in dining on-site - including at Cafe Rouge, The Pancake House, Starbucks and Bella Italia - and a seven-night holiday is the wrong side of £5,000.
Even self-catering can sting; a TikToker posting earlier this year said he felt 'dizzy' at the price of a Cook-branded lasagne sold in the supermarket at the Whinfell Forest village, exclaiming in the short video: '£40 for two lasagnes!'
How do other holidays compare cost-wise? Upmarket Forestholidays.co.uk has a two-bed lodge in Blackwood Forest in Hampshire the same week in October for £2,195, which comes with a hot tub, Arran of Scotland products and underfloor heating.
At Butlin's Bognor Regis, a similar two-bed apartment will set you back just £1,064 for four, with pool access and fairground rides included.
Activities at the site's new PlayXperience entertainment centre start from £9pp for neon mini golf, with spa sessions from £25 for two hours.
And the food options have been labeled tacky too.
A partnership with The Big Table, which owns Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge, means both restaurants feature at Center Parcs.
The world's most famous coffee chain oversees hot drinks at Center Parcs...but some have suggested independent outlets would be preferred by some guests
The two eateries once enjoyed high-street locations across the country but have increasingly disappeared from view, with The Big Table shedding 700 jobs during its last financial year.
Other collaborations, with Starbucks and The Pancake House, have done little to make Center Parcs's guests feel like they're enjoying a high-end experience - a hard sell when families are paying thousands for a holiday.
Branding and marketing expert Chad Teixeira previously said its an own goal if the brand wants to keep attracting big spending families.
He told the Daily Mail: 'Center Parcs has long been positioned as the quintessential middle-class holiday with its safe, familiar and aspirational image without being unattainable.'
'However, the issue now is that its brand promise hasn’t evolved in line with consumer expectations.
'For years, families accepted the premium because it delivered a controlled and convenient environment, but now the same middle-class audience has far more choice – from affordable boutique breaks in Europe to high-quality domestic alternatives that feel fresher and better value.'
Teixeira said enjoying dining out is fundamental to any successful family holiday and that Center Parcs' offering is simply too mainstream.
He explained: 'One of the sharpest points of frustration is the food for customers, and that’s where there is often noise on social media and bad reviews.
'Rather than offering distinctive, place-led dining, Center Parcs has doubled down on high street chains like Starbucks, Café Rouge, Bella Italia and others. On paper, these are safe bets. In reality, they strip the holiday of uniqueness and it’s at risk of becoming bland and mainstream.
'Customers paying luxury-level prices don’t want a dining experience that feels identical to their local retail park. It comes across as lazy, generic, and formulaic, ultimately undermining the sense of escape people are seeking.'
The brand expert added: 'Center Parcs is also in danger of being left behind as the middle-class consumer is becoming increasingly savvy. They research and compare before making a booking, and they expect authenticity and design as well as culinary quality to justify a premium price point.
'Center Parcs’ current formula struggles to deliver on those emotional drivers. Instead, it risks being seen as an expensive but underwhelming option, essentially a Wetherspoons experience at Mayfair prices.'
But the influx of celebs heading to Center Parcs may help people return to seeing it as it was in its early 90s heyday.
Responding to Teixeira's comments, a spokesperson for Center Parcs said: 'We offer our guests a wide choice of food and beverage options, including our own much-loved brands like Huck's, the Pancake House and Rajinda Pradesh.
'We are constantly looking at how we can enhance our restaurant offering and recently introduced a new premium gastropub, The Dozing Duck, at Sherwood Forest which is proving hugely popular with our guests.'
