How much Butlins has changed over the years, it is now all about the money and this is now more apparent by the whole experience. As a family, we have many fond memories of family holidays at Barry with our parents and taking our children to Butlins Minehead as a family we have been coming since the late 70s We haven't been since 2020 due to the pandemic. so when we saw the weekend was reasonably priced my sister and I decided to go and take our three now teenage children two of the children have Autism and were so excited about coming to Butlins again. but sadly it didn't live up to expectation and after one night we left! On arrival at Butlins, we checked in through the drive-throughs this was a positive experience it saved all the queuing in the check-in areas. we weren't able to get on site until noon and not in our room until 3 pm but this didn't worry us as we planned to go for a swim while it was still quiet, when we arrived at the pool we were told it was shut till 2 pm and some of the slides weren't opening even the outdoor pool was shut so we decided to go and have a sit in the Pavilion, nothing was happening, and the fair was shut. The only thing to do was use the machines. Why do Butlins let you on-site at 12 if they have nothing to entertain families. At 2 pm we then joined the queues to get into the swimming pool, the changing rooms are not regularly cleaned as there was blood on the floor, the smell of urine, and the protective covers of bikini briefs are stuck on the cubicle walls. Our accommodation at Holicote Village was a comfort plus that we were told on booking was renovated during the lockdown, it had new carpet, beds, and sofas but had holes in the doors filled with filler, and the fridge leaked, the paintwork was tired but we weren't bothered by this as we were only using it to sleep in. The dining hall was crowded and the tables and chairs were sticky and the whole dining room really needs a good clean. The entertainment in Reds on Friday evening was pitched to very young children, we didn't stay for the banger bingo, as watching four red coats competing against each other to see who could empty the tissues from a box in the fastest time and then cover themselves in foam. The redcoat shows always used to be fun but this wasn't even entertaining. Reds smells of wet dogs, the carpets were sticky and my daughter's feet were squelching on the toilet floor. When we returned to our accommodation we were woken at midnight by a large family who was having a drink and drugged fueled party banging music, shouting the children were playing football. after a number of attempts, we managed to speak with security who did come and speak with them and asked them to stop the noise, the security left but the party carried on in the accommodation till 2.30 am we had footballs being kicked against the wall but by this time security were not answering the phones. The following day after less than 4 hours of sleep we spoke with guest services to ask if we could move as both of the children with ASD were struggling, otherwise, we would have to leave. The security team had reported back that they were expecting another night like before but would regularly monitor them, We weren't prepared to put our already worried children through another evening like this and explained that taking a chance that security could deal with it quick enough wasn't an option for us, as leaving Butlins at 2 am would be too distressing for the children. we offered to be separated so we could stay but guest services stuck to they had no other accommodation even though we saw empty rooms, so on Saturday after 24hrs of arrival we left the resort with very upset children and will never return again. The place is tired and needs a complete overhaul and deep clean. So much money is spent on the outsides the flower beds were beautiful, shame the same amount of money isn't spent improving the interiors and entertainment. Butlins needs to look again at there behaviour standards policy
Rebecca M
The service, communication and lack of help provided when needed. I haven’t even arrived for my second trip this year to Butlins which were booked last year and I am already dreading it. I visited over Easter and am due to arrive next week to Minehead. Butlins have in place a booking system you must log into to book the evening entertainment and day time activities for the children. During my visit over Easter I wasn’t aware that this was the case but when I found out I tried to log in to book and was only able to book a few activities (at no point did I receive an email notifying me that I needed to do this) anyway, it wasn’t a big deal at the time as I still managed to get on to 2 activities over our 5 night stay. Since this I was mindful of the booking system so have been checking daily for the week I am going to be opened to take bookings - the notice kept staying “we will email you once you are able to book onto activities” or along them lines.. I am due to arrive next Monday so thought I’d best check again on the app as Butlins were cutting it a bit fine… ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES ARE FULLY BOOKED! Yet again.. I hadn’t received the email telling me the week of activities is now open to taking bookings. I have been emailing and calling Butlins all day to be told there is nothing that can be done. I would strongly advise anyone considering making a late booking to Butlins seriously reconsiders this as you won’t be able to attend the entertainment or the activities. You will be able to go into Reds and Swimming but that’s about it.
Redross83
Rubbish! I’m writing this as I’m stood outside our apartment, locked out because the card reader is broken, waiting for maintenance. Apparently, maintenance are busy because this has been quite common today. As we’re waiting, there are guests swearing and shouting. So two hours after our room should be ready, we’re stood with our young children in 30 degrees heat waiting. Guest services were unhelpful and we are discussing whether to drive 5 hours home. My advice: if you want to visit Butlins, go to Skegness.
TracyH410
Magical family weekend stay ...accommodation spot on n met all our needs.Well worth paying that bit extra for great quality. Something for everyone to see n do. Will be returning again next year.See you soon.
204ravenc
Omg! I wasn’t expecting much for my £248 weekend … but what we found was nothing short of a horror movie! We arrived at Keel no2 pacific wharf “silver “ apparently , I feel so sorry for anyone in bronze!? So we arrived to the strongest smell of smoke even though there was a no smoking sign! I tried to make light of it by thinking it’s obviously years of smoking still drenched in the (sticky stained carpet) but then I spotted two butts on the floor under the tv stand! So obviously no hoover and the previous occupant had ignored the smoking rule! Nice! I decided to open the curtains to get to the windows get some fresh air in! My hand felt dampness … on closer inspection I was horrified to see the curtain was covered in sticky old vomit!!! Yes that’s not a typo! I tried to contact butlins to help us … but I literally got nowhere I tried on-site but everywhere was understaffed or shut! It was after 6pm checkin which now I realised it was so I couldn’t get hold of them! I literally scrubbed the curtains and tried to make the most of it underplayed my anxiety as I didn’t want to upset my children. I then went to the Reds bar for a drink … on arrival the queue for the bar was so long we gave up. On the second y day I tried to get help again but there’s literally no one around! I phoned the number to book as it was only number picking up the woman said she would put me through and I got cut off ten times!!!!!! I took the children to dunster castle … came back took them to the pool (another disaster) I just gave up and came home. Still no word from butlins. I was expecting cleanliness at the very least but sadly we found a horror show of cigarettes butts, vomit, stains and we think urine on the carpet mould in the shower and strange painted over stains on the walls. I’m literally traumatised x please please do not go to this place! They should be closed down!
Ken P
Stayed in a Comfort Apartment with our family, broken bottles and glass all over on arrival which was later cleared after request. Apartment's are very worn and outdated, rubbish left in several rooms from previous stays. Disabled help was non existent, notified weeks prior to stay however when we arrived the only disabled parking is right next to the regular carpark and nowhere near out apartment. Were told we could drive round to park closer but after speaking with 4 members of staff to find out how to get round we gave up. The entertainment and activities are what makes Butlins worth the stay, so much for children to do all week, can't fault that side of it at all. Would be such an amazing holiday if they put effort into the state of the accommodation.
GARYBWiltshire_Uk
Stayed in Oyster bay. Room is tired. Door fastening hanging off with screws sticking out. Door looks like it was found in a skip. Two nights in a row woken up by a fire alarm going off for over half and hour. Bit worrying if there was a real fire? Where’s security? Opposite our accommodation was a building site. Then woken at 7am by them drilling and throwing scrap into a van. Thanks for that. Prats. Tbf the evening show venues are decent and the staff all pretty good especially in the fish and chip restaurant. The place is just soo tired. Some accommodation looks like a POW camp and some of the guests have no respect for the place, leaving crap everywhere.
Stay54300672991
On a very recent trip here to Butlins Minehead, we arrived to find our room smelling very strong of paint. There was paint on the furniture and splattered on the bathroom floor, and for some reason they had decided to paint one side of the bathroom door is wall paint. On the second night I had to sit outside at 3am just to breathe in some fresh air after coughing the majority of the night. We signed up for the WiFi upgrade ( as the free Butlins one never worked) that never connected……which after being on the phone to a guy for an hour finally told us that the WiFi would definitely be sorted by the next morning as something was down their end. However, 18:45 the next evening and still nothing so we asked for a refund. To make matters worse the television in the room didn’t work either. Awful.
Lynn C
Accommodation was basic but ok except for the door lock which was broken and looked like someone had forced the lock, reported four times but was still broken when we left 5 days later. The whole place is shabby, even the newer chalets have peeling paint. The food is poor quality and extremely overpriced, and the restaurants closed so early despite the large number of guests. The chair seats in the Beachcomber were absolutely filthy, we didnt set foot in there again. There is a strange sewerage smell which wafts about, but that was nothing compared to the overpowering smell of cannabis which meant that we had to keep all the windows closed during the really hot weather, having a large group of pot heads puffing away outside the rooms wasnt my idea of a family holiday. Needless to say we won't be back.
N4743SYlucyr
I'm honestly shocked reading some of these bad reviews because what we experienced must have been world apart. We stayed in Damson Green and the accommodation was faultless. We have high standards when it comes to cleanliness and it genuinely was spotless. Everything was is such a good state of repair. After spending a previous holiday in Pontins we sort of expected the same awful standards at Butlins, but it was world's away from that. The range of activities offered was brilliant. There were always free entertainment everyday. Splash Waterworld was brilliant. The were cleaners in the changing rooms throughout the day, lifeguards covering every part of the pools and the slides were great. The range of entertainment options in the night was great. The cleanliness of the whole resort was on point. There weren't many different rides, but considering the fairground is free for guests it was great. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The range food options available meant there is something for everyone.
Restaurantji Recommends
bitzywoo
I’ve just done my first ever adults weekend at butlins and it will be my last. The accommodation was absolutely vile. The toilet seat was broken, there was food all in the handle of the fridge, the carpets and furniture were filthy. The oven didn’t work. Found two potatoes frozen in the freezer section of the fridge. I probably left the room cleaner than when I found it. There are not enough staff behind the bars to accommodate the sheer volume of people, food places didn’t stay open late enough considering the amin t of people staying out until the early hours. I left a day early as I just did not want to be there any longer. Good luck to anyone wanting to go here.
stash85
The last time I came here was 8 years ago and I said never again. I should have stuck to that. Came here for back to 2000s weekend with my friends & we were literally counting down the hours until it was home time. First of all when we booked we were told 3pm check in. Arrive on time to then be told 6pm to get in the room. Thankfully a kind housekeeper gave us the heads up that the apartment was actually ready but the key wouldn’t be activated until 6pm. She let us in so we could put our stuff inside. The apartment itself was relatively clean it’s not until you start noticing the smaller detail - duvet cover was ripped with holes everywhere, stains on the sheet, sofa was stained and had a funny smell to it. Nothing seemed to be open for long on an adult weekend! Funfair (the worlds most un fun funfair) was only open 11-3, same with the pool, golf, high ropes and basically anything other than drinking to entertain yourself. The firehouse grill was alright for something half decent to eat and the drinks reasonably priced. I left a review 8 years ago and nothing seems to have changed since then. Back to 2000s? Possibly scraping the barrel there, on the advert it said many more to be announced - there was no more announced and literally just the first ones they put on the line up. Big queues at the bar in the evenings, toilets were vile. Severely under staffed but those who were working were friendly enough. Maybe I’ll come back in another 8 years time.
leicesterbased
Firstly the accommodation - west side chalets we’re fantastic, spotlessly clean, daily housekeeping offered, nicely decorated and very quiet little area Once you walked out this area it all went a bit downhill. The rest of the site looked outdated and run down. We bought a food package and the food was ok… but can echo other comments of people piling up plates and no organisation of clear start and end points of queue. Desserts went quickly… best part was the ice cream but the queues were around 10 mins. Tables were sticky , had to use wipes to clean chairs So things to do, I have a 3 year old and this was all for him. Indoor fairground run down and in need of some love, there was always a ride shut at one time which wasn’t ideal. The giant slide was slow and children kept getting stuck on it, best part was the train but again long queues Soft play awful… wasn’t the cleanest and no organisation The swimming pool was the biggest disappointment! Went once and refused to let my child go again. The changing rooms were AWFUL, felt so dirty The pool was packed and no organisation Nothing for a toddler except a tiny slide that was pointless Hated the whole experience and the pool was meant to be one of the things we were going for Play areas need updating, outdoor fairground is outdated and nothing is ever open! When they did open the odd ride they would then shut another, waste of time I fully appreciate butlins isn’t the centre parcs standard but would much prefer spending more money going there and enjoying ourselves than be bored and disappointed As Iv said the accommodation was lovely so it’s definitely worth paying a bit more to have that else the whole holiday would have been a disappointment
148daynak
We spent the few weeks running up to our holiday excited, as we had not visited Butlin’s before and were overdue a holiday. We were dissapointed when we first arrived as we had travelled for a few hours and although we could not check in to our room until 4pm we were aware we could use the facilities onsite from 1pm. I’m not sure what facilities we would have been able to use being all restaurants onsite were closed including Burger King and half the activities available were closed. We had three very hungry and bored children who did not want to spend another 30 minutes in the car trying to find somewhere to eat. When we checked into our room the smell was extremely fousty, being they should have been cleaned the same day it’s not what you would expect. The toilet had not been cleaned properly there was still bits of feaces in the toilet, the carpets were filthy, the bedding had stains on the sheets along with the sofas. The curtains were not clean, this was something we could look past maybe until we opened them to find large amounts of bird poo on the inside of one of them (this bird poo was dry and crispy, windows were shut on arrival this couldn’t have happened at any point after we arrived). Went to use the bin to find there were spots of food/mould where the bin had not been cleaned. Microwave had food on the outside on one of the sides and the living room carpet had definitely not been hoovered. My daughter also found two balls under the settee that were not hers or ours - not too much of an issue however this just shows the lack of thorough inspection before signing this apartment off as been cleaned. Regardless of what accommodation you stay in, you may not pay for the most modern/ or sophisticated room however the hygiene standards should be the same for each and every room. We were lucky enough to be able to make the most of our holiday using some of the facilities onsite however we found the concrete corridor leading to the pavilion smells like dirty nappies, the resort itself smelt like urine in many areas. Every time we needed to change our daughters nappy we would have to walk to the inn on the green as there were not enough allocated changing rooms for children (if there were they were not clearly visible). The day before we were due to come home my daughter wanted to cash her tokens in for prizes from the arcade, considering the resort accommodates up to 10, 000 people there was a stupidly long queue with only one person serving meaning many of us had to stand in a queue for almost an hour with little ones you can imagine this wasn’t easy. We had no plans to stay the final night and left a day early. We would definitely not visit Butlin’s Minehead again, we have been spoilt in the past by the likes of haven and park Dean resorts with their great night time entertainment, their thoroughly clean accommodation and their extremely helpful and friendly staff. I would definitely not recommend Butlin’s Minehead to anyone mainly on the grounds of extremely poor hygiene/ cleanliness.
charmain2009
Just came back from a 4 night stay at Butlin’s, all the shows, swimming, food, great but our seaside lodge was not cleaned properly, the sofa and mirror was dirty, tables could do with a repaint, mattress protector had a blood stain on it. Will come back!
How much Butlins has changed over the years, it is now all about the money and this is now more apparent by the whole experience. As a family, we have many fond memories of family holidays at Barry with our parents and taking our children to Butlins Minehead as a family we have been coming since the late 70s We haven't been since 2020 due to the pandemic. so when we saw the weekend was reasonably priced my sister and I decided to go and take our three now teenage children two of the children have Autism and were so excited about coming to Butlins again. but sadly it didn't live up to expectation and after one night we left! On arrival at Butlins, we checked in through the drive-throughs this was a positive experience it saved all the queuing in the check-in areas. we weren't able to get on site until noon and not in our room until 3 pm but this didn't worry us as we planned to go for a swim while it was still quiet, when we arrived at the pool we were told it was shut till 2 pm and some of the slides weren't opening even the outdoor pool was shut so we decided to go and have a sit in the Pavilion, nothing was happening, and the fair was shut. The only thing to do was use the machines. Why do Butlins let you on-site at 12 if they have nothing to entertain families. At 2 pm we then joined the queues to get into the swimming pool, the changing rooms are not regularly cleaned as there was blood on the floor, the smell of urine, and the protective covers of bikini briefs are stuck on the cubicle walls. Our accommodation at Holicote Village was a comfort plus that we were told on booking was renovated during the lockdown, it had new carpet, beds, and sofas but had holes in the doors filled with filler, and the fridge leaked, the paintwork was tired but we weren't bothered by this as we were only using it to sleep in. The dining hall was crowded and the tables and chairs were sticky and the whole dining room really needs a good clean. The entertainment in Reds on Friday evening was pitched to very young children, we didn't stay for the banger bingo, as watching four red coats competing against each other to see who could empty the tissues from a box in the fastest time and then cover themselves in foam. The redcoat shows always used to be fun but this wasn't even entertaining. Reds smells of wet dogs, the carpets were sticky and my daughter's feet were squelching on the toilet floor. When we returned to our accommodation we were woken at midnight by a large family who was having a drink and drugged fueled party banging music, shouting the children were playing football. after a number of attempts, we managed to speak with security who did come and speak with them and asked them to stop the noise, the security left but the party carried on in the accommodation till 2.30 am we had footballs being kicked against the wall but by this time security were not answering the phones. The following day after less than 4 hours of sleep we spoke with guest services to ask if we could move as both of the children with ASD were struggling, otherwise, we would have to leave. The security team had reported back that they were expecting another night like before but would regularly monitor them, We weren't prepared to put our already worried children through another evening like this and explained that taking a chance that security could deal with it quick enough wasn't an option for us, as leaving Butlins at 2 am would be too distressing for the children. we offered to be separated so we could stay but guest services stuck to they had no other accommodation even though we saw empty rooms, so on Saturday after 24hrs of arrival we left the resort with very upset children and will never return again. The place is tired and needs a complete overhaul and deep clean. So much money is spent on the outsides the flower beds were beautiful, shame the same amount of money isn't spent improving the interiors and entertainment. Butlins needs to look again at there behaviour standards policy
The service, communication and lack of help provided when needed. I haven’t even arrived for my second trip this year to Butlins which were booked last year and I am already dreading it. I visited over Easter and am due to arrive next week to Minehead. Butlins have in place a booking system you must log into to book the evening entertainment and day time activities for the children. During my visit over Easter I wasn’t aware that this was the case but when I found out I tried to log in to book and was only able to book a few activities (at no point did I receive an email notifying me that I needed to do this) anyway, it wasn’t a big deal at the time as I still managed to get on to 2 activities over our 5 night stay. Since this I was mindful of the booking system so have been checking daily for the week I am going to be opened to take bookings - the notice kept staying “we will email you once you are able to book onto activities” or along them lines.. I am due to arrive next Monday so thought I’d best check again on the app as Butlins were cutting it a bit fine… ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES ARE FULLY BOOKED! Yet again.. I hadn’t received the email telling me the week of activities is now open to taking bookings. I have been emailing and calling Butlins all day to be told there is nothing that can be done. I would strongly advise anyone considering making a late booking to Butlins seriously reconsiders this as you won’t be able to attend the entertainment or the activities. You will be able to go into Reds and Swimming but that’s about it.
Rubbish! I’m writing this as I’m stood outside our apartment, locked out because the card reader is broken, waiting for maintenance. Apparently, maintenance are busy because this has been quite common today. As we’re waiting, there are guests swearing and shouting. So two hours after our room should be ready, we’re stood with our young children in 30 degrees heat waiting. Guest services were unhelpful and we are discussing whether to drive 5 hours home. My advice: if you want to visit Butlins, go to Skegness.
Magical family weekend stay ...accommodation spot on n met all our needs.Well worth paying that bit extra for great quality. Something for everyone to see n do. Will be returning again next year.See you soon.
Omg! I wasn’t expecting much for my £248 weekend … but what we found was nothing short of a horror movie! We arrived at Keel no2 pacific wharf “silver “ apparently , I feel so sorry for anyone in bronze!? So we arrived to the strongest smell of smoke even though there was a no smoking sign! I tried to make light of it by thinking it’s obviously years of smoking still drenched in the (sticky stained carpet) but then I spotted two butts on the floor under the tv stand! So obviously no hoover and the previous occupant had ignored the smoking rule! Nice! I decided to open the curtains to get to the windows get some fresh air in! My hand felt dampness … on closer inspection I was horrified to see the curtain was covered in sticky old vomit!!! Yes that’s not a typo! I tried to contact butlins to help us … but I literally got nowhere I tried on-site but everywhere was understaffed or shut! It was after 6pm checkin which now I realised it was so I couldn’t get hold of them! I literally scrubbed the curtains and tried to make the most of it underplayed my anxiety as I didn’t want to upset my children. I then went to the Reds bar for a drink … on arrival the queue for the bar was so long we gave up. On the second y day I tried to get help again but there’s literally no one around! I phoned the number to book as it was only number picking up the woman said she would put me through and I got cut off ten times!!!!!! I took the children to dunster castle … came back took them to the pool (another disaster) I just gave up and came home. Still no word from butlins. I was expecting cleanliness at the very least but sadly we found a horror show of cigarettes butts, vomit, stains and we think urine on the carpet mould in the shower and strange painted over stains on the walls. I’m literally traumatised x please please do not go to this place! They should be closed down!
Stayed in a Comfort Apartment with our family, broken bottles and glass all over on arrival which was later cleared after request. Apartment's are very worn and outdated, rubbish left in several rooms from previous stays. Disabled help was non existent, notified weeks prior to stay however when we arrived the only disabled parking is right next to the regular carpark and nowhere near out apartment. Were told we could drive round to park closer but after speaking with 4 members of staff to find out how to get round we gave up. The entertainment and activities are what makes Butlins worth the stay, so much for children to do all week, can't fault that side of it at all. Would be such an amazing holiday if they put effort into the state of the accommodation.
Stayed in Oyster bay. Room is tired. Door fastening hanging off with screws sticking out. Door looks like it was found in a skip. Two nights in a row woken up by a fire alarm going off for over half and hour. Bit worrying if there was a real fire? Where’s security? Opposite our accommodation was a building site. Then woken at 7am by them drilling and throwing scrap into a van. Thanks for that. Prats. Tbf the evening show venues are decent and the staff all pretty good especially in the fish and chip restaurant. The place is just soo tired. Some accommodation looks like a POW camp and some of the guests have no respect for the place, leaving crap everywhere.
On a very recent trip here to Butlins Minehead, we arrived to find our room smelling very strong of paint. There was paint on the furniture and splattered on the bathroom floor, and for some reason they had decided to paint one side of the bathroom door is wall paint. On the second night I had to sit outside at 3am just to breathe in some fresh air after coughing the majority of the night. We signed up for the WiFi upgrade ( as the free Butlins one never worked) that never connected……which after being on the phone to a guy for an hour finally told us that the WiFi would definitely be sorted by the next morning as something was down their end. However, 18:45 the next evening and still nothing so we asked for a refund. To make matters worse the television in the room didn’t work either. Awful.
Accommodation was basic but ok except for the door lock which was broken and looked like someone had forced the lock, reported four times but was still broken when we left 5 days later. The whole place is shabby, even the newer chalets have peeling paint. The food is poor quality and extremely overpriced, and the restaurants closed so early despite the large number of guests. The chair seats in the Beachcomber were absolutely filthy, we didnt set foot in there again. There is a strange sewerage smell which wafts about, but that was nothing compared to the overpowering smell of cannabis which meant that we had to keep all the windows closed during the really hot weather, having a large group of pot heads puffing away outside the rooms wasnt my idea of a family holiday. Needless to say we won't be back.
I'm honestly shocked reading some of these bad reviews because what we experienced must have been world apart. We stayed in Damson Green and the accommodation was faultless. We have high standards when it comes to cleanliness and it genuinely was spotless. Everything was is such a good state of repair. After spending a previous holiday in Pontins we sort of expected the same awful standards at Butlins, but it was world's away from that. The range of activities offered was brilliant. There were always free entertainment everyday. Splash Waterworld was brilliant. The were cleaners in the changing rooms throughout the day, lifeguards covering every part of the pools and the slides were great. The range of entertainment options in the night was great. The cleanliness of the whole resort was on point. There weren't many different rides, but considering the fairground is free for guests it was great. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The range food options available meant there is something for everyone.
Restaurantji Recommends
I’ve just done my first ever adults weekend at butlins and it will be my last. The accommodation was absolutely vile. The toilet seat was broken, there was food all in the handle of the fridge, the carpets and furniture were filthy. The oven didn’t work. Found two potatoes frozen in the freezer section of the fridge. I probably left the room cleaner than when I found it. There are not enough staff behind the bars to accommodate the sheer volume of people, food places didn’t stay open late enough considering the amin t of people staying out until the early hours. I left a day early as I just did not want to be there any longer. Good luck to anyone wanting to go here.
The last time I came here was 8 years ago and I said never again. I should have stuck to that. Came here for back to 2000s weekend with my friends & we were literally counting down the hours until it was home time. First of all when we booked we were told 3pm check in. Arrive on time to then be told 6pm to get in the room. Thankfully a kind housekeeper gave us the heads up that the apartment was actually ready but the key wouldn’t be activated until 6pm. She let us in so we could put our stuff inside. The apartment itself was relatively clean it’s not until you start noticing the smaller detail - duvet cover was ripped with holes everywhere, stains on the sheet, sofa was stained and had a funny smell to it. Nothing seemed to be open for long on an adult weekend! Funfair (the worlds most un fun funfair) was only open 11-3, same with the pool, golf, high ropes and basically anything other than drinking to entertain yourself. The firehouse grill was alright for something half decent to eat and the drinks reasonably priced. I left a review 8 years ago and nothing seems to have changed since then. Back to 2000s? Possibly scraping the barrel there, on the advert it said many more to be announced - there was no more announced and literally just the first ones they put on the line up. Big queues at the bar in the evenings, toilets were vile. Severely under staffed but those who were working were friendly enough. Maybe I’ll come back in another 8 years time.
Firstly the accommodation - west side chalets we’re fantastic, spotlessly clean, daily housekeeping offered, nicely decorated and very quiet little area Once you walked out this area it all went a bit downhill. The rest of the site looked outdated and run down. We bought a food package and the food was ok… but can echo other comments of people piling up plates and no organisation of clear start and end points of queue. Desserts went quickly… best part was the ice cream but the queues were around 10 mins. Tables were sticky , had to use wipes to clean chairs So things to do, I have a 3 year old and this was all for him. Indoor fairground run down and in need of some love, there was always a ride shut at one time which wasn’t ideal. The giant slide was slow and children kept getting stuck on it, best part was the train but again long queues Soft play awful… wasn’t the cleanest and no organisation The swimming pool was the biggest disappointment! Went once and refused to let my child go again. The changing rooms were AWFUL, felt so dirty The pool was packed and no organisation Nothing for a toddler except a tiny slide that was pointless Hated the whole experience and the pool was meant to be one of the things we were going for Play areas need updating, outdoor fairground is outdated and nothing is ever open! When they did open the odd ride they would then shut another, waste of time I fully appreciate butlins isn’t the centre parcs standard but would much prefer spending more money going there and enjoying ourselves than be bored and disappointed As Iv said the accommodation was lovely so it’s definitely worth paying a bit more to have that else the whole holiday would have been a disappointment
We spent the few weeks running up to our holiday excited, as we had not visited Butlin’s before and were overdue a holiday. We were dissapointed when we first arrived as we had travelled for a few hours and although we could not check in to our room until 4pm we were aware we could use the facilities onsite from 1pm. I’m not sure what facilities we would have been able to use being all restaurants onsite were closed including Burger King and half the activities available were closed. We had three very hungry and bored children who did not want to spend another 30 minutes in the car trying to find somewhere to eat. When we checked into our room the smell was extremely fousty, being they should have been cleaned the same day it’s not what you would expect. The toilet had not been cleaned properly there was still bits of feaces in the toilet, the carpets were filthy, the bedding had stains on the sheets along with the sofas. The curtains were not clean, this was something we could look past maybe until we opened them to find large amounts of bird poo on the inside of one of them (this bird poo was dry and crispy, windows were shut on arrival this couldn’t have happened at any point after we arrived). Went to use the bin to find there were spots of food/mould where the bin had not been cleaned. Microwave had food on the outside on one of the sides and the living room carpet had definitely not been hoovered. My daughter also found two balls under the settee that were not hers or ours - not too much of an issue however this just shows the lack of thorough inspection before signing this apartment off as been cleaned. Regardless of what accommodation you stay in, you may not pay for the most modern/ or sophisticated room however the hygiene standards should be the same for each and every room. We were lucky enough to be able to make the most of our holiday using some of the facilities onsite however we found the concrete corridor leading to the pavilion smells like dirty nappies, the resort itself smelt like urine in many areas. Every time we needed to change our daughters nappy we would have to walk to the inn on the green as there were not enough allocated changing rooms for children (if there were they were not clearly visible). The day before we were due to come home my daughter wanted to cash her tokens in for prizes from the arcade, considering the resort accommodates up to 10, 000 people there was a stupidly long queue with only one person serving meaning many of us had to stand in a queue for almost an hour with little ones you can imagine this wasn’t easy. We had no plans to stay the final night and left a day early. We would definitely not visit Butlin’s Minehead again, we have been spoilt in the past by the likes of haven and park Dean resorts with their great night time entertainment, their thoroughly clean accommodation and their extremely helpful and friendly staff. I would definitely not recommend Butlin’s Minehead to anyone mainly on the grounds of extremely poor hygiene/ cleanliness.
Just came back from a 4 night stay at Butlin’s, all the shows, swimming, food, great but our seaside lodge was not cleaned properly, the sofa and mirror was dirty, tables could do with a repaint, mattress protector had a blood stain on it. Will come back!