Been to Centre Parcs before and i know you get what you pay for BUT this was not good. I think the customer service is non existent! There were over 30 people going and many booked fri to fri booking which was ok but none of the villas were close together. Also my brother was due to arrive on the Monday, had a phone call from centre parcs Sat night to inform him that there was a problem with his accommodation and could only offer something is France. After pleading with the staff and having to speak to reservations directly they managed to get him an upgrade as 1 became available after a clerical error has reserved two villas for one person! We were in a comfort villa and the only positive was the space. It was dirty, beds not made (which we paid extra for) bathrooms stunk, no upstairs bathroom, (all bedrooms where upstairs) TV channels varied from villa to villa, hot water problems and all in all not very pleasant. Overall Pool area ok (nothing compared to your other parks) Hired bikes which were reasonably priced but on second someone took daughters bike from the Dome, went to report it and was told that if it didn't turn up i would be charged 250 euros! Luckily after searching the park, she manage to locate it (someone took it by mistake as they all look the same! Also on the day we left, the hire shop didn't open until 9am which if you are catching an early ferry, you have to take the risk on leaving it. won't go again!

Sunparks de haan is now a Centreparks so you expect something more i think. The lakeside cottage was very nice and clean. It was located close to the river with a beautiful view. The furniture was brand new. The aquapark was not what i expected. It was old and nasty! It was not a nice aquapark with beautiful decorations. It was fun, but nothing more. The market dome was not very specacular.

You know the feeling......you have looked up where you are staying on Trip Advisor and immediately start to doubt your decision. However, safe in the knowledge that mon to fri here (arriving on a British Bank Holiday Monday) was around 350 euros, compared to the same dates at Elvenden Forest at £800, we set off through the channel tunnel. After an easy one and a half hours drive, we arrived at Center Parcs De Haan. This park was formally a Sunpark, and it would appear that the changeover to Center Parcs is not yet complete, some things are still Sunparks branded. Compared to other Center Parcs this is a small site, it does not take long to explore the whole site on your hired bicycle. The lake shown on the map is really more of a pond, but it is pleasant none the less.

We booked a 4 person comfort cottage, and took our own linens and towels. The cottage was totally detatched and we were screened from neighbours by hedges and trees. There was a table and bench set in the garden, so although the weather was not great, we still managed a passable BBQ. There was also an outside firplace which I am sure is lovely in the evening when it is a little warmer (logs available from the site shop, for use indoors as well).

Inside, the cottage was a very good size, downstairs a sitting area/kitchen, bathroom and seperate toilet. All of which was clean and up to date. Upstairs, there are two good size bedrooms, one with two single beds which push together to form a double bed (the room also has a cot if needed) and a second room with two single beds. However, the upstairs rooms are up a very steep flight of stairs and as the rooms are set in to the eaves of the building, I lost count how many times I cracked my head on the beams while making the beds!

There were a few things that need attention, the outside of the cottage needs a coat of paint, particularly the woodwork and indoors the place could use some extra plug sockets. The carpet tiles upstairs have a way of 'walking' on their own and two of the four bedside lamps were not working. However, none of these problems were likely to ruin anyone's holiday. My one gripe would be that even though it was made very clear in the paperwork that cars are only permitted on site to unload on monday/load up on friday in common with all other centreparcs, we noticed a lot of cars on site all week. Some appeared to be park employees, some customers but it did not have that safe feeling of there being absolutely no vehicles that we have experienced elsewhere.

The facilities around the park were pretty good. The shop was well stocked and resonably priced with fresh bread and pastries every morning. The cycles were brand new and comfortable, and the Aqua Mundo pool was clean and well maintained. We particularly loved the outdoor pool which was much warmer than the indoor one and from time to time had jacuzzi bubbles at the edge.We also played mini golf at 5 euros pp and went bowling for 17 euros for a lane for 1 hour.

The deal we booked included a number of free toppings which can be used to pay for various activities. The price system for these is a bit odd, 1 topping for 2 people to play mini golf and 2 toppings for a bowling lane (no matter how many players). Aqua Muno is of course free, but you will need a 2 euro coin for the lockers (this is refundable).

Beyond the park, De Haan is a lovely Belgian town on a very nice stretch of beach which reaches for miles.
We also visited Oostend which is also very nice (we live on the other side of the English Channel coast, and feared Oostend would be like our ferry port of Dover - grim! Thankfully that was not the case!).
Brugge is an easy 20 minute drive away, touristy of course but pretty despite this. The boats on the canal with commentary in 3 languages were 7 euros per adult and 3 for a child, very impressive for a tourist trap.
Take the Kusttram (coastal tram) from De Haan's chocolate box station to Blankenberge, another seaside town with a pier and lovely promonade. The tram runs 70km along the coast and is clean and on time. De Haan to the end of the line De Panne going west takes 2 hours, Blankenberge to the west 20 mins.

All in all, this part of Belgium is a surprisingly pretty part of the world and Centre Parc de Haan makes a nice base to go out exploring. If you are expecting it to be the all-singing, all-dancing, entertainment centre you may be used to in other Centre Parcs you may be disappoined. But as ever, you get what you pay for.

Couldn't have been less like a CentreParcs and I am amzed they are prepared to risk their brand reputation by naming it as such. Went with family and lovely friends and there were good beaches to cycle to in close proximity, but the rest of it was appauling. Shame on you CentreParcs