Center Parcs Le Lac d'Ailette

We were a little nervous after reading some reviews but we really enjoyed our holiday. The swimming pool was amazing with so many slides, real trees, a wave pool, play area, cafe inside and all areas were really warm. The staff were all friendly and most spoke good English. The park was clean and beautiful. Accommodation was clean. We went for the comfort cottage and yes they are a bit dated but we had everything we needed in there apart from a chopping board. We all slept really well in the beds. Remember to take loo roll, hand wash and tea towels. The shop prices were ok but if coming from the UK I would suggest stopping at Laon on the way and doing a big shop and plan meals you can cook on a hob. Fresh bakery items were delivered to the shop every morning. The fridge is a decent size with a small freezer compartment. The restaurants were ok and yes a bit more in price than others outside the park but not overly so. The Italian was not great but the others were, especially for desserts. Good mix of activities and if you got some vouchers included in the booking then you need to head to reception to book these. The site is large but we enjoyed the walking but for those not wanting to walk there are plenty of buggies and bikes for hire. We loved the on site shops, beautiful clothes and toys at really reasonable prices. Easy drive from the channel tunnel. If you plan to stay on site then I recommend this place. If you want to explore away from the park then there isn’t much but Laon had the most amazing cathedral and Calais is great from shopping and Europe’s biggest aquarium is on route to Calais from the park.

We booked the trip for a long weekend at the very end of the summer holidays. Traveling from the uk the trip was much better value than the uk parks. In total travel (le shuttle and petrol/tolls), accommodation and activities only cost us 800 pound for three nights and 4 days. The uk equivalent was 1300 pounds just for accommodation! We arrived and went straight to the aqua mondo. It was busy but that didn’t stop us enjoying it. The wild rapids were a particular highlight. Cleaners were always moving around the changing rooms. We had a lakeside lodge (552) 100% worth paying for the lakeside location. I chose this lodge purposely for its proximity to the facilities. We had to drive through whole park to loop back to our lodge and I wouldn’t like to have been towards the back. It was saying we was over a mile back to the main hub at own point. With a 6 yo this location was perfect. We could pop back if we need to change for activities etc, or just simply forgot something. We also didn’t need bikes. The accommodation was basic, beds were comfy and was fine for a long weekend. A highlight for us was the “beach” by the lake. We rented beds two days, ordered drinks from the bar and enjoyed finding all sorts of creatures in the lake. We were impressed with the lifeguard presence. The beach bar/restaurant was fab! Honestly felt like we could have been in the south! We ate here two lunchtimes. We rented an electric boat which was fun and my daughter did the high climb. We were disappointed with the climbing. There were no instructors on the equipment, after a brief set to the kids were left to go it alone. Most, including my daughter got upset and came Down after ten minutes. This would be my only real complaint of the trip. My daughter also took her scooter and enjoyed the skate park which was right by our lodge. We didn’t feel the need to book any more activities as the beach combined with the aqua mondo took up most of our time. We ate at the Italian, Embarcadero, and mc Donald’s as well the beach bar previously mentioned. So many choices from steaks and seafood, down to a quick bite. All very nice. In conclusion we had a fantastic long weekend, helped by the 30 degrees heat. This a summer resort, not sure I’d want to stay in winter. I’d 100% come back and recommend, but i think the 3 nights was just right for us. A week may be too long.

I read quite a few of the reviews on here before travelling from the UK and I have to say I am really really surprised at them. This place is AMAZING. We are here (leaving Friday) with our two young kids (6 and 8) and it is just the best holiday we have ever had. We have been to UK Center Parcs (Longleat and Elveden) so I want to be clear we are drawing a fair comparison. This place is better in *every single department* The service is incredible - like off the charts incredible. The staff are incredibly polite, there are cleaners everywhere (quiet). The view over the lake is quite simply breathtaking. The Aqua Mundo knocks the socks off any other swimming facilities we have ever been to. I am actually autistic - something I have to repeatedly tell people in the UK and beg them to accommodate my needs. Here I have not even had to mention it - not once. There is no tinny music piped in any of the shops, pool or facilities. The staff make such an effort and it is HUGE. The accommodation is lovely and far surpasses the cabins we ahve stayed in UK Center Parcs. No cabins here - they are lovely little cottages and are well equipped - it is true they have no oven but is that really what you need in a place with fresh baked baguette available daily anyway? I cannot overstate how much we are enjoying our trip - we arrived on Monday. We are only sorry we actually have to go home but we all agree we will be back. Loved every second and I am sure we will tomorrow too!