Sunparks Oostduinkerke - Plopsaland

After reading reviews, I was extremely worried at how this holiday was going to go but we had a great time! We stayed in cottage 716 which is an “exclusive” cottage. I took so many cleaning supplies after reading reviews but I didn’t need them. The cottage was clean enough. There was a little mould in places some corners of rooms but not enough to worry me. If you are expecting “Center Parcs”, then got to Center Parcs, I’d say this is more Butlins standards. It might be luck of the draw but we liked our cottage. The facilities were alright. The pool was good even with two slides closed and they gave us credit for this inconvenience. The food at the cafe was lovely and huge portions and reasonably priced too. Overall, we enjoyed it and would go back.

We loved this place. It is exactly like a UK centerparc. Everything was immaculately tidy. The brick cottages were warm and had everything you needed. We had quite a bit of private land around ours too. It did not going to break the bank which is great. If people want it to be as modern as UK Centerparcs then they should expect to pay UK prices. We thought it was very clean just a tad tired in places but it didn't spoil the holiday and the cost was affordable. Although the exposed beams in the bedrooms caused a bit of getting used to - lots of head bumps!

The Good: - Central Complex was lovely. Kids loved the soft play and there was a good amount of seating nearby and was quiet due to a glass wall - which was an issue when my eldest got stuck and needed to be pulled out (dangerous #1 - this shouldn't be possible!) - The bar was great, lovely range of beers and great service. - The water park was superb. Having travelled onto 3-4 other places on this holiday, we really made a mistake in not using it more than we did. The Bad: - The buffet restaurant isn't great. Its passable, but not worth the money. The other options were better, although we struggled a little with the menu (no English option, and translations were not always obvious - that's our issue though of course) - In case anyone from the UK is reading, they just don't sell fresh milk here, or in the local Lidl/Aldi. Everyone just drinks the horrific UHT stuff - apparently there is *1* brand who sell pasteurised fresh milk, but its not easy to find! So grab some before leaving France if you can (and wine while you're at it!!) - The room - we stayed in one of the cottages. Not only was it a million miles from the centre, but it absolutely stunk to high heaven of "wet dog" and damp. In the end I went to the car and grabbed a couple of spare car air fresheners. I would have simply opened a window, but........ The DANGEROUS: - The upstairs windows open all the way out with no stopper, and they are quite low down to the floor. We didn't dare open them whatsoever in case the kids fell or tripped whilst playing and fell straight out. I've attached photos showing this. Its unacceptable in 2023 that there are no safety measures on the first floor.

Check-in and check-out is organised perfectly, took 1-2 minutes each. We reserved a chalet in between the main building and the aquafun, which proved to be a good strategy. Our chalet was tidy and clean from inside, and a bit neglected from the outside, just like the little garden. Overall the accommodation was simple but OK. No internet in the park, only in the main building. Super activities for kids (outside and inside playground, aquafun, animated activities). Great brasserie to eat in. Traffic within the park is a bit chaotic, noone knows where to go, no signaling of one-way streets or the location of the parkings.

The standard of the house is simple, but that is okay. There is no internet access in the house, although WLAN is listed as a service in the booking confirmation. Technically, this is true, but it is only available in the central building. It was clearly noticeable that the house has not been cleaned thoroughly but only superficially for months. We did not look for dirt, but we encountered it everywhere. We pushed the beds apart to sleep separately and underneath it was really disgusting. There is no dishwasher in the house. The park itself is fine and the pool is very good for kids.

The bungalow was very clean. The lady at the reception was very welcoming and polite. I forgot to hand in my bungalow cards before leaving and when I called I was told there wa no problem to simply mail them to the park without any charges.