Sunparks Kempense Meren

We booked Sunparks holiday, then read the reviews and got a bit worried! Yes the place is a bit tired in places, the bungalow was in need of a refurb but we did book a select level accommodation, it was clean and did the job We took our own bedding to save on the cost, only issue was we took a double sheet and quilt cover, but all the beds were singles, not an issue we worked round it. We really enjoyed our stay had many hours of fun in the pool and on the slides. All the events we thought was at a reasonable price, Inc the food and drinks a lot cheaper than a holiday camp in the UK. I only gave 4 stars due to the place looked a bit tired In places but for fun it would been 5 stars.

We’ve just returned from Kempense-Meren, and we had a really nice time. If you go and expect to get actual Center Parcs on the cheap, then you’ll be disappointed. But you will find somewhere that has similarities with Center Parcs and is comparative value for money. The village is in a lovely, peaceful woodland setting. It’s on the shore of a lake with a sand beach, which has a little beach bar on it. The lake itself is used for a few activities like paddle boarding, pedal boats etc. There is a good swimming pool with slides, rapids and an outdoor pool. It isn’t brand new, but it’s well-maintained and clean. There were also very good quality clay tennis courts - they actually looked like Roland Garros! The ‘centre’ building has a few amenities like a shop, sports bar and a couple of food places. All of these were quite pricey, I thought, and the building wasn’t buzzing into the night. Finally, the cottages themselves were nice-looking and functional. They had a nice living area downstairs and a patio. They lacked an oven, got very hot (in summer) and the pathways up to some of them were pretty much non-existent - which would be awkward in bad weather. There were also quite a few mosquitos. All in all, we enjoyed it here. It wasn’t luxurious - but you get what you pay for. We would re-visit.

DO NOT BOOK TO STAY HERE!!! The accommodation is absolutely horrifying. Given the price of our Monday - Friday stay was very reasonable, I was not expecting luxury. What I was expecting was a very basic accommodation that was likely in need of updating but was at the very least clean. When I initially entered the lodge I was hopeful, I was blasted in the face with an overwhelming scent of bleach and cleaning products! Great I thought! It really does smell clean!!! What I actually got was a lodge that would be fitting for a bush tucker trial on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Let’s start with the spiders and insects that are alive, they adorn every crevice, every corner, they dangle from ceilings it truly is a feat to navigate around them. Moving on we have the graveyard for bugs that once were, on all surfaces you will find squashed midgeys and spiders where I can only assume the poor guests before you have swatted their way through the accommodation in a desperate bid to make it through unscathed. Aside from the serious bug issue we have a general lack of cleanliness, I believe the cleaner sprayed some bleach around and left, there was hair in the bath, hair in the sinks, dirty floors the list goes on. So I spent the first couple of hours of our holiday deep cleaning, at least the next guests will reap the rewards of that! Moving on to the facilities on site, after a horrible start we thought to ourselves if the pool is good we can get through it. Our kids are big fans of a waterpark so swimming was #1 on the agenda. The changing rooms are a very similar style to those you will find at Centre Parcs, however they are in desperate need of updating. There are only showers that are out in the open so an “everything” wash isn’t an option here. My sons (12 & 8) went to the toilet before entering the pool only to come straight back out to announce there was poo everywhere and they weren’t willing to use the toilets in there, I took them in the ladies and to be fair the toilets in there were clean and usable. Off to the slides we went, all great fun, happy children. I noted that there is a distinct lack of control on the slides. I don’t think Iv ever been to a waterpark where it’s just a free for all and 20 of you can all just chuck yourselves down together with more people already in the water where you land. It felt dangerous and just a bit carnage to me to be honest. We rented go karts €7 for an hour, kids enjoyed whizzing around the site on them. We think it’s was good value. The beach bar is nice. We are on night 3 of our stay and have decided we will be checking out and paying for accommodation elsewhere. I personally haven’t slept since we got here for fear of bugs falling on me or crawling over me or indeed maybe I’ll just catch some sort of plague just by breathing.

The site facilities are fantastic and have clearly had a lot of investment. The swimming pool is great, clean and open until 9pm. The accommodation reminds me of the type of accommodation you stay at during a school residential (it has youth hostel vibes)! My poor wife was in tears when we arrived and walked through the door - not happy tears! We were on a road trip through Europe and spent majority of our time at Eurocamp at Lake Garda. Their accommodation was alot better than at this Sunpark site. Honestly, it’s horrible, grim and makes you feel miserable. It’s almost criminal charging the amount they charge for very basic, dirty rooms.

The whole apartment is dated and in dire need of renovation. There were spiders and cobwebs around the rooms so i ended up sleeping in the living room. On the flip side, the aqua park was really nice. However, we had an issue with admission into the swimming area because we went as a group to play football (kids under 16). We were asked to move to the side of the queue whilst they let other people in from other countries because 'they've had issues with British teams in the past'. After staying on the side for almost 40mins, we had to make a complaint to the manager before we were let in. To be honest, the whole experience at Sunparks has definitely left me convinced that i won't be coming back. The accomodation is a one star.

Accommodation is in dire need of a refurb. Rooms are beyond basic but the main issue is the cleanliness or lack of. Our room had many maggots on the inside of the window, and mice droppings behind the beds. A family we travelled with had an ant infestation in their bathroom and when they told reception they were provided with a treatment and told to apply it themselves! I'm aware you are situated in the middle of a forest but this does not account for the lack of effort made in the rooms to keep them clean and comfortable to sleep in. Will NOT be returning and will NOT be recommending to family and friends.