Sandford Holiday Park

Liked The bar and entertainment were decent. While we didn’t have children, it was clear there was effort put into engaging families, and we enjoyed some of the music and dance routines. We didn’t eat on site, so can’t comment on the food, but the bar did at least show a good selection of football, which was a plus.

Disliked We were pitched right at the very back of the park, and unfortunately the experience didn’t start well. The two closest shower and toilet blocks to our pitch were both closed or out of order, which meant quite a long walk to the nearest available facilities. To make matters worse, most of the external lighting in this area either wasn’t working or wasn’t switched on, making it difficult navigating at night.

However, the condition of the facilities (Block 2) was very disappointing. The toilets were consistently dirty, to the point where they were often unusable unless you cleaned them yourself before use. The showers were just as frustrating – although timed showers are expected on holiday parks, these only stayed on for a few seconds at a time before turning off, and the water was cold.

The grass pitch itself was decent – fairly level with some hard standing – so no major issues there.

At check-in, we were told wristbands were required, but none were provided in our welcome pack. When we queried this at reception, we were told they had simply run out, which didn’t feel very organised.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Liked Loved the tent and the parks location for exploring the area

Disliked To close to the noisey touring pitches

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good afternoon Gary,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review following your recent stay.

I’m really pleased to hear you loved the safari tent and the park’s location, and it’s great to know our team made a positive impression — I’ll be sure to pass your kind comments on to them.

I’m sorry to read that the noise from the nearby touring pitches impacted your stay, as we appreciate how important a peaceful environment is when you’re away. I’m also grateful for you highlighting the dripping tap and leak around the tent, and this will be passed to our maintenance team to be looked into as a priority.

Thank you again for your feedback, and we do hope to welcome you back in the future. ^EC

Liked Space for motorhome was ok

Disliked Showers I could not use - children turning on showers leaving toilet tissue on floor
I have a stoma had to rely to change in motorhome as messy toilets poo round seat, toilets blocked with tissue and poo I was worried re infection not clean or what I was expecting

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good afternoon,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent stay.

I’m pleased to hear that the space for your motorhome was suitable, however I am very sorry to read about your experience with the shower and toilet facilities. The cleanliness and upkeep of these areas is extremely important, and what you have described is not the standard we expect for our guests. I completely understand your concerns, particularly given your personal circumstances, and I’m sorry for the discomfort and worry this caused during your stay.

Your comments regarding the behaviour within the facilities and the response you received from the team have been noted and will be raised with the park management team, as this should not be considered acceptable.

I can see you have contacted us directly, and I do hope this is responded to promptly so your concerns can be addressed fully.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. ^EC

Liked Helpful and mainly happy staff. Ease of arrival. Level reasonable size pitch. Many activities available but all the same as the last 3 years I’ve been to Parkdean here and West Bay

Disliked Insistence on providing my biometrics before arrival. I was told I wouldn’t get in if I didn’t do it online even though I had paid. If I wasnt going to disappoint my grandchildren I wouldn’t have come to the park. Lack of cleanliness. Everywhere looked a bit tired and unkempt, although litter was minimal and grass and bushes fairly well maintained.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Liked Very spacious pitches, great variety of entertainment and activities loved the arcade. Great choice for food Will definitely come again

Disliked Limited booking for swimming, showers we’re freezing, activities were abit pricey

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good afternoon Shelly,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review following your recent stay.

I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed the spacious pitches, variety of entertainment, and the arcade — it’s great to know you found plenty to do and that you’re planning to return.

I’m sorry to read that you experienced issues with booking swimming sessions and the pool facilities. I also appreciate your feedback regarding the pricing of activities, as we understand this can add up during your stay.

Your comments have been shared with the relevant teams on park for review.

We look forward to welcoming you back again soon. ^EC

Liked Lots of activities (cost more), really friendly throughout the site (other than on reception), overall friendly park - lots of friendly people staying there

Entertainment was good if you manage to get a table

Disliked Horrendous pitch, caravan bottomed out multiple times getting it onto the pitch as such a steep hill up onto
The pitch, really needs smoothing out, we couldn’t move because it was fully booked even thought we could count 30 empty pitches around us including next to our friends who we asked to be next to.

Showers always cold, toilets always full of diarrhoea and toilet paper, complained multiple times and told every time that someone was up there cleaning it now but never was done.

The activities are pretty expensive and it does add up when you’ve got more than one child.

Didn’t manage to swim more than once and had to argue with staff to get in because they messed the booking up then told us the wrong time to come back again, twice. Very basic pool but not enough changing facilities and the showers were just dripping so couldn’t get washed, the floors where grim, everyone was walking around the poolside with muddy shoes then you walked through it all barefoot to get into the pool.

Not enough seating/tables in the entertainment so if you’re not there queuing before 5:30pm when it opens you can’t get a table.

No options for late check out

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good afternoon Charlotte,

Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback following your recent stay.

I’m really pleased to hear that you found the park to be friendly overall, enjoyed the entertainment, and made the most of the activities available. However, I am very sorry to read about the number of issues you experienced during your visit.

The concerns you’ve raised regarding your pitch are particularly disappointing, as this should be suitable and accessible on arrival.

I’m especially sorry to hear about your experience with the toilet and shower facilities, as cleanliness and maintenance in these areas is a top priority and what you’ve described is not acceptable. Your feedback regarding repeated reports not being actioned is also concerning and will be raised with the park team.

We apologise for the issues you encountered with the swimming pool booking and facilities, along with your comments about the entertainment facilities. We understand how these factors can significantly impact your holiday experience, particularly when travelling with children.

Your comments regarding how complaints were handled have been noted, and I apologise if you felt your concerns were not taken seriously at the time. This is not the level of service we aim to provide.

Thank you again for your feedback, and we do hope there may be an opportunity to provide you with a much-improved experience in the future. ^EC

Liked Thunderbird chicken

Disliked Uneven pitches, no option for late checkout, over priced food & drink, showers were cold for 10mins in morning before eventually getting warm, lack mf maintaince in the block.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good afternoon Lloyd,

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review following your recent stay with us.

I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed the Thunderbird chicken and that there were some positive aspects to your visit. However, I’m sorry to read about the issues you experienced with the touring pitch and facilities. Uneven pitches, delays in hot water, and maintenance concerns within the shower block are certainly not the standard we aim to provide, and I appreciate how frustrating this must have been.

Your feedback regarding pricing and the lack of a late checkout option is also noted, as we understand how important flexibility and value for money are to our guests. Please be assured your comments have been shared with the relevant teams on park to review and address where improvements can be made.

We do hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide a much-improved experience. ^EC

Liked Very friendly site.

Disliked Small pitches , makes it hard getting on and off pitch with camper due to cars parked on the road. Went for a shower at 7am and there was sick all over the toilet floor, went back later in the day at 12 and the sick was still there, even after reporting it, Absolutely disgusting. No hand soap in both male and female toilets either on camp site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hello,

Thank you for sharing your review with us, although it is disappointing to hear your comments - this is very valuable feedback.

We have taken this opportunity to ensure your comments are shared and taken on board with the park staff so they can look to make immediate improvements where necessary. Your satisfaction is important to us and we are very sorry that we have fallen short on this occasion.

We hope this will not deter you from visiting us again in the future, as we are confident you would have a better experience. ^JC

Liked Good site busy but touring area peaceful and our pitch was private

Disliked All the ID checks. Tedious and the software is rubbish. Shop appallingly expensive. Total rip off

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you, Jack, for your feedback and for recommending us. We’re glad you found the site busy yet peaceful, and enjoyed the privacy of your pitch.

We appreciate your comments regarding the ID checks and software; these measures are in place to ensure the safety and security of all our guests. However, we’re sorry if they felt tedious and we’re continuously working to improve the experience.

Regarding the shop prices, we aim to offer a good range of quality products, but we understand your concerns and will pass your feedback to the relevant team.

Thank you again for your visit and your honest review — we hope to welcome you back in the future. ^EC

Liked Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the site was very clean and tidy and the accommodation was spotless.

Disliked We were disappointed that the swimming pool only had two sessions for adults only.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Karen, thank you so much for taking the time to submit your review and share your experience with us. We're absolutely delighted to hear that you found our team to be helpful throughout your stay and that your accommodation met your expectations by being nice and clean.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us regarding the number of adults-only swimming sessions available. We completely understand how important these sessions can be for our guests who are looking for a relaxing and peaceful experience. Please be assured that we will pass your comments along to our team, as we are always eager to listen to feedback and learn how we can enhance our guests’ holiday experiences in the future. Your input is valuable to us, and it helps us consider improvements to our schedule and offerings to better meet your needs.

Your feedback means a lot to us, and it helps us to continue providing the best possible service to all our guests. We hope to see you again in future. ^AB