Billing Aquadrome

Positiv After booking Billing Aquadrome, I wanted to amend our booking to add another person to our group, so I attempted to do so through the online booking from Meadow Bay. That didn’t work, so I phoned the site directly. I explained what I wanted to do and the person I was speaking to said that he couldn’t do that as he didn’t have access to the booking system. He said that he would pass the request on to the appropriate department and they would phone me back. They NEVER DID! That was the first indication of the attitude this company has towards their clients.
To qualify our experience, I will explain that I had initially booked for three adults and an infant. I tried to amend this to four adults and an infant both online and by phone. Neither system worked. I will also point out that one of the adults was post-surgery and another is heavily pregnant. The trip was for two reasons:
1, convalescence for one of the party, and for her to spend time with our daughter and granddaughter
2, one of us (myself) to go to the MotoGP race day on the Sunday at Silverstone Circuit.
I tried to book a Fully-serviced “Super Pitch” (with awning) for three nights (Fri 7th Aug, Sat 8th Aug & Sun 9th Aug), however, the pitch wasn’t available for the Friday. So I booked the same pitch (with awning) for the Saturday and Sunday nights.
Now, due to the fact that I had booked a Fully-serviced Super Pitch, I kitted out our caravan appropriately - no aqua roll, no grey waste.
Arriving at the campsite, we were “kind of” directed to where we needed to go - the instructions were very vague. However, we found our way to the check-in cabin to be met by a nice young man. He took my name and handed me the booking/pitch pass and wristbands (Pitch number 20). As he handed it to me, he realised that I had booked a Super Pitch and stopped me. He checked something and said that there are no Super Pitches left. I confirmed that I had booked the Super Pitch. He then contacted his manager, who told him that the group currently on the pitch shouldn’t be there and to tell them to move. The staff member approached the pitch, only to find the caravan empty.
The caravan on the pitch was fully set up, including their awning and awning furniture laid out. They hadn’t just arrived - they’d been there for some time. Even if they were able to move, it would have taken a long time.
At this point, another member of staff approached, and over the course of the conversation, both staff members said that this happens all the time. Billing’s staff finish their shifts at 8 pm; the gate staff (who apparently work for an agency) just let people in without direction, allowing people to just pitch up wherever they like. (This seems consistent with our experience of the gate staff). The staff said that the caravan must have been let in on the Friday evening, after they had finished their shift and no one was there to prevent them setting up. I asked how that was even possible, as I had tried to book it for Friday, but it wasn’t available. They couldn’t answer.
After contacting his manager again, the staff member was directed to offer us a “Hardstanding” pitch for the Saturday night and then they “might” be able to get the original pitch cleared for us on the Sunday, and we’d be given a partial refund.
CONTINUED IN DISLIKED

Negativ After consideration, I explained that this option is not viable for several reasons.
1 - I would need to put the awning up overnight to empty the caravan for us to sleep in - then I’d have to take it down again, re-pack the caravan and move pitches and put it all up again. I wouldn’t even be on-site on Sunday, as I’d be at Silverstone. The other two adults were not capable of doing it, as one is heavily pregnant and the other has just had surgery on her shoulder.
2 - because we have an infant in our party, we need access to water - we hadn’t brought an aqua roll because I had booked “Fully-serviced”
3 - even if I could get an aqua roll for water, we had no grey waste container, as again, I had booked “Fully-serviced”, which included drainage. Meaning that our contaminated wastewater would drain into their ground. The staff seemed unconcerned, and it was clear they were apathetic because this is a regular problem.
It is ironic that Billings has a “Get Back To Nature” slogan when they allow caravans to dump their contaminated grey waste onto their pitches rather than deal with what is clearly a recurring problem and poor systems.
This process took around an hour. After which, I decided that these were NOT acceptable conditions and made my way to the site reception.
As I waited in line at the reception (yes, there was a line of people complaining), I couldn’t help but overhear the person in front of me talking to the receptionist, and it was clear that the person had arrived to find herself in a similar situation to myself - the pitch she had booked had been taken by another caravan, and she was being downgraded. Now, the difference between her situation and my own is her original pitch was Hardstanding EHU only, so she had brought her water containers. She was being downgraded to Grass EHU.
Speaking to the receptionist, it was obvious that she was extremely stressed due to the amount of complaints she had been dealing with, and like my attitude towards the original staff members, I reassured her that I felt no malice towards her and that she can take her time. She seemed concerned what we were going to do for the night - I told her I had no option but to drive home. She seemed disgusted at the situation and angry that the company had put her in this position again. I explained what had happened and that due to the fact that there was NO VIABLE option, I wanted a full refund. She agreed. She even told me that this was happening “all the time”.
As part of the process, I had to fill in a refund form that requires banking details; however, I had left my wallet in the car by Shelduck 3. I went and retrieved my bank details, and when I arrived back at reception, the receptionist told me that she had spoken to her manager, who had told her that I probably wouldn’t get a refund at all because Billings had offered me another pitch! The receptionist also told me that her manager will phone me regarding the problem and the refund situation. However, the manager never did!As angry as I was, I did understand that none of this was down to the staff members and conveyed that to her. However, I would make a formal complaint with the company.
So, in summary:I couldn’t amend the booking online or by phone. They didn’t even have the decency to call me back. They allowed another caravan to take the pitch that I had paid for. They downgraded us, knowing we didn’t have the equipment for that pitch type they were putting us on.They expected us to set up on a downgraded pitch, then pack it down, move, then put it all back up again.They were happy for us to contaminate their ground with wastewater - while “enjoying nature”. They told me, openly, this problem happens all the time.Yet the management will not deal with the issue.They told me I would get a full refund, then retract it five minutes later.They told me that the manager will call me regarding the refund/problem and DID NOT BOTHER! I drove a 5-hour round trip and used £50 worth of fuel

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback regarding your experience. We are sorry to hear how disappointed you were with the service and the issues you encountered on arrival.

We appreciate that you attempted to amend your booking and that you were expecting a response from the relevant team. We are sorry that you did not receive the call back you were expecting.

You should have been allocated the Fully Serviced Super Pitch that you booked, and we sincerely apologise that this was not the case on your arrival. We understand how frustrating this would have been, particularly as you had prepared for your stay based on the facilities included with your booked pitch. We are continually reviewing our pitch allocation and arrival processes and looking at ways we can improve this for our holiday guests, to help prevent situations like this from happening in the future.

We have also noted your concerns regarding the information you were given about the refund and the lack of follow-up from management. Refunds are subject to the applicable booking terms and the circumstances of each individual booking, and any refund entitlement would need to be reviewed and confirmed by the appropriate team.

We are sorry that you were unable to stay and that you felt there was no suitable alternative available to you at the time. We appreciate the time and expense involved in travelling to the park, and we understand your frustration at the circumstances you have described.

We do listen to our holiday guests and care a great deal about the experience we provide. It’s in our nature to listen, learn and continually look for ways to improve. We are genuinely sorry that you were unable to have a positive experience on this occasion, as this is certainly not what we aim for.

Your feedback has been noted in full and will be shared with the relevant teams so the booking, pitch allocation and communication issues can be reviewed. Thank you again for taking the time to raise your concerns with us.

Positiv Frühes einschecken war ok
Der Zug war gut

Negativ Sehr laut
Unebene Fußwege, nur Sand und Steine, zu viele kleine Kinder mit e Scooter
Alles muss vorher gebucht werden, man kann noch nicht mal schwimmen gehen ohne Buchung
Toiletten dreckig und teilweise kaputt

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.

We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed the early check-in and our park train. We’re sorry to hear that other aspects of your stay did not meet your expectations.

Our park is a busy family holiday destination, and we appreciate that this can sometimes make it feel lively, particularly during peak periods. Activities and swimming sessions do need to be booked in advance to help us manage capacity and provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Swimming can be booked two weeks in advance, and we always recommend booking as soon as the sessions open.

We’re also sorry to hear your comments regarding the paths and toilet facilities. We have teams on park throughout the day working to maintain our facilities and grounds, and we always encourage guests to report any issues to reception so our teams can address them as quickly as possible.

We hope you’ll consider visiting us again and give us the opportunity to provide you with a better experience. Keeping the fun going is in our nature.

Positiv The area around the " venue" was really nice and clean. Our kids really liked the park and thr play areas that were there. The amphitheater area was really good. It could have used a canopy as there was no shade and it was really hot while we were there. The pool was lots of fun. All of our kids loved the slide. Thr pool was not heated as described on the website. We watched everyday as adult after adult commented and pulled "omg that's cold faces" as they got into the pool. The bump track was good and our kids really enjoyed spending time there.

Negativ Once we were out of the " venue " area we found the park filthy. We stayed on shelduck 2. First when you arrive its a free for all to find your pitch as it camp where ever you like. This means trying to find a pitch. Maybe not so bad in thr off season but in peak this was just silly as you didn't know where to go to find a pitch. The pitches were filthy, we had to get gloves on and a rubbish bag out to clean our pitch of rubbish before we could get out caravan onto the pitch. There were a couple of water stations that were full of rubbish that had clearly been there a while as the cardboard was disintergrating and thr plastic all around was stick in the ground. I spoke to one of the pitch guys the day we arrived ( Friday) and asked them to clean it up. I also mentioned it to them on sunday and monday. However it was still the same when we left. Which meant a long walk to get water.
The bump track was awesome and our kids loved it. However the amount of rubbish that was there. Thebin was full, rubbish all around it and plastic cups everywhere. This did However get cleaned up on Monday but you could tell it had been like that for a while.
The shower blocks were cleaned on a daily basis however the toilets were consistently getting blocked up.
Overall disappointed with overall cleanliness of the the park

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback with us. We’re really pleased to hear that your children enjoyed the play areas, amphitheatre, swimming pool, slides and pump track. It’s lovely to hear that there were plenty of activities for the family to enjoy.

We’re sorry, however, that the overall cleanliness of the park and your pitch did not meet the standard you expected. We completely appreciate how frustrating it must have been to arrive and have to clear rubbish from your pitch before you could set up.

We also understand your concerns regarding the rubbish around the water points and pump track. We have listened to our guests and have doubled our park teams out and about across the park to help keep areas clean and well maintained. We have also increased the focus on our toilet and shower blocks to help ensure these are regularly checked and cleaned throughout the day.

Our teams work hard to maintain the park, but with a busy park and a large number of guests, areas can unfortunately become untidy very quickly. We also wish that all our guests would take care of the park and dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

We appreciate your comments regarding the pool temperature and the lack of shade around the amphitheatre too. Your feedback has been noted and will be shared with the relevant teams.

It’s in our nature to listen to our holiday guests, learn from their feedback and continually push to do better. We’re sorry that the overall cleanliness of the park affected your experience, and we hope the improvements we continue to make will give you a much better experience should you choose to visit us again.

Positiv Nothing

Negativ Arrived given a pitch number that we couldn’t find , went back to be told go anywhere, before we went back to find a pitch went to use the toilets they were absolutely filthy. We the left the site . Having now read a number of reviews they repeat the above statement.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I’m really sorry to hear that your arrival experience was so disappointing and that you decided to leave the park.

I completely understand how frustrating it must have been to arrive, be given a pitch number you couldn’t locate, and then be told to find another pitch yourself. This is not the welcome we want our guests to receive.

I’m also very sorry to hear about the condition of the toilet facilities. Our park teams are available 24/7 to help ensure the toilet and shower blocks are kept clean and maintained. We do, however, wish that all our guests would take care of the facilities and leave them in a suitable condition for others to use. With a busy park and a large number of guests using the facilities, unfortunately they can become untidy very quickly.

We listen carefully to our holiday guests and take repeated feedback seriously. We have invested significantly in the park and will continue to work hard to improve the guest experience. It’s in our nature to keep listening, learning and doing better.

We’re sorry that on this occasion we didn’t give you the experience you deserved, and we hope you might consider giving us another opportunity in the future.

Positiv Loads to do, really good range of activities, choice of parks, swimming, water sports, zip line, circus, kids entertainment throughout the day. The splash park and club house never seemed too busy considering the size of the park we were able to get tables throughout our stay with no issues. All the staff seemed really friendly and helpful. Definitely not a calm quiet campsite but there is a good energy about the place and you won’t run out of things to do.

Negativ Most of the negatives with this place are down to the campers staying there rather than the staff or site itself. There was a fair bit of rubbish around the camping fields but when I took a walk down to where the static caravans where it was spotless, really tidy and pretty areas. So it really is just down to campers not respecting the site.
Also the facilities were quite dirty and didn’t smell great especially first thing in the morning. However I did see cleaners in there regularly and it was much better once they had been just didn’t last long before people had made a mess of them again! Obviously i understand they can’t have cleaners in there 24 hours a day and it’s just one of the things that comes with having such a large site with so many people it’s just a shame that the campers staying there are what lets the place down.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback following your stay with us.

We’re really pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the range of activities, swimming, water sports, splash park and entertainment, and that you found our team friendly and helpful. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed the energy and atmosphere of the park and always had plenty to do.

We really appreciate your honest comments regarding the cleanliness of the toilet and shower facilities. We have recently amended the times our park teams are present in the shower and toilet blocks to help improve the experience for our guests. While our teams are not there 24 hours a day, they work hard to keep the facilities clean and maintained throughout their shifts. As you mentioned, with a large number of guests using the facilities, unfortunately they can become untidy very quickly.

We also agree that guests have a responsibility to respect the park and dispose of their rubbish appropriately. We want everyone to enjoy the park and its surroundings, and we really appreciate guests who help us keep it looking its best.

We listen carefully to feedback from our holiday guests and, where we can, we push hard to do better and continue improving. It’s in our nature to keep listening, learning and finding ways to make our guests’ experiences even better.

Thank you again for recognising the hard work of our teams and for sharing your experience with us. We hope to welcome you back again in the future.

Positiv Kids loved it , and we had a blast , staff Was amazing, foam party topped it off

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for the fantastic feedback!

We’re so happy to hear the children had an absolute blast and that our teams were amazing. And the foam party topping it all off sounds like the perfect way to finish a fun-filled stay!

It sounds like you made some brilliant family memories with us exactly what we love to hear. Keeping the fun going is in our nature!

We hope to see you all back for another splash-tastic adventure very soon!

Positiv Pitch size. Staff were friendly

Negativ Facilities poor

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to leave us your feedback.

We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed the size of your pitch and found our teams friendly and welcoming. We’re sorry to hear you felt our facilities were poor, as we’re proud of the huge range of facilities and activities available across the park.

There’s so much to get stuck into, including
axe throwing,
park train,
den making,
slime making,
Aqua activities,
splash park,
swimming,
play areas and a large range of activities, with plenty of these available free of charge. All of our entertainment is also included, and during the summer we have our fantastic Summer Cyclone programme, giving our guests even more to enjoy throughout their stay.

Just remember, activities can be booked two weeks in advance, so we always recommend getting online as soon as your booking window opens to secure your favourites.

With so much to see, do and explore, keeping the whole family entertained is definitely in our nature!

We hope you’ll come back and give us another chance to show you just how much there is to enjoy at Billing Aquadrome.

Positiv Lots to do for the kids. If you're not bringing them, probably worth going elsewhere. New toilet and shower blocks and reasonably priced shop, bar/restaurant. Staff seemed happy to help.

Negativ Absolutely massive and resembles a refugee station. Site rules aren't reinforced as much as they possibly should be. As most activities are optional extras, I believe it's rather expensive (paid just over £40 a night). Potable water had next to no pressure.

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback with us.

We’re really pleased to hear that the kids had plenty to keep them entertained and that our teams were happy to help during your stay. It’s lovely to hear you also enjoyed our new toilet and shower blocks and found the shop, bar and restaurant reasonably priced.

We completely appreciate that Billing Aquadrome is a very large park you certainly get your steps in here! With so much to see, do and explore, keeping families busy and creating those holiday memories is very much in our nature.

We’re sorry that some aspects of your stay didn’t quite hit the mark, particularly around the enforcement of park rules and the low water pressure. We’ll make sure your comments are shared with the relevant teams.

Thank you again for giving us your feedback. We really do value hearing what our guests enjoyed and where we can do better, and we hope we’ll have the chance to welcome you back and give you an even better experience next time.

Positiv Lots to do for kids

Negativ The pitches were dirty rubbish everywhere

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Positiv Nothing

Negativ Shower and toilet block absolutely filthy, no organisation, children allowed to ride bikes around the site including roads all the time extremely dangerous, pitches ignored people allowed to park anywhere, kids and adults riding around the site on e-bikes at 30-40mph no lights all times of the day and night, staff nowhere to be seen at anytime, loud music and shouting at 2.00am and after

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Vom Platzbetreiber: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I’m really sorry to hear that your stay was so disappointing, particularly around the cleanliness, organisation and safety concerns you experienced.

It’s in our nature to listen to our holiday guests and use their feedback to make real improvements. We have listened to the concerns raised about our toilet and shower facilities, and our park teams are now present in these areas 24/7 to help ensure they are kept clean and maintained for our guests. We have also installed rubber matting to help keep the floors cleaner and safer.

We’re also concerned to hear about the speeding e-bikes, vehicles, children riding around the roads and the noise late at night. We have introduced further signage across the park to encourage vehicles to slow down and remind guests of the importance of keeping everyone safe. E-scooters should not be used on our park, and we will continue to address this where we see them being used.

The safety and enjoyment of our guests is extremely important to us, and these are areas we continue to monitor and work hard to improve.

We have invested millions into the park and will continue to invest and make improvements moving forward. We know there is always more we can do, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us.

We’re sorry that your stay did not reflect the experience we want our guests to have. It’s in our nature to listen, learn and keep pushing to do better, and we hope the improvements we are making will provide a much better experience for future visits.