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Pontins Holiday Park

2 out of 5 from 30 reviews
Camber Sands Leisure Park, New Lydd Road, Camber, Camber Sands, Rye, Sussex TN31 7RL

30 Reviews

Traveller Rating

  • Excellent
    1
  • Very Good
    4
  • Good
    2
  • Average
    4
  • Poor
    18

Review Overview

  • Cleanliness
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Service
  • Location
Jo Brown
16 years 7 months ago
We booked the accomodationn for 4 girls on a hen weekend. Admittedly we went through the offers in the sun newspaper however the entire Holiday Park was absolutely revolting.

Our chalet was what I can only describe as a prison cell. It was filthy, it stank of urine and dirt and it looked as though it hasnt been updated for 40years.

The pub onsite had ripped seats, filthy tables and just looked incredibly dated and run into the groud.

The staff tried there best but were very young and inexperienced wearing ill fitting suits.

I atempted to join a pub quiz to be told there were no pens for guests.
This was followed by a bizarre bingo game (without pens) where we were told to rip up bits of paper to cover up our numbers with.

The food outlets were I can only describe as 3rd world stink havens.
I didnt atempt to look at anything else.

With regards to the other holiday makers I will just leave you with this, I spent the one night I stayed there with a knife under my pillow and 999 punched into my mobile ready to call if necessary.

This place I am sure is rife with fleas, ticks and probably all other sorts of infections and bugs, i truly believe it should be closed down and burnt to the ground.
Absolutely revolting do not ever go here.

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Travel operator: The Sun

Paul Whetton
16 years 7 months ago
Never stayed in a chalet before, never will again. Finally found our chalet amongst the hundreds of other chalets. Had to carry all of the kids stuffs and our cases a hell of a distance. The first thing that sprung to mind when we opened the door was i bet this is full of asbestos. It was years old. It was how i would imagine a council estate in eastern Europe. Was reasonably clean if you squinted a bit). The park seemed to attract a certain type of person. location was ok. within reasonable distance of Canterbury, Brighton, rye, hasting etc. mod base just down the road. listen for the shelling and machine gun fire of an evening. sand beach local(most are pebbles)
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Travel operator: sun

Michelle
16 years 7 months ago
Absolutely Vile! DO NOT GO HERE! The most disgusting holiday site ever! Room was filthy, mouldy and damp, 3 of our party got flu. Entertainment was awful.
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Travel operator: Family

S Heracleous
16 years 8 months ago
Booked mid-range classic) "apartment" for 7 days. Read the reviews after i booked and thought that it was only a handfull of unhappy people. I was wrong.
The whole place looked dreary and dated. Stifling hot reception area, no ventilation, very long wait for the key. Eventually arrived at the room. New UPVC front door and window looked good. The interior was a disaster. The back bedroom(worst), bathroom and kitchen windows frames were covered with cobwebs, dust and black grime. The skirting boards were covered in dust. The inside of the toilet bowl had not seen a brush that morning. The carpet by the "kitchen" area was frayed and had lifted so it could trip someone. The cooker had old spill marks on the side and the adjacent worktop edge was equally bad. The "settee" had a wheel missing and there was dirt in the corner, behind the new front door. The baby cot was stained and had holes. One wardrobe had an exposed screw where the quality chipboard panel was damaged. The airing cupboard was full of cobwebs and dust. Complained to reception staff and after 2 requests,the "accomodation manager" turned up and agreed that it was not up to standard. She offered a reclean! I duly refused, got a refund and left. So having spent 2 hours getting there, i spent another 2 hours getting back home. Ideal place for wasting money and time.Stay at home.
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Travel operator: None

Charlie M
16 years 8 months ago
Visiting Pontins Camber Sands in August 07 I have to say was one of the best holidays I and the group I travelled with have been on. But for those who are wanting a resort which caters to your every need then its not for you. You get what you pay for, basic accomodation, entertainment for the children and adults in the evening, pool and beautiful beach a 15minute walk away. Expecting luxury rooms and fancy restaurants is fooling yourself and you must remember it is a holiday camp. If you are fun, lively people who can enjoy a bargain holiday with the help of a little effort then its brilliant. Definately recommend it.
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Recommended
Emma
16 years 11 months ago
Vile, vile, vile. I drove nearly 300 miles to Pontins Camber Sands, the very next day I drove all the way home again in tears it was THAT bad.

On arrival I couldn't beileve my eyes, from the outside it looked like Aushwitz. Wasn't any better on the inside, extremely dated. The 'games' room was the only place we visited bar the chalet and that was screaming out to be brought into the 21st century, or at least for a coat of paint.

Eventually we could book in and attempt to find our chalet, the car park was miles from the room and we got hoplessley lost through the hundreds of hideous-looking cells, I mean chalets. Even the staff didn't know where to direct us.

Upon opening the door to the chalet we were hit with a smell of smoke, everything was damp, there was a huge tear in the arm of the sofa bed. Curtains were mouldy and paper-thin, bathroom was dirty, the side-panel of the bath was broken. Cobwebs everywhere.

I drove a few miles out to a pub to 'escape' for the evening. When we did attempt to sleep in the chalet we were kept awake by the noise from all the other chalets.

The next morning couldn't come soon enough and we drove home.

Never, ever go here for a holiday unless you belong to The Adams Family or The Munsters, then it will be a home from home.
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Travel operator: The Sun Cheap Holidays

Larry Ross
17 years 8 months ago
I went to Pontins - Cambers Sand last August 2006. We booked into a touring pitch and paid in advance. We simply could not believe what awaited us.

The place was an absolute dump. And it was packed to the absolute rafters. The pitch we were allocated was a muddy hole, very little grass and also very stony.

It has been raining and the cars has really churned up the ground. There were kids that looked no older that 12 swigging beer out of bottles and looking menacing.

We refused the pitch we were given on account of it unsuitability, and we were told to stay there for the night, and we will be moved to another location the next day.

We went to look at that location, but it looked worse that the first one. We were then offered DRINKS VOUCHERS in return for staying at that pitch. We refused. The place was filthy and so overcrowded that there were tents just 3 feet from the communal toilets door.

We had no choice but to refuse the accommodation and go back home. I have seen refugee camps on TV with better accommodation than Camber Sands.

This was supposed to be our Summer holidays, and it was totally ruined. The kids were in tears. My wife was teary as well, but had to stay strong for the kids. We came in 2 cars, and drove nearly 500 miles for nothing. Park-Resorts (Camber Sands) are refusing to even give a refund, because they say the offered alternative accommodation and free drinks vouchers. What nerve.

Court proceeding have now been instigated. Watch this space.
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Travel operator: Online Self Booking

Paul
18 years ago
Where do I begin?! Pontins Camber Sands has to be the worst place I have ever visited. I'll begin by trying to describe the accommodation.

We booked the 'budget' accommodation and had a fair idea that it would be grim before we arrived, however nothing can truly prepare you for the state of the rooms. The first thing that hit you was the smell - like a family of cats had been living in it for the past 6 months. The lounge/dining....(as if you'd eat in it!!) was basic and dirty. The sofa/bed settee must have been 20 years old but was actually quite comfortable....compared to the beds in the bedrooms! I have never spent such an uncomfortable 3 nights in my life. You could actually feel the metal springs through the wafer thin 'padding'. Peel back the sheets and you reveal the full horror of the mattresses....stained, dirty etc.

The shower was ok apart from the mould all round the ceiling, and the fact that the shower tray filled up, oh and the fact that all the skirting was pealing off the walls. The outside of the chalets were disgusting. The last lick of paint they must have had was in 1968 when the place was built!! Also the windows in the rooms either didn't lock or were locked open!! Also don't expect too much sleep at night, that's assuming you can get to sleep on their mattresses, as you will be awoken at around 5am by a chorus of seagulls right outside your room and smoke alarms.

Onto the entertainment. First night consisted of dragging 5 drunk men onto the stage and getting them to do hilarious things like downing a drink, kissing as many people as possible in 1 minute, and stripping to the waist. This left just one question in my mind...why?!

The amusement arcade was something my son was particularly looking forward to but again what a shambles. Most machines either didn't work or when you won they didn't pay you out. In the end I got sick of it and said to one of the attendants that one particular machine didn't pay. His answer...you must have been kicking it! Eventually after arguing for a couple of minutes he gave my son the 50p he'd won!

Food - Well that was fine assuming you were eating what you'd brought. The Sands Restaurant was expensive and the food was poor.

Blue Coats were ok but don't expect any smiles or help from the people on reception. We'd booked and paid to play archery at 4pm one day but no helpers had turned up 15 minutes later so we went back to reception to find out what had happened and to get our money back. The person on the desk didn't apologise, gave no excuse why no-one had turned up and couldn't give a refund or change the date to the following day! Eventually after arguing I got a refund of the money I'd paid!!

Let's get to the good bit.....there's a beach and it's not far away...that's about it.

All in all I have one piece of advice to anyone reading this and thinking of going there...don't do it, it's worse than diabolical!

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Travel operator: Sportstours

18 years 6 months ago
This has too be one of the worst places I have ever been too, it was extremely run down and dirty, our chalets were filty and very old, and we had next too nothing in the chalet and spent most of the 5 days there complaining and trying to access equipment for the rooms.

The only reason we didn't leave was because it took us 4 hours to get there and the children wanted to stay, the whole place was in need of renovation.

We also had a dangerous situation whereby we were locked in the chalet because the lock on door broke, if there had been a fire we would have struggled to get out, our friends next door had to come and rescue us.

The entertainment was ok if you had very young children, as it was geared up mainly for the under 7's, a lot of the staff were very good and did try their hardest to involve people and most were very friendly.
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Travel operator: Pontins

Kelly
18 years 6 months ago
Stayed in the most expensive accommodation, excellent value and lots of money off vouchers including kids eating for 1p.

Staff were very polite and helpful, so many activities for the children
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Travel operator: pontins

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