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From slaving away in a steamy kitchen, to entertaining endless family members – it’s fair to say Christmas can be pretty relentless for many parents. 

These women, however, say they’ve found the perfect solution: swapping home for a Butlin’s mini-break over the festive period. And it costs A LOT less than you might imagine.

‘Going to Butlin’s guarantees Christmas will be extra special for the kids’

TEACHER Kim Heath’s lucky kids have holidayed around the globe, but their favourite place to go is down-to-earth Butlins.

Kim, 36, has enjoyed Christmas Day with a difference at the traditional UK holiday camp for the past few years – and her youngsters wouldn’t have it any other way. 

She celebrates the occasion with husband Graham, 38, kids Olivia-Belle, nine, and Grayson, four, and members of their extended families. 

Kim told The Sun: “Olivia-Belle has been to places like Dubai, Sydney and the Caribbean and we’ve even been to Lapland.

“But she loves Butlin’s because the family are together and everyone’s going to be having fun.”

Butlins was once a top holiday destination for UK families but it’s fair to say its reputation has ebbed and flowed in more recent years. 

Kim added: “A lot of our friends say they can’t believe we go to Butlin’s but if you’ve got kids and want to make sure they have an extra special Christmas, it’s magical.

“You can do as much or as little as you like, you can even go swimming on Christmas Day.

“It’s just a really nice place to be.”

The family from Caerphilly, South Wales, are able to save money on the annual festive break thanks to Kim’s father-in-law, who owns an eight-berth caravan at Butlin’s Minehead, Somerset. 

She said: “Nowadays, just going to the local farm to meet Santa with the kids can cost £70 whereas at Butlins it’s all included in the site fee, and we’re lucky enough to have the caravan to sleep in.

“My house isn’t big enough for everybody, you’d have to try and squeeze everybody in but this way no-one has to be on their own on Christmas night.

“My mum’s friend stayed with us last year and we’ve met up with other family and friends who are staying separately too.”

Last year, Kim and relatives enjoyed a Christmas Eve visit to Santa’s Grotto at the resort and there’s usually a pantomime on offer on the big day itself. 

She said: “On Christmas Day, we open presents and then we dive into the activities.

“Everybody’s in a really good mood and everything is open on Christmas Day so you’ll never hear your children say they’re bored.” 

When it comes to the big Christmas Dinner, that comes in buffet form.

“Nobody’s really expected to cook,” explained the Butlin’s fan, who lives two and a half hours away from her favourite coastal resort. 

“There is no pressure, there’s no one person at home spending the day cooking in the kitchen.

“We’ve travelled around the world, but Butlin’s is so easy – it’s all planned out for you and the children have big smiles on their faces. 

“We’ve always had a really lovely time.” 

Butlin’s Minehead opened in 1962 and is the largest of the holiday park’s resorts, accommodating up to 7,500 guests in its chalets and apartments. 

Facilities on offer include an amusement park and vintage fairground. 

Until earlier this month, four-night stays were still available at Minehead Butlin’s from £199.

“The parks really go to town at Christmas”

The first of the chain’s parks to open in 1936 was Butlin’s Skegness, where mum-of-two Anita Workman, her software engineer husband Dave, and their kids Grant, seven, and Iris, five, have enjoyed Christmas Day. 

The family makes the three-hour journey to Butlins Skegness multiple times a year, with Anita finding the resort has extra sparkle during the festive season. 

“Butlins is our happy place,” said the stay-at-home mum. 

“Your children are only children for a short time, especially when it comes to the magic of Christmas. 

“They have the best time of their lives when we go.”

They first made the decision to spend Christmas Day at Butlin’s a few years ago, after Anita’s mother-in-law sadly passed away.

Unable to face an empty seat at their Christmas Dinner table, the family from Bolton, Lancs, opted for their favourite holiday destination instead.

“We had only ever done home Christmases before and we decided to shake things up because it would have been really obvious Dave’s mum wasn’t there,” she says. 

“Looking back, it provided more than that. 

“The kids loved all the shows. I took them to a local pantomime once, and they were disappointed because it didn’t compare to the Butlins one.

“We loved the fireworks on Christmas Eve too.”

The family enjoyed Christmas Dinner in the site’s main restaurant, which is served buffet style and offers turkey and all the trimmings, plus much more besides.

She said: “If you want to have a traditional dinner on the big day, it’s going to be there but if you fancy something random, that’ll probably be there too.

“Fussy kids can enjoy pizza, chicken nuggets or fish fingers.

“There are crackers on the tables, with Christmas hats to wear. They really go to town.”

Less traditionally, the family’s Christmas Day at Butlin’s was also filled with shows, swimming and fairground rides. 

The Workmans opt for premium dining and accommodation when they stay at the park and Anita appreciates the special effort the famous Butlin’s Redcoats make with her children – particularly with Grant, who has autism. 

Known for their distinctive red jackets, the frontline staff’s main roles are to host families and provide entertainment. 

Magician Stephen Mulhern, the late Des O’Connor and Ian ‘H’ Watkins of Steps fame are among the celebrities who launched their career in showbiz working as a Redcoat. 

She said: “The Redcoats can’t be underestimated, they are awesome.

“We like to get into a venue early for a show and they will come and sit and play card games with the kids to entertain them.

“It sounds like something so minor, but it can mean so much to them.”

Up until earlier this month, four-night deals were still available at Butlin’s Skegness from £195.

Benidorm superfans, Roger and Sue Topp, have visited the Spanish beach resort more than 100 times – and this year they’re taking it a step further for their Christmas celebrations

Swapping Turkey for tapas and sprouts for sangria, one UK couple is set to spend Christmas Day in Benidorm – the Spanish seaside resort they’ve visited more than 100 times.

Roger and Sue Topp, from Leicester, have been travelling to Benidorm for more than 35 years and said they practically raised their children there, as it became their “second home.” Roger explained: “We used to do UK holidays, but it was always a gamble with the weather, then we came to Benidorm once, and that was it.

“It’s friendly, clean, safe, and the value is unbelievable. You can get a glass of wine for one to two euros and a full meal for less than you’d spend on a takeaway back home.” In the eyes of the couple, there’s nowhere else that quite compares to Benidorm with its sunshine, entertainment and community.

So much so that they visit the beach town around three times a year, flying from East Midlands Airport, and spend a lengthy period of time during the brisk British winter months. The couple stay at the popular Hotel Rio Park, located just a short 10-minute walk from Benidorm’s lively main strip, and this year it’s where they’ll be spending Christmas.

The couple, who have been married for 55 years, will fly to Benidorm on December 23, which impressively, will be their eighth visit this year alone. Their favourite buffet is already on the agenda, ditching the Brussels sprouts altogether, and they already plan to FaceTime their families at home, before celebrating in the winter sun.

“The first time we tried Christmas over there, we were blown away. The Rio Park Hotel puts on a feast for us, its breakfast, a huge traditional Christmas lunch, entertainment all day, and you can have as much wine and beer as you like. It’s brilliant and takes away so much stress, that’s why we’ve always loved TUI holidays,” they said.

They added: “We just love the Hotel Rio Park, it has everything you need and it is so close to the beach, plus the staff are just amazing and have become lifelong friends”.

When they’re not lapping up the hotel’s facilities, Roger and Sue spend time soaking up the sunshine of one of the sprawling golden sand beaches or wandering around the Old Town. But a Chinese buffet called Puente De Oro, where they can “eat like kings”, is one of their personal highlights.

“We love the Chinese buffet out there, you can get plates piled high and unlimited drinks for 19 euros. The food is fresh, delicious and amazing value. We go there all the time, sometimes there are big groups of 20 of us who are Benidorm regulars,” they revealed.

Not to mention the extensive selection of Tapas they get to devour. “There is a Tapas bar called Zodiac right near the Rio Park Hotel, and it does the most delicious 6 plates of tapas and a bottle of wine for 9 euros. You really can’t beat that. We go back time and time again because the quality is amazing and it’s a great price.”

Having booked their trips to Benidorm with TUI on multiple occasions, they’re well-known at their local store and credit the team for making it so seamless. “We pop in for a chat or a cuppa. They always look after everything for us, and they’ve become like family,” said Roger.

TUI Travel Agent Cameron Morton, who works at the Hinckley store, has been helping the couple book their Benidorm trips for more than a decade. “They’ve been booking with us in-store for around 10 years and usually plan three trips at a time for the year ahead. They love the Rio Park and won’t go anywhere else, they always say it feels like a home from home and that they meet friends there every time,” Cameron shared.

“Benidorm is such a great value destination, with affordable hotels, food and entertainment, which is why it works so well as a destination with TUI.”