youve

Philip White, a software engineer from Cornwall, has invented a way of bringing those costs down when it comes to booking a family holiday at one of Center Parcs six sites

A dad has invented a tool that helps Center Parcs customers claim back £100s, even after they’re already booked and paid.

Center Parcs is one of the UK’s most beloved holiday parks. It runs six holiday villages throughout the country. It is especially popular for short getaways in its car-free woodland settings, which are perfect for kids to explore while parents relax in the hot tubs and saunas.

While few would question how good Center Parcs’ offering is, it regularly comes in for criticism on price. The holiday park chain ranked close to the bottom in Which?’s latest holiday park survey, almost entirely because of price.

“It’s extraordinarily expensive, at more than twice the price of budget rival Haven. Activities cost even more on top, and you need to secure your preferred slots weeks in advance. The two-star rating for value for money is the joint lowest in our survey. You could save a fortune by choosing a better-rated rival,” the Which? survey noted.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Philip White, a software engineer from Cornwall, has invented a way of bringing those costs down.

“It started because we were on a family Center Parcs holiday. It was a great time. One of my relations booked straight away for a year later,” Philip told The Mirror. Center Parcs offers guests £50 off if they book again within 30 days of a stay.

As prices may rise or fall throughout the year, booking early can leave you out of pocket, despite the cash back. Which is why Center Parcs offers a ‘price promise’. “Our price promise means that if you see the same break offered for sale at a lower price at any time before you arrive for your break, you will be eligible for a refund of the price difference or a reduction in cost to meet the new price,” its website explains.

Rather than spending his time checking the Center Parcs website in the months before his family’s next stay, Philip created a widget that does the work for you. All you need to do is enter your name and booking details, and it will tell you if there’s been a price drop. Then you can claim the difference back from Center Parcs.

“If you notice the cost drops, they refund the difference against your stay. But they don’t do that for you automatically; you have to manually check it all the time. I tried to automate it on my own. We caught the specific lodge we were trying to get dropped by £150, which was a good saving, especially with the cost of living,” Philip said.

Another feature of Philip’s widget helps guests bag slots on popular activities. “When we were there, a lot of the popular activities for our toddlers were booked out. With Parc Watch, can also check when new bookings open up.”

In the majority of categories in the Which? survey, Center Parcs scored impressively. The company received four stars for activities, entertainment and facilities, alongside quality of accommodation and cleanliness. It secured three stars for customer service and food and drink.

However, its low position in the table, fifth from bottom, came from its value for money rating of merely two stars. It ranked as the third most costly among all the holiday parks in the survey. Even positive assessments of the parks frequently reference the cost. One recent review of Center Parcs Woburn Forest noted: “Amazing place to holiday. Personally, I felt the prices of things on-site were a little high, and that was even going outside of term-time; however, you cannot fault the fun and wonder of being at these parks.”

The UK’s best and worst holiday parks

(Name of resort, overall customer score)

1. Potters Resorts – 83%
2. Hoburne Holidays – 81%
3. Darwin Escapes – 80%
4. Landal Parks – 80%
5. Waterside Holiday Group – 80%
6. Shorefield Holidays – 76%
7. Away Resorts – 75%
8. Bluestone Wales – 75%
9. Park Leisure UK – 75%
10. Highland Holidays – 74%
11. Lyons Holiday Parks – 74%
12. Largo Leisure – 73%
13. Park Holidays UK – 73%
14. Warner Coastal Villages – 73%
15. Forest Holidays – 72%
16. John Fowler Holidays – 72%
17. Center Parcs – 69%
18. Haven Holidays – 68%
19. Parkdean Resorts – 68%
20. Butlin’s – 63%
21. Pontins – 61%

Based on a survey of 2,221 Which? Connect panel members and general public conducted in February and March 2026.

An Escape to the Country buyer was left torn between two dream Nottinghamshire homes but there was a huge issue

An Escape to the Country guest was left facing a difficult decision.

The buyer fell in love with two very different properties in Nottinghamshire but was left unable to put an offer in for any of them. During Friday’s (September 4) episode of the popular BBC show, presenter Denise Nurse was tasked with helping Shane with swapping his busy life in Greenwich, south-east London, for a quieter life in the Nottinghamshire countryside.

The former investment banker, who was born in Canada, was joined by his friend Chris, who was on hand to offer a second opinion during the property hunt.

Shane had a hefty budget of £1.1 million and a clear idea of what he was looking for. He wanted a spacious property with a modern interior and at least three bedrooms, as well as a garden big enough for his two dogs.

As he travels a lot, good transport connections to London were also important, while he wanted to live somewhere where he could become part of a community.

Denise arranged a number of properties for Shane to view, but it was the first two homes that really stole the show. Property number one was not what Shane initially thought he wanted. Having specifically asked for a modern home, he was surprised to discover just how much he liked the traditional property.

The 18th-century property was on the market for offers over £1 million and featured six bedrooms, four bathrooms and almost half an acre of land. Inside, the property had a huge kitchen and plenty of space, while the substantial grounds offered the kind of outdoor space Shane was looking for.

Despite initially believing a modern property was essential, Shane found himself seriously considering the traditional home. Then came property number two, which appeared to tick almost every box Shane had originally given Denise. The striking contemporary home was also on the market for offers over £1 million and offered spacious, modern living.

It featured a large open-plan kitchen and an impressive main bedroom with a split-level en-suite. The property was also energy efficient and had a high EPC rating, while outside there was a secure landscaped garden which was ideal for Shane’s two dogs.

When it came to making a decision, Shane admitted that Denise had made his choice considerably more difficult.

He said: “Country living is different for me, especially property number one. When I said I wanted something modern in a country setting, I was pretty sure that I wanted modern but property number one surprised me, how much I really liked it.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about that I wouldn’t have previously thought about, which for me has been the biggest takeaway. You’ve made it harder in a lot of ways, so thank you very much for that.” Denise quickly replied: “That was not the plan.”

Shane said his next step would be to explore the villages surrounding both properties before making a final decision. It was later revealed that Shane went back to view both property one and property two. Although the traditional first property had made a huge impression on him, property number two was the front runner.

However, there was one major problem standing in his way. Despite finding the home he appeared to favour, Shane was unable to put an offer forward because he had yet to sell his current property in London. His dream move to Nottinghamshire was therefore left hanging in the balance.

You can stream Escape to the Country on BBC iPlayer.