Major £23 million upgrade coming to Britain's seaside town
The following year, the once-popular holiday destination placed fifth in the survey which featured 120 UK seaside towns. Visitors gave Skegness just one star for its scenery and noise levels, and two stars for its food, drink, shopping and attractions.
Despite its low scores in a number of categories, one area where Skegness consistently rated well was parking - an unlikely silver lining for visiting drivers. The town once thrived in the 19th century when railways first made it a popular escape for working-class families - but in recent decades, a lack of investment in tourism services and infrastructure has seen its appeal decline. However, the town's luck might be about to change, as a new rail upgrade by East Midlands Railway (EMR) is expected to bring a wave of improvements to the area.
On April 15, EMR unveiled its first fully refurbished Class 170 train, part of a wider £60 million investment into its fleet, according to Lincolnshire World. These upgrades are set to enhance and increase travel to Skegness on the Nottingham to Skegness via Grantham line - a journey that takes just under two hours and can cost as little as £4.05 if booked in advance.
The refurbished trains come with a range of modern features, including brand-new seating, updated flooring and refurbished toilets. Each carriage also includes a mix of 230V power sockets, Type-C and dual USB charging points, plus a dedicated bike storage area. The interiors have been redesigned to match the sleek aesthetic of EMR's upcoming Aurora trains, which are expected to enter service later this year.
The Class 170 trains were formerly operated by West Midlands Railway and are now managed by the UK's leading rolling stock financier, Porterbrook. Will Rogers, managing director of EMR, called the upgrades 'just the beginning,' adding that visitors should expect to see more noticeable improvements across the network over the coming year.
In addition to the new trains, the town's own railway station is receiving a £3.3 million redevelopment, due to be completed by May 25. Editor of Which? travel, Rory Boland, said following the 2023 poll: 'Clacton, Skegness, and Southend all received one star from visitors for the lack of peace and quiet, and some visitors complain that the boisterous atmosphere can tip into feeling unsafe.'
'That's a shame, because what Clacton, Skegness, and Southend offer is exactly the sort of seaside break many of us want. Big beaches, big entertainment, and small prices. More should be done to help them level up and become first-class holiday resorts.' In 2023, locals in Skegness defended their hometown , although families said a day out had rocketed in price.
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Best holiday park in Wales named — it scores higher than Bluestone and Haven
Best holiday park in Wales named — it scores higher than Bluestone and Haven A survey asked respondents to rate UK holiday parks based on factors such as cleanliness, the quality of their accommodation, the variety of free activities on offer, and the overall value for money. Forest Holidays cabins in Beddgelert — their holiday parks scored highly in the survey (Image: Handout ) A survey conducted by Which? to determine the best and worst UK holiday parks has seen three Welsh parks topping the charts. The survey was filled out by 1,700 Which? members who were asked to evaluate their experiences at UK holiday parks and resorts. Participants were asked to rate aspects ranging from park cleanliness to accommodation quality, the range of complimentary activities available, and the overall value for money of their holiday. Forest Holidays, which operates 13 locations in total including two in Wales, secured second place with an 80% score, outperforming major brands like Haven and Butlins. Known for its countryside lodges and unique accommodations such as treehouses, Forest Holidays has parks in Beddgelert, nestled in Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, and Garwnant in Bannau Brycheiniog. Customers praised the quality of the accommodation and cleanliness, although it only received a three-star rating for value for money. Bluestone visitors can enjoy the Blue Lagoon Water Park (Image: Western Mail ) Another Welsh winner was Bluestone Wales, located in scenic Pembrokeshire. Bluestone, known for its luxury lodges and cottages, also scored highly for the quality of accommodation provided. Article continues below While Bluestone earned high marks for the variety of children's activities and entertainment on offer, it also managed to secure a three-star rating for value for money, resulting in an overall score of 77%. Potters Resorts, offering all-inclusive holidays with locations in Essex and Norfolk, has topped the UK chart. Although it's an adults-only resort for most of the year, children are welcomed during the summer holidays in Norfolk. Potters achieved a remarkable 87% score, earning five-stars for the quality of facilities and accommodation, and a perfect score for the range of complimentary activities available. Despite being the priciest among the parks surveyed by Which?, the cost at Potters includes all food and drink, a variety of activities from pickleball to archery, and evening entertainment touted as 'West End' quality. This earned the resorts a four-star rating for value for money. Pontins in Prestatyn Sands closed in 2023 (Image: Daily Post Wales ) Pontins, on the other hand, finds itself at the bottom of the chart once again, having also ranked last in 2024. The brand currently operates only one holiday park open to guests, the adults-only Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-Super-Mare. Their other two parks in Burnham on Sea, Somerset and Pakefield, Suffolk are temporarily shut to accommodate construction workers. With a mere 56% customer satisfaction score, Pontins managed just two-stars in most categories. Despite being the least expensive option, customers still felt they received poor value for money. One disgruntled Tripadvisor user didn't mince words about their Pakefield park experience, stating: "Worst place I have ever visited, chalet was old unkempt and dirty, holes in sheets beds pushed together with terrible matress and pillows, to shower you had to keep pushing a button in, it leaked all over the floor". Another visitor voiced their dissatisfaction, remarking: "Rooms are shabby and quite dirty. Dirt on the baseboards, cobwebs in the corners and behind doors, our shower curtain had pink mold growing along the bottom seam, clearly not laundered between guests." Yet, amid the negative feedback, some holidaymakers shared positive sentiments about Pontins. A satisfied guest commented: "We went beginning of October had a brilliant week! Food was great swimming pool was really good and for the price you really can't get any better!" Entertainment at the parks was also praised, with one reviewer enthusing: "The Bluecoats show Vegas was amazing! They are all so talented and are always doing some activity or joining in on the dance floor and having a laugh or chatting with people." Away Resorts have a holiday park at Barmouth Bay (Image: Getty Images ) Away Resorts, sharing the same score, operates 25 parks across the UK, including sought-after destinations in the South West and the Isle of Wight. Away Resorts received just two stars for value for money, despite providing a broad spectrum of accommodation options from caravans and glamping to luxury lodges. They also performed poorly for customer service, though managed three stars for cleanliness and accommodation quality. They have two parks in North Wales; Golden Sands and Barmouth Bay. Center Parcs emerged as the most popular holiday park provider in the survey, managing to score 69% meaning it was tied with Haven. While it performed well for its facilitoes and accommodation quality, it received disappointing marks for the range of complimentary activities available and overall value for money. It ranked as the third most costly option, trailing behind Potters and Warner Leisure Villages, which caters exclusively to adults. One Which? member commented: "Very expensive for what it is. Accomodation excellent, apart from the oasis pool, everything was extra. Staff were very helpful and the children enjoyed their stay. I will not be going back." Article continues below Haven, operating 38 parks throughout the UK, matched Center Parcs' percentage score, though they managed three stars for value for money. Which? readers awarded them two-star ratings for food and drink offerings and the selection of complimentary activities available. Best and worst holiday parks in the UK - ranked Pontins, Largo Leisure, Away Resorts, Park Holidays, Butlins, Center Parcs, and Haven have been approached for comment.
North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
Holiday park voted worst in UK as Center Parcs, Haven and Butlins all rank lower than winner
A survey has unveiled the top and bottom UK holiday parks for 2025, with household names like Haven and Center Parcs being outshone by smaller operators. The survey gathered insights from 1,700 Which? members who rated their stays at various UK holiday parks and resorts. Participants evaluated aspects such as park cleanliness, accommodation quality, the range of free activities available, and the overall value for money of their trip. Leading the pack with the highest "customer score" was Potters Resorts, known for its all-inclusive holidays at two locations in Essex and Norfolk. Although predominantly an adults-only destination, Potters welcomes children during the summer holidays in Norfolk. It achieved a stellar 87% customer score, earning five stars for both facility and accommodation quality, and a perfect score for the diversity of complimentary activities. Despite being the priciest option in the Which? survey, Potters' cost includes all meals and beverages, a variety of activities from pickleball to archery, and 'West End' standard evening entertainment, which earned the resort a four-star rating for value for money. Forest Holidays secured the second spot, with an overall customer score of 80%. The brand boasts eight parks in England, three in Scotland, and two in Wales, offering rural locations and unique accommodation such as log cabins and treehouses. Customers praised the quality of the accommodation and cleanliness, although they only awarded three-stars for value for money. Another top performer was Bluestone Wales, nestled in the scenic Pembrokeshire. Bluestone provides luxury lodges and cottages, also earning high marks for the quality of accommodation on offer — go here to read what one visitor who drove 2.5 hours to stay there thought. While they scored well for the variety of children's activities available and the entertainment, they also received a three-star rating for value for money, resulting in an overall score of 77%. Pontins found themselves at the bottom of the chart once again, having also come last in 2024. The brand currently has just one holiday park open to guests, the adults-only Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-Super-Mare. Their other two parks in Burnham on Sea, Somerset and Pakefield, Suffolk are temporarily closed to accommodate construction workers. It closed its site in Prestatyn in 2023. With 56% for customer satisfaction, Pontins earned just two-stars in most areas and, despite being the cheapest option, customers still felt they received poor value for money. In a scathing Tripadvisor review, one customer didn't hold back about their Pakefield park experience, stating: "Worst place I have ever visited, chalet was old unkempt and dirty, holes in sheets, beds pushed together with terrible mattress and pillows, to shower you had to keep pushing a button in, it leaked all over the floor." Another visitor expressed dissatisfaction, noting: "Rooms are shabby and quite dirty. Dirt on the baseboards, cobwebs in the corners and behind doors, our shower curtain had pink mold growing along the bottom seam, clearly not laundered between guests." Not all feedback was negative, as some holidaymakers enjoyed their stay, with one reviewer commenting: "We went beginning of October had a brilliant week! Food was great, swimming pool was really good and for the price you really can't get any better!" Entertainment at Pontins also received commendations, with a guest remarking: "The Bluecoats show Vegas was amazing! They are all so talented and are always doing some activity or joining in on the dance floor and having a laugh or chatting with people." Largo Leisure Parks, which operates six parks in Scotland, found itself at the lower end of the satisfaction scale with a score of 64%. It should be noted, however, that this rating was based on a relatively small sample size of just 30 respondents who had visited their parks. A spokesperson for Largo Leisure commented: "Whilst this is of course disappointing, this relates to only 30 people who were surveyed about Largo Leisure over 12 months ago. On both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, where we have thousands of reviews for each of our six Scotland holiday parks, all of them are rated 4.3 or above out of 5. "We regularly get 5 star reviews on both TripAdvisor and Google reviews and we would encourage people to take a look on both to see a true reflection of the guest experiences at our parks. We are very proud of our track record for providing exceptional holidays for our guests but we never stop trying to improve. We are enjoying a busy year across all our parks and if people read the online reviews they will see why." Meanwhile, Away Resorts scored similarly. It operates 25 parks in locations such as the popular south-west of England and the Isle of Wight. Away Resorts received just two stars for value for money, in spite of offering a broad selection of accommodation including caravans, glamping options, and luxury lodges. The company also had unsatisfactory ratings in customer service but earned three stars for cleanliness and accommodation quality. Center Parcs, the most popular holiday park provider in the survey, scored 69%, putting it on par with Haven. Despite high scores for its facilities and accommodation quality, it received lower marks for the range of complimentary activities and overall value for money. It was the third priciest on the list, following Potters and Warner Leisure Villages, who cater to adults-only breaks. A Which? member commented: "Very expensive for what it is. Accommodation excellent, apart from the oasis pool, everything was extra. Staff were very helpful and the children enjoyed their stay. I will not be going back." Haven, with 38 parks across the UK, matched Center Parcs' score, although they did receive three stars for value for money. Which? readers awarded them two-star ratings for food and drink and the variety of free activities available. You can read what one mum thought of Haven here. Best and worst holiday parks in the UK - ranked Provider Customer Score Potters Resorts 87% Forest Holidays 80% Bluestone Wales 77% John Fowler Holiday Parks 77% Hoburne Holidays 75% Hoseasons 74% Waterside Holiday Group 74% Warner Leisure Villages 71% Centerparcs 69% Haven Holiday Parks 69% Parkdean Resorts 68% Butlins 67% Park Holidays UK 66% Away Resorts 64% Largo Leisure Parks 64% Pontins 56%
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Best and worst holiday parks in the UK revealed with Scottish locations at top and bottom of list
A new survey by Which? has revealed the best and worst holiday parks in the UK, and Scottish parks were among the winners A Which? survey has uncovered the top and bottom holiday parks in the UK for 2025, and some Scottish locations have topped the list. The research involved 1,700 Which? members who shared their feedback on various UK holiday parks and resorts. Participants rated aspects such as park cleanliness, accommodation quality, the range of free activities available, and the overall value for money of their stay. Taking second place in the rankings was Forest Holidays, with an 80% positive score. Forest Holidays have three locations in Scotland: Ardgartan Argyll on Loch Long, Glentress Forest near Edinburgh, and Strathyre, Ben Ledi. The company also have eight parks in England and two in Wales, offering rural settings and unique accommodation options like log cabins and treehouses. Forest Holidays customers praised the quality of the accommodation and cleanliness, although it only received a three-star rating for value for money. They were beaten to first place by Potters Resorts, known for its all-inclusive breaks at two locations in Essex and Norfolk. Predominantly an adults-only destination, Potters does welcome children during the summer holidays in Norfolk. It achieved a stellar 87% customer score, earning five stars for both facility and accommodation quality, and a flawless rating for the wide range of free activities. Despite being the priciest option in the Which? survey, Potters' cost covers all meals and beverages, a variety of activities from pickleball to archery, and 'West End' standard evening shows, securing the resort a four-star evaluation for value for money. Bluestone Wales also emerged as a top choice, nestled in the scenic Pembrokeshire. Bluestone provides luxury lodges and cottages, earning high marks for the quality of accommodation available. While they scored well for the range of children's activities and entertainment provided, they also received a three-star rating for value for money, resulting in an overall score of 77%. At the bottom end of the rankings was Largo Leisure Parks, with six parks in Scotland, scoring 64%. However, they had one of the lowest sample sizes in the survey of just 30 people. A spokesperson for Largo Leisure said: "Whilst this is of course disappointing, this relates to only 30 people who were surveyed about Largo Leisure over 12 months ago. On both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, where we have thousands of reviews for each of our six Scotland holiday parks, all of them are rated 4.3 or above out of 5. "We regularly get 5 star reviews on both TripAdvisor and Google reviews and we would encourage people to take a look on both to see a true reflection of the guest experiences at our parks. "We are very proud of our track record for providing exceptional holidays for our guests but we never stop trying to improve. We are enjoying a busy year across all our parks and if people read the online reviews they will see why.", they added. Pontins found itself at the bottom of the list once again, having also ranked last in 2024. The brand currently has just one holiday park open to guests, the adults-only Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-Super-Mare. Their other two parks in Burnham on Sea, Somerset and Pakefield, Suffolk are temporarily closed to accommodate construction workers. With a mere 56% customer satisfaction score, Pontins earned just two stars in most categories and, despite being the most affordable option, customers still felt they were not getting good value for their money. In a scathing Tripadvisor critique of Pakefield, one visitor did not mince words, stating: "Worst place I have ever visited, chalet was old unkempt and dirty, holes in sheets, beds pushed together with terrible matress and pillows, to shower you had to keep pushing a button in, it leaked all over the floor". Another disgruntled guest complained about the state of their accommodation: "Rooms are shabby and quite dirty. Dirt on the baseboards, cobwebs in the corners and behind doors, our shower curtain had pink mold growing along the bottom seam, clearly not laundered between guests." On the flip side, some holidaymakers enjoyed their Pontins experience, evidenced by one review which read: "We went beginning of October had a brilliant week! Food was great, swimming pool was really good and for the price you really can't get any better!". Entertainment at the parks also received applause, as another reviewer shared: "The Bluecoats show Vegas was amazing! They are all so talented and are always doing some activity or joining in on the dance floor and having a laugh or chatting with people." Away Resorts, sharing the same percentage, runs 25 parks across the UK, including two in Scotland. Away Resorts received a modest two-star rating for value for money, despite its broad selection of lodgings ranging from caravans and glamping to high-end lodges. The company also fared poorly in customer service but managed to secure three stars for both cleanliness and the quality of their accommodation. Center Parcs emerged as the survey's most popular holiday park provider, garnering a 69% satisfaction rate, placing it on par with Haven. It was praised for the quality of its facilities and lodgings, yet it didn't fare as well when it came to the range of complimentary activities and overall value for money. Ranking as the third priciest option, the only other parks that were more expensive where Potters and Warner Leisure Villages, which caters exclusively to adults. A Which? member said: "Very expensive for what it is. Accomodation excellent, apart from the oasis pool, everything was extra. Staff were very helpful and the children enjoyed their stay. I will not be going back." Haven, boasting 38 parks throughout the UK, matched Center Parcs with a 69% score, earning three stars for value for money. However, Which? subscribers awarded them a mere two stars for both food and drink and the assortment of free activities available. Best and worst holiday parks in the UK - ranked
