Center Parcs has reopened its five UK holiday villages today more than three months after it was forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The leisure company, which announced it would be closing its sites temporarily from March 20 amid the ‘exceptional circumstances’ that the nation was now in, will once again welcome guests to its villages.
The company’s bosses added that the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Spa areas would remain off limits until July 27 in line with government advice.
However those looking to use the pool from this date will only be able to book two slots, each of which last two hours, if they are on a three or four-night holiday.
They will also need to arrive 15 minutes before their booked session with their swimwear underneath their clothes.
Center Parcs has reopened its five UK holiday villages in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest in Suffolk; Longleat Forest in Wiltshire; Whinfell Forest in Cumbria and Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire. Pictured: The Subtropical Swimming Paradise in Woburn
The leisure resort closes its parks on March 20 due to the coronavirus crisis. Pictured: Center Parcs Waterside Lodge Exterior in Elveden Forest
The villages will also be able to open their Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Spa areas from July 27 in line with government advice
The holiday park currently operates sites in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest in Suffolk; Longleat Forest in Wiltshire; Whinfell Forest in Cumbria and Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire.
Center Parcs’ CEO, Martin Dalby, said: ‘Although it was disappointing to have to close our villages, it was the right thing to do to keep our guests and staff safe.
‘The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant effect on the whole country and we always said we would only reopen once we were 100 per cent satisfied it was safe to do so.
‘We’ve had our teams working around the clock to review everything we do, right down to the smallest detail, and we’re now ready to open our doors again.
‘We know that a lot of families were looking forward to Center Parcs breaks and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the forest.
‘Those families who have visited us before will notice some changes to the way we’re doing things, but the essence of a Center Parcs break will remain the same, offering a fantastic short break experience with plenty of space within our 400 acres of natural woodland.’
On July 27, the villages will reopen their Subtropical Swimming Paradise and guests will also be able to book treatments in the resort’s Aqua Sana Spa from this date.
Guests wishing to use the Subtropical Swimming Paradise will need to book online in advance and will have their temperatures checked upon arrival.
Families on a three or four-night break will only be able to book two sessions, which will last two hours, while those on a seven-night break will be able to book four sessions which each last two hours.
Those seeking to use the pool will also need to arrive 15 minutes before their booked session with their swimwear underneath their clothes.
Guests looking to use the Subtropical Swimming Paradise later this month will only be able to book two slots if they are on a three or four night weekend break. Pictured: Subtropical Swimming Paradise in Sherwood Forest.
Under the new Covid-19 guidelines, activities will be able to go ahead but with a reduced number of guests. Pictured: Center Parcs in Longford Forest
The holiday park currently operates sites in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest in Suffolk; Longleat Forest in Wiltshire; Whinfell Forest in Cumbria and Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire
Guests will also need to store their belongings in a locker and showers and dryers will not be available.
CEO Martin Dalby added: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to be able to reopen our Subtropical Swimming Paradise, we know that it is such a key part of the Center Parcs experience for our guests.
‘Rest assured we’ve been working hard to make the Subtropical Swimming Paradise as safe as possible for everyone and we have a great plan in place, so getting the green light to reopen feels fantastic.’
Under the new Covid-19 guidelines, outdoor activities will be able to go ahead but with a reduced number of guests per session to ‘maintain social distancing and still deliver a fun experience’.
Changes will also be made to guest arrival and departure times to allow for an ‘enhanced cleaning regime’.
Some on-site restaurants will now have new ‘delivery-only menus’, with the limited number of seated restaurant guests having to paying with contactless.
Those looking to make a reservation will need to so online and lodge and treehouse guests also won’t be be able to order champagne on ice, flowers, birthday packs or a continental breakfast to their rooms.
The resort has also introduced a ‘book with confidence’ guarantee which allows guests to cancel their break up to six days prior to arrival and still receive a full refund.
The opening comes on the same day beauty salons, nail bars, tattoo and massage studios, body and skin piercing services, physical therapy businesses and spas were able to open across the UK.