Johnfowlerholidays Arvostelua 

Disappointing stay – wouldn’t return
Unfortunately, our recent stay at John Fowler’s Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park was a very disappointing experience and fell well short of what we expected.
There were a number of issues during our stay, which we raised with the park. We were particularly disappointed with the condition and standard of the accommodation, as well as several other aspects of the holiday park that did not meet the standard we expected for the price we paid.
We were told afterwards that we had booked Bronze accommodation and that, as a result, the beds were not made up and towels were not provided. While I understand that these may be part of the Bronze package, I don't feel that this explains or excuses the other problems we experienced during our stay.
We took the time to make a detailed complaint and, although John Fowler did eventually investigate it and respond, the response largely felt like an explanation of why things were the way they were rather than a genuine acknowledgement of how poor our overall experience had been.
A family holiday should be something you look forward to and enjoy, not something where you spend time dealing with problems and feeling disappointed with the accommodation and facilities.
I appreciate that experiences can vary, but based on our stay, we would not choose to return to Combe Martin Beach Holiday Park and would think carefully before booking another John Fowler holiday.
Hopefully the feedback is taken seriously and improvements are made for future guests.

Stayed at st ives. horrible place rip off place paid lot of money for 1 week holiday. Football for kids with Plymouth argyle trainers. Small ground next to road both sides os ball keep going on road. Nothing for 11 plus kids to do.
Arcade about 60 years old most not working. Let's cut it sort crap. Restaurant closed at 8pm.
Swearing northing been done about it
No security on but bar staff there to helps bloody joke.
Never again.better sits to stop at.
Staff not there to help.

We were left very disappointed with our stay at John Fowler St Ives Holiday Village (Platinum Hot Tub Lodge 105), particularly given the high price we paid. We booked expecting a comfortable, well-maintained lodge and an enjoyable family break, but unfortunately the overall experience fell well short of what we expected for the money.

There were a number of issues with the lodge itself. The Wi-Fi was extremely slow, which was frustrating throughout our stay. There were also broken light fixtures that had clearly not been dealt with before our arrival, while the toilet suffered from very low water pressure. Individually, these may seem like minor issues, but when you are paying a premium price for accommodation, you expect the basic facilities to be in good working order.

The overall condition of the lodge was also disappointing. For the amount we paid, we expected a much higher standard of cleanliness, maintenance and presentation. Unfortunately, the lodge did not feel like the quality of accommodation we had paid for, and the various issues only reinforced that feeling.

The entertainment and facilities on site were another let-down. The children's entertainment was disappointing and did not provide the experience we had hoped for. Several amusement machines were also out of order, which was particularly frustrating when there are limited options available for keeping children entertained. The condition and availability of the facilities did not reflect the premium price being charged.

While we were staying in the lodge, site staff entered the fenced-off decking area without any warning or announcement, despite the fact that we had two dogs with us.
Entering a private, enclosed area where guests and their dogs are staying without knocking, calling out, or otherwise making their presence known is completely unacceptable. It was intrusive and could easily have resulted in one of the dogs becoming frightened or reacting to an unexpected stranger entering their space.

Unfortunately, all of these issues combined to make the stay feel far less enjoyable than it should have been. We appreciate that occasional problems can occur, but there were simply too many disappointments during our stay, especially considering the amount of money we had paid.

Overall, we expected considerably more for the price. There is certainly room for improvement in both the maintenance of the lodges and the quality and availability of the on-site entertainment. Sadly, based on our experience, we would think twice about returning unless these issues were addressed.

Couldn't park outside van as been told one car per van never got to park outside ours. Dog friendly seating area was full of families with no dogs so couldn't use the social club/bar/food. Told no glass outside of the venue but men on the picnic tables drinking from glass bottles!

Really disappointing holiday 2 weeks booked at Tolroy Manor . The accommodation was ok but we cleaned the window sills and frames of what seemed like a thousand cobwebs and muck . We had to bleach the toilet many times due to the stench of stale urine when we got there. Now this is badged as a quiet site with entertainment in season. 1st and foremost do not go here with young children no nightly entertainment the restaurant was expensive and basic chicken chunks in a basket advertised as an adult meal was actually the same as the kids chicken meal ! 2nd dogs and fouling was an issue dogs off leads and dog muck was an issue especially when having young kids there. Reported it but was half heartedly dealt with. Genuinely was let down here sadly would not go back here not worth the money at all which is a shame as the site is is in a great location but apart from a small park area frequented by teenagers this is not a site to bring young children to

Caravan very basic twin room hard to make bed no room to stand
No storage for case only a few clothes not for 2 oeople. Anyone over 6 ft legs stick out if bed.if 2 oeople face each other asleep 6 inch between you.
Complained no clithes airer staff said all out so no place to dry clothes especially after swimming.
No shower mat
Cases stored in lounge not suitable for toddlers door steps steep 4 in number.
No joy off reception so e mailed customer services got response out of office will respond next day no response so rang them no reply so rang bookings advised to go to manager.went to see manager not in till tuesday.
Reception stated should have airer but they get nicked.

Fridge no storage in door been ripped off.

Attitude of staff just put off and hope you go awa

Sandy glade,just spent 7 nights there we had a platinum plus 3 bed caravan apparently was very basic for £1400 very average.it was also dirty full of sand underneath the sofa beds in living room (didn’t use them ) floors were sticky still too,and the mattress protectors were stained.the fridge was dirty,and the oven not cleaned.didn’t spend a lot of time in the van tbh though.the onsite shop was expensive but you expect that and the cafe was average with some staff rude entertainment complex bar was pricey for drinks.couldn’t knock the entertainment team especially stripey jack he’s a credit to john fowler and stripey meena wouldn’t return there’s better places for what you pay in the kids holidays

Had a week at sandy glade and will not be going back, ever! Good points, accommodation was fine, staff were brilliant and helpful especially James, always cheerful and chatty, don't know what they pay him but he deserves a raise, a real credit to the company, dog friendly park and dogs everywhere, heaven, great beaches with fairly easy access. Bad points, the owners think it's fine to be rude and obnoxious to whichever guests they think fit, the greasy chef takeaway is the place to go if you are suffering with constipation, you have to book a swimming session online, if the 'site wide' WiFi works, and the 'entertainment' is dire as are the entertainment team and hardly any lighting on the site so you need a torch, so would not bother with John Fowler sites again.

Amazing experience, my second visit to Sandaway in June thus year, enjoyed it, staff friendly, amazing seaview. The lodge was very clean, spotless.

Hired a gold caravan,

We have been on many caravans holidays always get gold or above. This must of been a minus bronze at best. Didn’t even have toilet roll. The beds were rubbish and mattress was plastic, all the stains on the carpets and rips in the furniture. Oven was dirty. Went swimming life guard just chatting and doing dance moves with the entertainment team. Just glad we are always watching our kids. Pool needs updating.

Entertainment was poor quality. All the arcade needs updating.

The only plus was there garden maintenance team the site looks well kept and grass maintained. The receptionist was nice.

Just not a site I’d be coming back to. We have also left early.

The staff was really kind and helpful the swimming pool was nicely warm. 2 staff member who was extremely kind funny and friendly was Sarah and Luke. The activity’s were fun tenis Arcade swimming pool entertainment and crazy golf. I WILL be come here again from Harvey

Have been visiting the Widemouth Bay site for a couple of years and have praised the management of this site. If there has been any issues have been sorted promptly. Saddened to hear of some news, thought with the family of the GM.

‼️ JOHN FOWLERS WIDEMOUTH BAY CARAVAN PARK ‼️ AVOID ‼️

Our recent stay at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park was, without question, one of the most distressing holiday experiences our family has ever had.

What was meant to be a relaxing family break quickly turned into a nightmare.

Upon arriving at our first caravan, we discovered it had a flea infestation. As a result, our dog became infested with fleas, and our eldest child also had fleas on him after simply lying on the caravan carpet. Although the staff relocated us to another caravan, the damage had already been done and the stress had completely overshadowed the start of our holiday.

Unfortunately, the problems didn’t end there. The following day, both myself and our youngest child woke up covered in what appear to be bed bug bites. To make matters worse, the cleanliness of the bedding in the replacement caravan was unacceptable, leaving us with serious concerns about hygiene and the standards being maintained. Making the decision to leave just over 24 hours after arriving.

No family should have to deal with flea infestations, bed bugs, and poor cleanliness while on holiday. We paid for a safe, clean, and enjoyable break, but instead we were left feeling stressed, uncomfortable, and deeply disappointed.

Three weeks have now passed since our stay, and despite contacting Widemouth Bay Caravan Park by both email and telephone to request a refund etc, we have still received no acknowledgment or meaningful response. We have been left completely ignored, which has only added to our frustration and disappointment.

On arrival caravan was very dirty. Reported to receptionist and housekeeper came out straight away to rectify. There was a problem with the cooker where the rings didn’t fit so 2 rings were unusable, also no oven trays or frying pan these were supplied later.Reported this problem on Monday and was told it would be sorted Tuesday morning, finally had a replacement cooker on Thursday! Not ideal on a self catering holiday. Generally the caravan was grubby, shower was leaking which got fixed. Cobwebs throughout.
Entertainment was poor for last week of July (peak season) and the cost of the holiday doesn’t really match what is offered. Will not be returning to a John fowler site again even though we have been many times in the past. Very disappointing holiday where I had to spend a lot of time making complaints then chasing them up, they did get things done but that came at an additional cost to us as we had to eat more meals out than planned.
This was a silver caravan!!! Very run down and very grubby! Lots of faults, replacement integrated fridge just housed in original cupboard not fixed to door runner.
The dirty laundry left outside the housekeeper building all day every day was an unpleasant sight.

We booked a gold caravan and paid the higher price,when we arrived we were allocated no.47 which at best was a bronze,very compact a tiny double bedroom with most uncomfotable bed we have ever slept in,when we complained and asked for relevant fefun between price of gold and bronze we were told that the pictures on the website are just a representation of the caravans they have not neciselary what you get,very disappointing with their attatude,wouldnt go there again

We have been coming to Tolroy Manor on and off for about 20 years.
Last year being a huge highlight to us when we came with our son (age 7). We had a GREAT time. Stopped in private accommodation but used a lot of the facilities, the swimming & most of all the entertainment. The foxy club open everyday we could use for rainy day activities & shows to watch on the evening. However we have just returned from a weeks stay which we booked beginning of February therefore we didn’t think to check the website for any changes and recommended this to friends for a holiday altogether. We booked a 4 bed gold Swiss holiday home.
On arrival we checked in to find our beds unmade, cobwebs & spiders all over the house, the trays in the house had been used & not wiped & was still very dated like what we used 20 years ago when we first came.
When our friends arrived we headed to the bar & asked what time the entertainment for the kids were due to start, to be told that the foxy club no longer existed at Tolroy. We asked to speak to the manager in which we did the following morning.
The manager was very helpful & polite which we could not fault & explained that they had changed the complex to quiet a few months prior. We were told we were able to use our passes for any of the other John fowler sites which was not ideal but we decided to try the st Ives complex that evening.
We had a 9 year old, 8 year old & a 12 month old & luckily we drive a 7 seater car or else it would have meant a very costly holiday spending on taxis (£16 there & £16 back) or 2 separate cars to take. We found this a bit of an inconvience as it meant someone had to drive every night, petrol costs & more time to travel.
St Ives entertainment was hit and miss, the staff did their best to entertain but we felt that the programme itself was to fault. Kids disco starting at 6pm but swiftly finished and going on to bingo where more than 45 minutes was spent where they needed a silent room straight after stirring the kids energy up on the dance floor. Barely any dancing, or shows, mainly entertainment staff doing their own game shows some of which was aimed for the kids at past 9pm at night.
We were told they would usually keep the entertainment room open at Tolroy manor most evenings with background music on but 9/10 it was closed. 2 nights during our time there they had a Caberet show, can only comment on the 1 as there was us & 2 other families there, very quiet & didn’t rate the act.
Drinks & food are extortionate through both sites & barely filled a hole in the stomach (apart from the pizza).
It is a shame as this could definitely attract a lot of people & become booming had it got the right amenities & a bit of love & care behind the properties.
I feel this site especially is going to lose a lot of customers & for us as returning customers will unfortunately not be coming back.

Combe martin beach,if you want a holiday in a dirty broken caravan then this is the place for you, if not go somewhere else, filthy carpet ,filthy seating ,ripped vinyl flooring ,extractor fan broken,light bulb’s need replacing,no towel rail,filthy window blinds ,went to complain and told the cleaners would come back in however this achieved nothing,so we were offered another caravan and accepted the offer as this one was slightly cleaner ,now let’s have a look outside electrical cabinet next to the children’s play area open and unlocked,loose unsecured inspection chamber cover .

We arrived late everything closed. Got hold off booking people told me to phone bar people but wernt answering. Messaged and rang reception several times. Messaged in what’s app too. Had no confirmation of caravan so no keys had to sit in car all night till 7 in morning till someone arrived. I’m 60 mum 80 sister 57 was tired had back neck pains. No toilets anywhere. Had emergency number in app 0330 043 not the rest off the number. Rediculous booke with all other sites you get calls to see all is ok get messages caravan ready with caravan details and keys are left in the cleaned caravan or thob key number. Or with 24 hour security on front. Here they didn’t have any off these if you were late tough. Reception said she recieved my messages but wasn’t phased at all rude no apologies just we don’t do none of that. Got reply from John fowler the same don’t do any off that with a sorry .southbay park Brixham. itself was small not much on there but caravan was very nice. Need a big change for late arrivals need safe boxes put in.

Stayed at sandy glad brean, Silver chalet was disgusting, damp in two of the bedrooms, kitchen cabinets full of dog hair, tables dirty didnt even look like they had been wiped down,the floors where disgusting, the bottom of everyone's fleet where black after an hour of walking around, cleaners got sent back around, didnt make much of a difference so I cleaned it myself as this wasnt exaptable with 3 children one under two and one who is disabled, site was a massive let down, looks run down,very disappointed as this was the one holiday we had booked for the 6 weeks hoildays, will never go back, left a day early

We chose a gold caravan (the original Saunton Lodge) in early July. We’ve been coming to Ruda for at least 25 years, our kids and friends kids have grown up with our annual holidays with our best friend. We booked a lodge as a treat, and when we arrived we were disappointed with the condition of it. The wood was rotting on the outside, with holes down one side and desperately needed painting, they replaced some of the decking planks. Inside the fridge was dirty, with the head housemaid saying they can’t clean it as the bottom shelf it can’t be removed, when all it took was a screw to be undone either side to pull it out, then you could clean the bottom tray. The freezer was frozen solid, you had to force the door open, and none of the drawers could be opened. Most of the kitchen doors were blown out, so pictures definitely do not betray the true reality of the caravan. The en-suite showers silican sealant was covered with mould, but they’d removed the bathrooms sealant and replaced it with new, why couldn’t they of done the same in the en-suite showers, it’s not a long job, and I believe if you start doing up a lodge you should of finished it. I went to complain but the manager had just left for the day, I was promised she would come see me tomorrow as there were no lodges available that allowed dogs. I was offered a small refund. Although our first neighbours had 2 dogs, but the second arrivals had none, I was told that no dogs are allowed in non pet lodges due to the possibility of a guest having an allergy. This doesn’t make sense putting guests in pet lodges unless you also have allergy only lodges as well. Later that evening the Assistant Mgr and Head of housekeeping came to see me, as the General Manager was now not on site tomorrow. I pointed out all of the above, and I didn’t appreciate the Asst Mgr attitude towards me, he couldn’t see why I was upset seeing a rotting lodge with holes down the side when I’d paid nearly £3000 for the week. Plus the fact the fridge and freezer hadn’t been checked, and the simple task of unscrewing the bottom tray to clean it. In the end I gave up it was like talking to deaf people. Telling me that the park has had no maintenance for the last 6 years whilst Parkdean tried to sell it. John Fowler are apparently investing vast amounts of money to catch up. I was just upset as I’m disabled and I’ve been saving a whole year from my low income so that my family could enjoy my definition of a luxury holiday. Obviously my expectations were unrealistic. I’m returning at the end of Sept with my family and best friend and god daughter, I’ve explained it won’t be what we thought as I doubt any small improvements will of been made, like replacing the freezer for example. They provided us with a small freezer placed in the lounge as nowhere else to go. Or redoing the silicon sealant in the en-suites. Apart from that we had fantastic weather, the camping field with a bar, street food and live music a few days a week was fantastic, especially with the sea view. I was offered a small refund, but still waiting, and am not confident I will even get it. I’ve received no correspondence confirming my complaint, the discussion or refund, only verbally by one of the receptionists whilst she was on the phone to the general manager instructing her what to do and make the offer. I love Croyde but I don’t think I will be back next year which fills me with sadness.