I liked Pontins Camber Sands back in 2006. There is one thing to explain why these campsites are so shit. My brother worked in Britannia hotels in 2007 and he was treated like a slave. Britannia htels bought Pontins out right in 2011 hence why I am not suprised they are fucking run down into the apocalypse.
as someone who lives outside the UK, these parks have a so bad it's good old world charm. we have caravan holiday parks here in Australia but they usually just have maybe a pool or play equipment. this offers way more than anything I've seen here.
If uk holidays were genuinely cheap they would be greT but they are not,I could get a cheap holiday in Greece. Three days in a nice park in Dorset £400.
It baffles me how these Pontins resorts are still open and how they don’t get a public health and safety inspection every so often , no amount of money would get me to stay there
Stayed here literally a week ago with my family. On the day we arrived one of the rooms caught on fire due to electrical faults and they sent the distressed family to our room instead, double booking it. To make matters worse, they refused to give the family any compensation/refund and didn't even offer them a glass of water or anything! Not to mention that the room that me and my family finally got given was filthy, rusty and infested by spiders. Wouldn't recommend.
I actually feel so sorry for people who can't always afford 'better' holidays and save and save to take thier family away and end up here for it to be as grim as this. I live not far from here, still a considerable drive away and had to do two trips over. One to see my mates and another to pick them up later in the day as they couldn't face a second night here. Hey ho, the beach is nice. You could always sleep there overnight 😅
What I've learned from watching your videos is anything owned by the Britannia group is a complete shambles and that the owner doesn't give a damn about all these historic parks and buildings within his portfolio and would rather they all fall into some state of repair. Absolutely tragic scenes.
@@wolfeflambe That's what crossed my mind, are they not running these as long term businesses? Are they just "land banking", in view of selling them off?
After having watched several of your Pontins videos. I have been convinced that they have decided to go with the "Abandoned for a decade after the zombie apocalypse" ascetic.
You notice how everything that might require people to spend extra money is open and available- amusement arcade, bar, bingo...anything that doesn't generate income is left closed and badly maintained. It's lucky for this holiday park that they have such a fine beach nearby.
Pontins are really missing a trick here. Camber Sands reminded me of that film, The Hills Have Eyes - they could very cheaply turn the resort into the set of a nuclear accident. I think people would buy that kind of experience and love it.
As a kid, I can see actually having a fun time here. Kids don’t do the cooking, so they don’t care about the appliances or the fridge and cooker, they don’t see dirt in a bathroom, or even really care where they sleep (bring sleeping bags and the problem is solved). As long as the parents aren’t helicopters, then the kids would have great fun racing around the park and spending time in the main hall. It’s obvious where they spend the money with all those game machines and such. I know as a kid I would have spent every second in there, even once I ran out of the few dollars my parents gave me. That and the mini golf. BUT kids also don’t write the reviews. Usually Mom does. And Mom notices the gross appliances, the cold room, the gross mattress and linens. I think this is why lots of us have good memories of these parks from our childhood, but going as an adult you see all the stuff you never cared about as a kid.
@@Sara-xc9xo I suppose it depends on the surroundings and the kids. I know we went on a “holiday” to a shack in the middle of nowhere that was so sandy, wet, and cold, with no electricity and nothing to do, I was so miserable I actually felt in pain being there. Just the cold, trying to stay out of the drafts, trying to get sand off everything… We begged and begged to leave until my stupid step dad finally relented. But I’ve definitely also stayed places like this as a kid, with even less to do, and we had a great time and certainly never really noticed anything wrong with the accomodation, or if we did we didn’t really care.
We stayed in a gross motel when we were younger, and my sister (8) and I (11) were definitely disturbed. My brother was about 5 at the time and he didn’t seem to mind. Older kids can definitely see dirt. I’m sure it depends on the kid and the environment they’re used to as well.
For example Butlins. Butlins Minehead, surfer's point, Doesn't look good, and DOESN'T have much appliances, but kids would just care about the activities, but to be honest Minehead is completely honest about theite back buildings, and are still working for you.
Used to occasionally do some maintenence work there. Place is horrific, can't see how it's open. People nearly always come out with the whole "but if it's all you can afford for holiday". Sorry, if this was all I could afford I just simply wouldn't have a holiday, I'd be happier at home.
I remember, as a kid in the 80’s, staying at a couple of Pontins (middleton towers was one of them). For my mum, as a single parent, they were probably fantastic. The bluecoats really looked after the kids. So many activities to keep us occupied all day.Then great entertainment in the evening. So sad that the new owners have run the brand down to this. This is no longer Pontins. Awful.
You also inspire me and my friend of places where not to go to this summer, hahaha I do love how honest you are when you visit those places! You dont try to be all negative about it and also point out some positive parts about those kinds of holiday parks:)
No way I'd stay beyond unlocking the door. But, i feel really sorry for those poor beautiful birds in that aviary. I wouldn't allow any creatures being there.
I felt sorry for the birds in the aviary too. The one in the middle of Stafford (Victoria Park) is nicer than that and so are the parks here with an urban gym, skate park, zip wire etc and they are free! The whole place is disgusting, it is terrible that Britannia thinks it is okay to advertise this as a holiday; they should be paying their guests to go there!
the only electrical appliance I saw in that entire apartment with a P.A.T test sticker on it was the radiator in the bedroom. The concerning thing is that it was blank. Now unless Pontins change their appliances before they get a year old, do they actually P.A.T test anything? As that would be a major health and safety hazard. I won't start on the loose asbestos cladding that you were poking at!!
Yep because pat testers test EVERYTHING.... they sit in the van sign off a reel of stickers and slap them on then go sit back in the van. Yes. They. Do.
PAT is, rather counter-intuitively - not a requirement. Rather than being tested every year, devices are supposed to be tested based upon the risk that they pose. So a deep-fat fryer should be assessed more than (say) a vacuum cleaner. PAT itself isn't mandatory. It's up to the business to decide whether or not items are safe and PAT is one way of doing this - albeit a a good and standardised way. I'm not saying that those items are safe or fit for use, just that the lack of a PAT sticker is not a sign of non-compliance to anything. I used to do PAT and it's one of the most tedious things you can possibly do.
Could you imagine if Gordon Ramsay went to stay at one of these Pontin's resorts to try and fix the problems there like in Hotel Hell? I wonder how he would react to the run down sites?
@@WalkWithMeTim But I bet that Gordon would get his sleeping bag out if he saw how disgusting the mattresses on the beds and the bedding were though! lol😂
All that rust in the kitchen (like the spots outside the fridge) is called the "Clorox-effect". When cleaning with improperly diluted chlorine products, the hydrochloric acid actually stays on the cleaned area and does its acidy job. ;)
The guests drop excavated soil from their trousers as part of the tunnel escape plan project. If you're caught the punishments are harsh. The last captured escapee had to endure the all you can eat buffet and bingo for two nights running. I thought the Geneva Convention had outlawed this kind of inhumane captivity and torture.
My goodness!! Thank you for showing this!! We booked to stay here in June. We had an upgraded 2 bedroom apartment. We couldn’t even see out of the windows they were covered in seagull poop!!! We sent an email about the state of the apartment.. and we’re told what do you expect we are only a 2*accommodation!! The place was filthy we didn’t even unpack!
You should go to parkdean resorts camber which is next door to pontins. Such a big difference clean, lovely options and generally how a caravan park should be run.
People pay for this experience and call it a holiday ? Looks like a cross between a concentration camp and a high security prison with themed exercise yards. Those beds.....please tell me you left after the video and didn't sleep there 🤢
@@frauleinbird ....no need , I know my history but thanks for the pointless comment 👍 It wasn't a flippant remark but meant to highlight the fact that for many this would be no holiday and a total nightmare and pure hell. I'm sure pure hell would sum up a concentration camp by anyone's definition. Think about what others are saying and you won't get so easily offended .
All the pontins sites just look abandoned! When I went to the brean one three years ago we had ants all over the floor, mould everywhere and everything was full of crumbs i think the only good thing about the pontins sites is the entertainment at night time. Great video once again😊
We used to go there for 5 days in the summer in the early 90s with the kids, and use it as a base while visiting relatives in Kent. While it was certainly nothing special and quite basic, it was adequate for what we wanted, especially with the chippy just along the road (which I believe is still there) Such a shame to see it, and others, reduced to their current state. Ironically, my sister worked a season at the other holiday park further along the road in 1984!
@@WalkWithMeTim I'd been going since the late 60s with mum and dad and grandparents. Then my mates in the early 80s, then my kids in the 90s/early 2000s. Now I just take my old mum a few times a year!
I remember going here when I was younger, our apartment had a huge crack in the main living room window which was looking about ready to burst if someone didn't tip-toe past! Another time I also went there, it was very often in the apartment block we were in for the pipes to get clogged, had ourselves and several neighbours calling the maintenance people on the daily due to dirty blocked sinks. When you're young you don't really realise how bad these places really were! It's quite sad to see previously loved places turn into this.
It's sad to see these holiday camps in a run down state. When I was a kid, we often used Pontins in the 60s and they were buzzing with happy people and activities. Obviously, society has changed and I guess these camps will eventually be consigned to history. Hi-dee-hi!
I wouldn't be so sure. As part of the great reset, air travel will be severely restricted for ordinary people. I think over the next 5 years.......as cheap flights get phased out, we'll see a renaissance of the great British holiday.
Hello Tim. What a crying shame. We had a couple of fantastic holidays here with our grandkids just 15 years ago. We stayed in one of the single story chalets. It was nice and comfy. Someone wrote that Pontins are missing a trick here, well to add to that it’s a shame that foreign travel knocked the daylights out of our own holidays. Again, a crying shame.
There’s some really nice places up here in Scotland. Not holiday parks or hotels though. If you’re wanting a relaxing holiday then there’s some really nice log cabins up here you can stay in and some places have outdoor activities during the summer months. I’ve been on a few trips up here and done everything from fishing to rock climbing. I’d much rather look about for something different, than head to any holiday park, even when I go abroad.
id say the bags of laundry are from cleaners doing the upstairs apartments , prob throw them down instead of carrying them. The main building with amusements looked well kept , The go kart and skate parks look unused prob havnt opened for the summer season yet , I think in general the place is not the worst , it just needs a load of paint and a load of decent cleaners and maybe some cheap bed mattress/linen which can be disposed regular
Me and my family often go to camber sands but we stay at the parkdean site which is about a 5-10 minute walk from here. We always go in to pontins and go to the entertainment part and check out the arcades and that always seems really good. Im not sure i would stay on site though, the apartment complex look like something from the 60's
Britannia have a lot to answer for don’t they? Camber Sands is right by a fabulous beach and is in a lovely part of Sussex with lots to explore and yet they give accommodation that’s not fit for habitation! They need to renovate their apartments to at least the club standard and then actually clean them! Very interesting once again, Tim!
They are purposely running it into the ground, no saying how I know & the reasons behind it but that's what they are doing... The best part of this place is the staff & the history of the site itself.
New to your channel and enjoying these series. It makes me laugh each time you get excited about GoKarts and so far, all the videos I've watched the GoKarts haven't been running!
You'd think the health and safety would inspect the build. There could be a law suit waiting to happen. They want the business then they should look after the place and cut the grass. It also looks like there hasn't been much activity there
Omg can’t believe you were so close, I work at the large park next door and we get a lot of guests from here driving to us asking to stay due to the nature of the accommodation here.
This one looks luxury compared to the last one! The memories that these videos evoke of my childhood summers at parks like this, almost make me want to go again!
I went to Pontins with my old primary school in 2015 in year 6. The rooms were incredibly outdated, the food was awful, the toilets were incredibly dirty and the whole place just felt tacky.
Amazed it’s taken so long but it’s finally been shut down. The place was a cesspit and a complete health and safety hazard. It was used (up until now) for events I go to such as the Rockabilly Rave and the Rhythm Riot. Great weekends with brilliant bands and friends from all over the world attending. The events will certainly be missed but not the place itself. Couldn’t imagine staying there on a regular day.
Another place you’ve covered I stayed in my childhood for summer holidays! Such a shame they’ve let pontins crumble to nothing but filth and ruin. Hopefully they will see some funding in the coming decade!
Only was recommended a video of yours a few days ago and I’m hooked👍😂 a lot of what you show is all true but the truth is you get what you pay for and these places are budget holidays
I looked at how much this would be for 4 of us 3rd October for 4 nights. Comes out at £133!! I’ve just booked butlins Bognor same dates in the wave hotel for £145!! I wouldn’t go to any pontins if I was paid to 😂
First impressions didn’t last long then, crumbs; then the electrical inspection labels were not dated. An improvement on Brean Sands, but by no means remarkable. The bags of laundry on the well manicured lawns was a bit odd as well. Thanks again Tim for daring and sharing so that we don’t have to. 🤜🤛 Rog. 😀👍
Nice work Tim , that stirred some memories. I visited here with my grandparents for a weekend break when I was around 6 years old. I’m nearly 49 and it still looks the same . Shame it never moved on with times . Keep the vids coming 👍
Nice. Used to work there and regret so much. The staff I worked with were just rude and the staff accommodation was way worse and the fact the 'did it up' a few months ago
Years ago my family went on holiday to this place, I remember the first apartment we were in the toilet started to overflow when flushed and flooded the place. We were moved to a new apartment, and after a few days the door wouldn't unlock and we had to get someone to open it. Not a great experience.
OMG that’s absolutely rank how on earth is that place still open and who in there right mind would visit but not surprised another Britannia Group disaster. I feel so sorry for innocent people taking there children there. Awful they need REPORTING it’s not safe.
With a little bit of TLC including cleaning I'd say I'd love this park, I have been to quite a few Haven parks that are clean but the complex area have been just terrible and overpriced, as a cheap holiday if I brought my own cleaning materials and maybe bedding i'd enjoy this.
Place looks like hell. Never understood why anyone would stay at these type of holiday parks. If you have a family and want a cheap holiday, go camping, out in the beautiful British countryside, there are many wonderful campsites and it’s a great experience for children, especially if you stay at a site that allows camp fires and has hot showers, toilets etc.
Looks to me as if they haven't got enough cleaning staff and have run out of money for replacing and fixing things up, but I was expecting a lot worse after seeing the reviews.
That wildlife garden looks like an allotment when it is first taken on, or an allotment that hasn't been touched for six months. If you want a wildlife garden, you do need to do some management, otherwise you will end up with a garden full of aggressive perennial weeds like couch grass, bindweed, creeping buttercup, nettles, dandelions and brambles.
@@WalkWithMeTim the police contacted the council and the council pay for me to live there for my safety. I've been moved all around the country to different accommodation but I keep getting attacked by the public. I'm well known if you Google me. People just believe lies about me and think it's ok to attack me. I just want a normal life.
Love these videos, even at the expense of poor Tim having to spend the night there! Have you ever spoken to anyone staying at these places whilst your there/ to the staff on their own views of the state of the place?
At the start of the video I was wondering if they would have one of those fire blast machines. It's becoming a running joke with them they must have got a special offer on them circa 1990. 😃
I am now totally addicted to this video series! Having stayed at several current a former Pontins sites including Brean Sands, Wall Park and Hemsby it startling to see many that you have visited are just as bad as I remember them in the 90s and even the early 2000s when the decor and quality of the sites are concerned. What has improved in most cases is the main entertainment complexes, these seem far better than I remember them. Such a shame as they can offer great value holidays for those who need them if they just invested in the sites. Could it be an exercise to run them down to sell the land for bigger opportunities as someone mentioned below?
Sadly the owners of Pontins aren't prepared to invest in the company. Britannia Hotels owns Pontins, and their own branded hotels have pretty terrible reviews. If Pontins got sold to another company then change might very well happen.
I live local to Camber Sands, it has recently had a paint job, however they treat staff really badly and the pay is awful, even before the pandemic they were always struggling with recruitment.
Why are people paying for this? Illegal immigrants are put up in 4 star hotels with all meals paid a d weekly allowance. Why not get them to stay here?
I do like these videos. What a tip that looks I'd feel so dirty staying there I'd want a bath every hour...but then the bath looks rank so I'd have to wait for rain! And Salad Fingers would feel right at home staying there with those rusty spoons (for anyone who doesn't know he's a rather creepy Internet character!) I think you'd definately come home with some skin rash or breathing problem after a few nights there 🤢🤣
It's not Pontins, its who owns Pontins! I know someone who worked for Britannia group about 10 years ago as a cleaner who was treated like funnily enough dirt despite having 2 degrees (they were just a single mum so had to work around kids) one day she was told the ladder was broken and to use a chair which they objected to and were told do it or be fired, and of course she fell and broke her leg and they fired her straight away stating she broke rules (in reality they didn't want to get sued) so a woman who already was living on the breadline lost her job!
We stayed there during1976 when I was a kid which, at the time, was the hottest summer on record. My mum got ill with heat stroke so stayed in the chalet for a couple of days while we all spent most of the time in the swimming pool to cool off. The beach was so hot you couldn't stand in the sand for more than a second. I was on a mission to collect autographs from all of the Bluecoats at the resort. Apart from my mum, we had a very enjoyable holiday there. It's a shame it has sunk down to this level of degeneration 😕
We went there a few years later, I remember the Noddy Train which stopped outside the reception, the Paddle Boats next to the reception and the Boot Hill arcade game inside the reception, which became the first video game I ever played. Great times back then, shame to see it all go down the pan. :(
Awesome video Tim, bought back memories of 2009 when I went. Quite a while ago now. The surrounding area once off the site is lovely, mind you it seems Camber Sands maybe the better of the three Pontins? Nice beach at Camber too. 🙂👍👍
bro i went here and the apartment FLOODED and we didn’t even get a refund, massive electrical issues and absolutely disgusting, slipped on the water and got a huge gash on my back and got no compensation. ugh.
Many moons ago I used to live in Camber, and remember you could purchase a day pass or similar to access the park and facilities without actually staying there. From memory there used to be a boating lake with pedalos for hire but that must have gone a long time ago. Having looked on Street View, the crazy golf and all the arcades near the main car park are no longer there either. Perhaps the biggest shame is the wonderful seashell decorations on the beach keepers bungalow have been mostly lost and only a small part on the garden wall seems to remain, one man's lifetime of work covered over which would have now (for better or worse) been a huge pull for the Instagram generation. It also looks like many of the houses that locals once owned are now holiday lets or Air BnB. With so many changes and the closing of the traditional sea side attractions apart from the dunes there can't be many other reasons to visit, and the lack of year round residents must make it feel like a ghost town out of holiday season.
Yes, they did have a boating lake at Camber Sands. I remember my parents taking me there in the early / mid 1980's and clearly remember the boating lake and the swans that would constantly hiss and chase us as young children. Terrifying!! I have fond memories of this place back then and the resort seemed a lot nicer back then but maybe I was viewing it through child eyes. I also learned to swim here and have good memories of being taught to swim by former British swimmer Duncan Goodhew. Then 30 years later as a parent myself and having a family of my own, I decided to take my children there on a break and could not believe how much this place had changed, and not for the good either... I remember as a kid one of the blue coats was called "Blockhead". He was one of these angry (in a comical way) characters and all the kids loved him.. When I went as an adult, I shared my memories to one of the Blue Coats and apparently, blockhead is still spoken about to this day.
Great honest review again Tim. Thanks for always giving the ents team a good review. I feel for those poor sods, saying that, the one and only time I did go to a pontins (we didn’t stay, we just visited a friend!) the show lounge was buzzing and everyone looked like they were having the best time!! (That was the Prestatyn one you did the other week!). Cheers 🍻
Looks a tad better than when I stayed there before. If you think that park feels like a prison, they have never seen the fencing and security they have at centre parcs 😂
Genuinely the worst place i ever stayed. We arrived, had to wait a while to get our room, only to find out it wasnt cleaned. When we told staff, they took 3 hours to send a cleaner down, who did the bare minimum. By the time we were allowed in it had gone dark. Horrible horrible place, and isnt even that nice of an area
I know this is an older video and you've probably heard it before, but the clothing and duvets in bags could be for killing bed bugs. They die in heat which is why it's suggested to put soft fabrics in a dryer on high for 40 minutes but a "hack" that's not always successful is putting them in a bag under direct sunlight for a day or two. Not always successful but hey if you're desperate
Not a chance of me staying at Pontins. Stayed at the Southport once 4 nights packed up next day and came home. Disgusting place. Full refund given. Was asked not to leave a negative comment. Sadly I did.
What do you expect for like £40 or whatever. The people that stay there are animals. The cost to deep clean and upkeep all the apartments would cost a lot. And you’d pay a lot more to stay there.
