Darwin Escapes Recensioni 

We have stayed at Woodside Bay Lodge retreat for 5 years now & for the past 4 times we’ve been here the boiler hasn’t worked, the first time it took 48hours before they gave up trying to repair it & moved us to another lodge with only one day left of our holiday. The second time it took 3 maintenance men to fix the boiler for it to go & break the following day and we just had to ‘deal’ with it! With a newborn baby! The third time we were moved again! And this time (we are here now) we’ve been without gas for 24hrs until they finally fixed it, and the light switches don’t work in the living room…..after all this stress and wasted money, the best they could offer us was a late checkout of 2 hrs! It’s disgraceful! You have lost our custom. And thousands of pounds of our money!

The lodges are reasonable quality with contemporary (as in, dark and stark) design features, including absurdly uncomfortable chairs. The site itself is bare and bleak, no onsite bar, bistro or spa. Two miles from Stratford and all its Shakespearean attractions of course but that’s about it. Unfortunately we had a major drainage issue right from the beginning of the holiday which couldn’t be resolved. Nobody’s fault but you’d expect the company to take responsibility for a ruined holiday. The on-site maintenance and reception staff are all cheerful, friendly, helpful and sympathetic, tried all they could to help, for which we are very grateful, unlike head office staff from Darwin Escapes, who dodged every concern we raised. After two days of stress and worry (not to mention the foul stench) a small amount of compensation was eventually offered, very grudgingly, along with non-equivalent alternative accommodation. The only other offer, after intervention and mediation from the booking company, was a 75% refund if we just gave up and went home. Or we could take our chances and appeal to arbitration for a full refund, but we were strongly warned this was highly unlikely. Which just shows the fallacy of the much publicised “hassle-free refunds”…. We felt we’d been backed into a corner, and after 48 hours of worry, constant phone calls, constant maintenance visits, inconvenience, lack of any sort of holiday, we’d had a basinful, so felt we had to accept the lesser of many evils. Result: a loss of money, a completely ruined holiday from the very beginning, zero concern from Darwin Escapes and even professional mediation from the booking company didn’t get us the full refund we not only expected, but deserved. I hope your holiday really is hassle free but be warned, if there is any sort of problem or issue, you are likely to pay very dearly.

We had a weeks holiday last week 15th -22nd @ Piran Meadows Spa & Resort Nr Newquay The Caravan Wadebridge 2 pet friendly was of a good size fairly clean but Kitchen let it down rather dirty in places lucky we brought anti bac cleaners and wipes Cuttlery had to be washed still had dried food on some of it as did the utensils kitchen drawers had dirt and grime in them worktops seemed sticky we washed all crockery before we felt comfortable using them , The Large sofa had seen better days springs coming up thru the cushions and very uncomfortable to sit on , but 2 chairs was ok the other issue we had if you are coming for a quiet stay dont book nr Caravans with Hot Tubs a few nights there were loud partys from what seemed to be stag or hen partys but it did stop at 11pm on a positive note the Beds and location was good sad the Resturant was closed due to staff shortages . The other point that is if you have disability problems The caravans all have steps up to the Door to enter and looking around the site i would say almost all caravans have steps up to the entrance doors i am waiting for a hip replacement and felt it a bit difficult to get up and down, do you not offer Ramps for disabled Guests?

Recently sold my caravan back to the Aberconwy site for a low amount, with not a lot of choice.
Unfortunately left an expensive Dyson hoover, and fan heater behind, by accident in a compartment under the seats. When I enquired to come and collect it they informed me that whatever you leave behind belongs to them. After much discussion they looked for it informing me that it wasn’t there, concluding one of there staff or cleaners have stolen it, as the new owners haven’t even looked underneath the seats.
Concluding that they couldn’t care less about anybody unless you are spending money.
I would recommend to anybody don’t buy from this site as it’s like a graveyard, facilities are poor, not even a proper lounge to have a drink and meet other people.

Just returned from a short break at the Darwin Escapes
Sandymouth holiday park and I felt the need to post an honest review of our experience for other holiday makers to see before booking .
On arrival at any holiday accommodation my first priority is always to inspect inside of the oven as this is very important to us after all your going to cook your food in it , you would not like to eat your food off of a dirty plate so why would you like to cook your food in a filthy oven .
We stayed in property number 48 on initial entry the accommodation looked reasonably clean however on inspection of the cooking facilities it was shock horror down right filthy is the only word that I can use to describe the state of the oven .
This was a repeat of our first visit Sandymouth where on inspection we found the oven to be also in a filthy state to me unusable without a thorough clean of which took me over 2 hours of hard graft to make this acceptable to cook in .
Because of our previous experience I thought on this second visit I would take some insurance by way of taking my air fryer and I’m so glad I did saved a major cleaning exercise on my part needless to say we did not use the oven .
I did of course report both incidents above to the reception who said they would pass this on to higher management but in truth this is just lip service .
Forgot to also mention on this visit when we stripped down the bedding on leaving we were also horrified to find pee stains all over the mattress protector this is just not acceptable I await the managements reply .

“WOODSIDE BAY RETREAT” Utterly disgusted with my booking, the customer service from all aspects was shocking. We arrived and all seemed well, When I went into the bathroom I was shocked at how dirty it was so I then went to assess the full place; and it was thick with dust; my husband assured me that it would be fine and we can pick up cleaning stuff, I didn’t want to let that ruin my full holiday, I knew the place was full so was pointless in asking for a swap ( or so I thought)
Second day in I was playing hide & seek with my 4 year old and I was disgusted to find her with sleeping tablets she had found under the bed. I was furious I marched down to reception to try talk to the manager it took me 2 days to eventually get hold of her and she returned my call the night before we left.

I got offered a measly bottle of wine to which I declined I discussed that I wanted to take this further and that I was annoyed that the place was NOT SAFE For families. She agreed that she would escalate this further, I had booked with HOSEASONS, so I got intouch with them also.

When I returned I had heard nothing back so decided to phone again to check up on this. The manager proceeded to tell me that the matter was closed.
I was shocked because when I spoke to a member of staff they had agreed that the situation was horrendous and that she would react the same.

I then spoke to Catherine dingle from customer experiences to which was very rude & unhelpful, I had requested a partial refund as I felt cheated we spent £1250 on 5 night stay as it was a “Diamond resort” and it would of been cleaner in a premier inn. It’s not what I expected and to be honest big companies shouldn’t be able to rob people of this. People want some where better than their house and I was shocked the panels in the kitchen kept falling, thus injuring myself & my family numerous times. No one has returned any of my emails after I declined a £200 refund.

I think you need to reassess your staff as a company as the customer service was appalling and the stay was filthy. I wish I had read the reviews as I wouldn’t recommend this company ever to anyone it’s not a name you should trust at all. And it’s not suitable for families it’s highly dangerous to be honest.

NOT SAFE FOR FAMILES DO NOT BOOK!

Cathrine at Customer Services decided to respond to my complaint by accusing me of lying, disagreeing with everything I said, not reading my emails properly, declining any request of resolving my issues, declining all responsibility of the cause of my complaint and was extremely rude! Never known such awful customer ‘service’ not fit for the job

Avoid buying your 'dream' holiday home with Darwin Escapes. They take your hard earned cash and deliver zero.
No wifi
Skeletal staff
No entertainment
Facilities closed long term
They don't miss an invoice though!
Speak to owners of the site for a true picture before you sign on thd dotted line.

In 2019 we bought a holiday lodge on a family owned park in North Wales. As we already owned a home in Spain, we looked forward to a peaceful and relaxing retirement, using both properties.
Unfortunately, Darwin Escapes took over ownership of the park in July 2020; my partner was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and COVID restrictions meant that we were unable to travel to Spain.
We have been receiving emails from Darwin which have been accusatory in their tone, suggesting that we are in breach of our contract by not returning to Spain. As my partner is receiving chemotherapy and also radiotherapy for his condition- he is unable to travel, even if it were possible.
Darwin have admitted to obstructing our mail, marking it ‘not known at this address’ and have also accused us of making claims to the DWP for rent allowance which, if true, would be a criminal offence!
I have asked for explanation and evidence of their claims but they simply don’t reply. We find their attitude to be rather arrogant and dismissive and their customer relations skills non-existent.
This situation has become intolerable for us. Fighting cancer is hard enough without being constantly harassed by emails implying that we are in breach of contract or, worse, criminals.
It is difficult not to believe that they want to develop the land here and want all owners off the park. Many have left already but, unfortunately, we don’t have that choice.
I can only hope that other people looking forward to a retirement of peace and tranquillity, don’t find themselves in the same situation as we have.

AWFUL horrendous company who have had no SHAME in bumping numerous (mostly retired pensioners) of their life savings!! AVOID

We arrived on Friday for a well deserved girly break after booking a year in advance, after twenty minutes we could hear gushing water. Boiling hot water was coming through the ceiling from the room above onto our bed and was gushing out of the walls outside the lodge. The ceiling had big cracks in it from the water damaging it. Maintenance came and confirmed there was a burst pipe and that they had recently new showers installed. We accept that these things can happen but we're appalled by how both Hoseasons and Darwin's dealt with the situation. We waited over an hour to be told there were no other lodges but they could put us up in their hotel for the night. The whole point of our stay was to be in comfort, together to relax with a hottub etc. Hoseasons offered us a significantly poorly quality caravan or other accommodation that was almost a further 2 hours away. Some of our party were only staying one night so this wasn't a solution. Darwin's offered us a complimentary meal so that we were fed for the night since it was getting on for 7pm. Hoseasons have provided a full refund but I believe we should have been compensated for our inconvenience. We had to take time off work, arrange childcare, pay out for petrol, bought fresh food etc. They're now saying that the meal is compensation enough. Having just beaten breast cancer, the last year has been the worst one ever for me and we were all going to celebrate this and one of our parties birthday. I am completely disappointed at Darwin's lack of empathy and understanding, they clearly aren't bothered about us coming back as we proposed a discounted break or beauty vouchers.

Darwin are sharks. They have treated owners with such disregard. The way head office have behaved over lockdown and since is the icing on the dog poo cake. We pay more and get less!
Mis sold:
No WiFi
No facilities
No entertainment
No security
The local estate can buy membership and renters get priority over owners at New Pines.
Best advice is to steer clear and buy through a different organisation.
Owners leaving in their droves and we won't be far behind.
Greed is Darwin's downfall.

Darwin Escapes has just bought over Rosetta in Peebles. First contact an eviction letter. They did sued notices that caravans in our area of the site has to be off by 31/12/20. So much for an investment in a residential caravan. Some receiving the standard letter has been here for 20 year. No reason other than they want to develop this part of the site. Two vans changed hands at Christmas for many thousands. Get off. Makes you confident to by the Darwin Escape dream/nightmare.

I own a lodge on Aberconwy Resort & Spa. The treatment from the management is nothing short of extremely rude, arrogant and ignorant, not just the site management but also the directors and higher. Rude communications, refusing to enter into any dialogue. No site maintenance completed, no upkeep completed. 24/7 security isn’t worth the extortionate fees paid, only small section covered by CCTV, minimal patrols, anyone let onsite no questions asked. Not willing to help with issues arising because of COVID-19. Refund of 50% offered for time away in lockdown but no further reduction offered due to ongoing closed facilities. During the lockdown, thefts, damage and power outage took place, however, all reported to management, and it’s the owners' fault, not theirs. Disgusting customer relations. Didn't want to give it 1* ...

We own a caravan on Aberconwy & are disgusted at the way Darwin have managed the whole Covid situation. The rent reduction of 50% is unacceptable, the site has not had any maintenance during closure and is a mess. The management have sent emails that are nothing short of rude. They are not willing to pass on the VAT reductions either. Beware when buying a van on this side, they take your hard earned cash then couldn’t care less what happened after that! Poor customer service.

We own a lodge on Aberconwy; we cannot believe how arrogant and non customer focused this company is. Their communication to owners and the management and maintenance of the site during lockdown has been completing lacking. In additional, a huge amount of outdoor furniture and accessories have been stolen during the period and Darwin are completely uncaring. Buy your lodge somewhere else. Book your holiday with a company who are focused and truly care about their customer and their owners.

Woodside, Isle of Wight. Appalling management at this resort.. upon arrival our lodge was not furnished with a highchair as promised. After 20 calls and 2 voicemails we still await a highchair. The out of hours / emergency line is switched off at 7:30pm - an appalling display of unprofessionalism. Service here is non-existent

Avoid Darwin Escapes

ABERCONWAY SPA AND RESORT.

EXTREMKEY DISAPOINTING . Having SOEND A DAY AT THE SPA FOR MY BURTHDAY AT TGE WITH TWO IF NY FRIENDS. WE EXPERIENCED
DILAPIDATED CHANGING ROOM, ONLY ONE SHOWER WORKING, KIDS JUMPING AND BOBING INTO THE POOL OR RUNNING IN AND OUT OF THE JACUZZIS OR THE SAUNA AND SHUTTING. ONLY THREE DECLINERS AVAILABLE.
THE PLACE IS A DISGUSTING
NO MANAGMENT OR ANY STAFF SUPERVISION.

ANYTHING BUT TRANQUILE

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat.
Disappointing stay at Bath Mill Lodge and response received, used Hoseasons to book but read statement of how its not within their remit for any problems encountered. Read the booking form that was filled in and the note under 'Important Information' The issue we had was with the amount of 'Working Parties' on site that were occupying 3 to 4 lodges and hanging their work wear out to Dry? over the railings of the Lodge. Main refuse bins overflowing for 2 days, having to state what we wanted to eat in the restaurant on the next night.

Hartfield Watersedge Lodge (Ref: LP9043)

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat , Newton Saint Loe, Nr Bath, Somerset

Important Information Group Bookings/Party Types Work Parties may be accepted on all Parks, but only with prior agreement with Hoseasons. No Work vehicles or Workwear will be permitted onto any Park. Un-authorised Work Parties will not be allowed to stay on Park. Arrival Information Unfortunately this retreat is unable to accept any arrivals before 4pm.

Booking: 17915883: Bath Mill Lodge Retreat: Hartfield Lodge: 07/10/2019


Thank you for your feedback in relation to your recent stay at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat. It is disappointing to learn that you have returned home from your much anticipated holiday with cause to complain.

At Hoseasons we value all of our customers and pride ourselves on providing excellent holidays year after year so it is extremely disappointing to learn that on this particular occasion we have not exceeded your expectations and for this I am sincerely sorry.

You will be aware that when we received your email we enquired into the circumstances with the holiday park in question. We have now received a response from Bath Mill Lodge Retreat, whose comments are seen below;

We have liaised with the staff and management at the retreat of Bath Mill who spoke to our guest regarding this matter. We are saddened that our guest is upset about the other guests staying at our retreat.

The guests in question acted appropriately during their stay and we cannot be prejudice to them. They did not cause any disruption and abided by the rules regarding the location of the work vehicles which in terms of the rules must be parked at the reception car park. This was discussed and explained to Mr XXXX by the park manager.

Regarding the images Mr XXXX has taken of the neighbouring accommodation showing work clothing, we understand that this was something that they found disappointing, however we cannot act any differently to them hanging work wear than we can to those who may hang towels or t-shirts out on the decking area.

The manager has explained that he had no mention of the bins overflowing, the site has appropriate refuse collections and this is done twice weekly and staff check them daily. In terms of pre orders in the restaurant this is only required for those booking for numbers above 10 and is standard practice, this was not mentioned to the manager during their conversations.

We understand that our guest was not impressed and disappointed we allow contractors to be able to stay at our site, however we cannot discriminate those who are staying at our lodges, they did abide by the rules and no other guests prior to their stay or since have made reference to them acted inappropriately, breaking site rules or causing a nuisance.

We are sorry this is not the outcome that our guest is looking for but please be assured of our best intentions.

Kind regards
XXXXX

Whilst it is no way my intention to disregard your feelings, Bath Mill Lodge Retreat are able to accept any party type at their discretion, we do not state that Work parties are not permitted at this park.

I would like to clarify with regards to who your contract lies with or when a reimbursement is administered. Hoseasons do not own nor operate any of the accommodation featured within its brochures or website; we act purely as a booking agent for the owners of such accommodation, meaning we arrange bookings of properties as an agent on behalf of the property owner. When you book with us acting as agents for the owners, you are entering into a contract with the owner. We cannot accept any legal responsibility for your accommodation and will administer reimbursements at the discretion of the owner. We are assisting your complaint as a gesture of goodwill in our capacity as an agent only.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to write to us and for highlighting the issues which you felt needed addressing. Indeed, we rely on and value customer feedback such as yours in order to continue to improve the quality of the service we provide.

Once again, please accept my most sincere apologies that your holiday did not meet with your full expectations.