Pontins reviews becoming very positive - anyone got any recent experience?

[Steve McF]

Just come back from a week at Butlins Skegness, and it still amazes me just how the Butlins business model works so well.

We have been to Minehead twice, but thought we'd give Skeggy a go this time, and it is all very similar. The kids are getting older so some of the entertainment they used to enjoy is now "too babyish" (to quote the kids themselves). But there is so much going on all the time and the place is heaving!!! They must make a mint!!!!

Having slimmed down to just 3 sites back in the 1990s and poured investment into those remaining 3 sites, they have clearly found a successful formula, and boy does it work!!!!!

A couple of years back we went to Pontins in Blackpool only a short time before they announced its closure. It was very run down, but our chalet was clean, the food was good, and the entertainment excellent. Couldn't fault the bluecoats, who seemed much more interested in entertaining the kids than the redcoats at Butlins (who seemed to be more interested in  showing off to the other redcoats!!).

Since Pontins was acquired by Britannia Hotels last year, I have been watching with interest to see what they would do with it. Some bloke I was chatting to at Skeggy told me he had been to Pontins Prestatyn and they'd had a great time, so I was having a look for recent reviews of Pontins  (as all the old ones tend to feature people moaning about run down sites, crap food, and tatty accommodation).

It seems Britannia have been true to their word when it comes to investing - they have been busy upgrading and refurbing all the chalets and other facilities on their remaining 5 Pontins sites - and according to the recent reviews, it seems to be paying off.....

Look at the Holiday Review sections for each site -
http://www.pontinsreview.co.uk/

It also looks like they have either bought houses alongside the site to use as posher accommodation, or have started building new houses for the same purpose -
http://www.pontins.com/accommodation/bungalows/

I wish them all the best and hope they can turn it around. I always watch with interest when a British company tries to make a success of things...... ;-)

Has anyone else had any recent experience of Pontins, and if so, what did you think?? 

[sgould]

There's a large number of reviews here  - a lot of recent ones.  Not looking good.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Search?q=pontins

[CitTone]

Butlin's business model is to screw the maximum work out of their staff for the minimum wage (or less where they can get away with it), ensure they are not employed long enough to benefit from proper workers' rights so they can be summarily dismissed for the slightest infringement of obscure contract terms, and charge Joe Public 4* hotel prices for drinks.

By the way, my family and I are banned from all Butlin's sites. Not that I have the slightest intention of ever going to one, you understand.

[Geoff1951]

...By the way, my family and I are banned from all Butlin's sites..

Come on CitTone, you can't leave us all wondering!

[CitTone]

Oh, if you must...

My daughter was a Redcoat (see Sky TV series "Redcoats" for details). She went down with an infectious stomach complaint and was signed off for three days. The three-day period ran into her free-time, so on what would have been her day-off she went out to get some medicine in the local town.

She was sacked, because there was a clause in her contract barring site-resident staff from leaving site without permission when on sick-leave.

This was ruled by the management "gross misconduct", a term that I - and most other people, I expect - would associate with financial irregularities, violence or sexual misbehaviour, and it is now on her employment history.

As an adjunct to the dismissal, she (and all immediate family) is not permitted entry to any Butlin's sites.

As she had not been contracted for a full year, she had no external right of appeal.

I leave you to form your own conclusions.

[Geoff1951]

Clucking bell, CitTone!!!  It'd be interesting to see how they'd enforce that ban - not that you'd want to try beat it, obviously!

I'd like to think that any reasonable and decent potential employer would ignore that unwarranted slur, I know I have with similar issues coming before an interview panel I'm on. Good luck to her if she's still in the job market.

[CitTone]

Ironically, she was featured in the docusoap referred to in my earlier posting, which Butlitz eventually canned because they felt it didn't project their new, "upmarket" image.

Up their market, I say.