Highfield Grange Holiday Park

I’d give it two stars at best. The site was disorganised chaos, like many other reviews say. Checking into the caravan was fairly straightforward, but inside we found a missing light bulb, a bathroom door that wouldn’t close, broken utility worktops and general damage. At customer services, they asked if we had children. I said no and explained we had dogs. The staff member gave us the dog stay fee back, which seemed like an acceptable resolution. The facilities were disappointing. There was no recycling, including for soft plastic, and the arcade machines kept malfunctioning, so we didn’t go back. The town arcades are much better. The blue slushy at the bar was just a cup of ice with a very weak blue flavouring, so it wasn’t worth it. The helter skelter on the crazy golf course was broken and seemed to have been for a while. Staff didn’t seem very interested. Neighbours in the caravans were kind of disrespectful too. I’m not sure why, but bins were being moved around at 23:30. The swimming pool was pointless. It wasn’t open, and the reviews give it a toxic vibe. When I asked, I was told swimming was only available for a maximum of two hours a day. After that you had to pay for activities. Don’t spend £100 on activities. The pier is a five-minute drive away, has free parking and an all-day band for £30, though you need to move the car every three hours. I didn’t feel this was what you should expect from Parkdean. The team and site seemed tired and as if they didn’t care about guests. I never saw security patrolling. I asked reception to confirm the returned fee by email, but didn’t see a privacy screen or a remote control provided by housekeeping during our stay. Next time I’ll read reviews first. I thought a traditional British holiday couldn’t go so wrong, but I was very wrong.

What a disappointing waste of a bank holiday stay. The site apparently had a million-pound renovation, but it doesn’t feel like the quality of the holiday was a priority. The pool was disgusting, and the changing rooms were filthy, smelled of urine and were minimal. Swimming was one of the few included activities, so it would’ve been nice to enjoy it. That area looked neglected, like something from the 80s or 90s, and didn’t seem to have been renovated. Some other activities were newer, but cost a lot. The high ropes weren’t that exciting with a view over the arcades, nothing like Thetford Forest if that’s what you’re after. Showtime was fun, but far too loud and overstimulating for little ones. I had to leave, and since some of it was aimed at toddlers, I’d worry about their hearing. We paid for the crafts den, but most of the paints were empty, and my two-year-old was given a grotty pot of brushes. When I asked if they had even some paper for her to draw on, they couldn’t find any. The caravan was supposed to sleep eight, but only if everyone was happy to be shoulder to shoulder. We had a baby and a toddler, and paid extra for travel cots, assuming they’d fit. There were four adults too, so we thought we’d have enough room. We didn’t. A single bed had to be removed, along with the bedside tables, just to squeeze the travel cot in beside it. We couldn’t use the oven because its door wouldn’t close. There were old belongings from previous guests, so the caravan hadn’t been properly cleaned. The WiFi never worked, so we had to use a hotspot throughout. The TV only had a couple of channels after we complained. Before that, we had none. That’s just a few of the problems. It was far more hassle than it was worth, and such a letdown. You’d be better off with an Airbnb or a privately owned caravan. I complained and spoke to people at the desk. They said the manager would call the next day, but three days later there was still no call. I submitted a complaint and got an initial reply, then nothing more. It’s been eight days. I asked for some monetary compensation and was basically told, “Cheers for the feedback” 👍 Some staff are clearly overworked and probably exploited by the people at the top. The site seems focused on making money without considering the quality for customers. I won’t go to any Parkdean again.

We left two days early because our daughter kept saying she was bored. The beds were uncomfortable, and our three-year-old kept waking up in the night, which never happens at home. The caravan was basic at best, and no internet in 2026 is a joke. You can pay £6 a day for 20mb, but the WiFi signal was almost nonexistent, so it was pointless. Why have a smart TV if it can’t connect to anything? The food was awful, service was painfully slow, and the staff didn’t seem to want to be there. The one bright spot was the kids’ entertainment staff, who were good with all the children. With a recent multi-million refurb, I can’t see where the money went. Most of the park and caravans are run-down, tired and old. I wouldn’t return.

We stayed 18-22 May, and the standard was well below what we expected from Park Dean, especially with Highfield Grange meant to have had a multi-million-pound refurb. We’ve no idea where the money went. There was a serious ant problem, which the check-in booklet mentioned but hadn’t been disclosed before we booked. We killed around 50 ants during our stay. The only “solution” was buying £5 ant repellent from the shop. On arrival, the caravan was dirty, with stained seating, cigarette filters left inside, thick cobwebs, mould on the curtains and rusty radiators. It clearly hadn’t been deep-cleaned for the season. The oven door wouldn’t shut properly, the shower kept swinging between boiling and freezing, and half the wall trimmings came off during our stay. There was basically no bedroom storage or shelving, so we lived out of suitcases. Staff admitted the previous guests had left the place in a state and said they’d just put mattress sheets over the mucky sofa rather than clean it. We were told we could’ve checked in later or moved, even though the site looked half empty. We paid for fun passes, but the baby and toddler pool was never open, leaving the main pool unsafe for our one-year-old. There was only one baby changing facility, which also served as the disabled cubicle, so we had to change our baby in a cramped single-person cubicle. Scoops ice cream was never open, and staff didn’t know its hours. The arcade and soft play were often shut too, with no signs to tell us. The fish and chip shop advertised deals on its sign and online, but the deals weren’t available in the app, only more expensive options. For the price we paid and a supposedly refurbished site, this was a very poor holiday. I’ve made a formal complaint to Park Dean Customer Relations.