Crimdon Dene Holiday Park

The food was the best part. For 100 pound it was all inclusive, with unlimited juice refills and Costa coffee, including hot chocolate. We really enjoyed it. The beach area is lovely too, but Hartlepool itself felt very run down and trampy. We paid for gold premium and got a big but awful van. The photos were nowhere near what was on the website, and when I complained the woman at reception said they were for illustration purposes only. The mattresses were so uncomfortable we couldn’t sleep. The swimming pool was small and OK, but we only got 30 minutes a day. The staff were all excellent except the woman on reception. There are many flaws, so we wouldn’t stay again. Haven is way, way better. Update: I’ve read other reviews from six months ago about the beds, with Park Dean saying they take the comments seriously. The beds are still a joke, and your replies are a lie. Also, the caravan park is full of really trampy people.

The clubhouse was great for kids, with bingo and karaoke, though drinks were a bit steep. Security was around too. The site had a nice balance of holiday lets and privately owned caravans. Staff at reception were welcoming, and the rooms were clean and lovely. A few caravans had huge front windows that didn’t feel very private, but only some. All in all, a lovely stay.

The Gold caravan was clean and had all the essentials, and the grounds were tidy and well looked after. The kids especially liked the little playgrounds. The park was ideally placed for exploring the surrounding area, which was the best part of our trip. The pool is free, but it’s small and you can’t book ahead. It’s first come, first served, so we had to queue for a long time. There’s a fun free kids' show for an hour each night, while the other activities cost extra. We had a pleasant stay.

We fled the caravan site as soon as we could. When I arrived, I saw a banner saying dead inside and should have turned back. This was the worst experience I’ve had, like a warzone, and the park seems not to have had investment since it was built. The caravan was filthy, with food ground into carpets and sofas and hairs in the corners. Curtains let in light from 6 in the morning. Everything seemed aimed at getting customers up to spend on overpriced, poor stuff. A pint was £6, ten chips cost £3.50, and withdrawing money cost 2.95. The arcade machines were broken rip offs, tables were dirty, rubbish was everywhere, and there was dog poo. Parks were missing equipment. Kids stole, swore at us and bullied our kids, while adults got drunk and let their kids smash the place up. One positive, Parkdene has a new air freshener, a nice weed smell drifting in through the windows in the morning. Security had to be called on Saturday because a huge rave was shaking the caravans. I know management may reply with the usual apology and say I should have contacted them so they could clean the caravan. I shouldn’t have to. I came before and rang about the filth, and the cleaner arrived with a rubbish filled, underpowered hoover and left more dirt than she took away. Spare me the request to give it another chance.