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Create your perfect break at Longford Forest. We have up to 100 indoor and outdoor activities, 10 restaurants and 4 different styles of accommodation for you to choose from. There’s a forest ready and waiting for you and your family to explore.
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Center Parcs Longford Forest offers spacious lodging with a range of amenities that have received mixed reviews; some guests appreciate the pool and activities, while others find the additional costs a drawback. Although the atmosphere is family-friendly, travelers have mentioned varying experiences with service quality and maintenance.
The hotel's secluded location is considered safe by many, but some have had issues with navigation. Cleanliness is inconsistent across the property, with some lodges needing extra attention.
Location
Secluded
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Unkempt
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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Recently, my extended family and I stayed at Center Parcs Longford Forest for four nights, and the experience was absolutely excellent. We stayed in a four-bedroom lodge, which featured an outdoor hot tub, a steam room, and a sauna. Everything was immaculate. The hot tub was checked and tested three times a day to ensure it was in optimal condition. The lodge itself was spotless and faultless, equipped with everything we needed. The instructions for using amenities like the sauna were clear and well-signposted, so there was no need to call for assistance.
We brought our own bikes, which worked perfectly for getting around, though bike rentals were also available on-site. The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. The rapids and numerous slides were a hit, and there were plenty of play areas for our two-and-a-half-year-old. The safety measures on-site were outstanding; someone even remarked that it reminded them of Ireland 30 years ago—a time when safety and a sense of community were paramount.
We visited the Sports Bar on a few occasions and found the food and service excellent. My wife had an issue at the restaurant, but Loughlin, one of the managers, was very quick to fix the problem. He was extremely professional, helpful, and friendly, resolving the issue seamlessly. There's also a soft play area next to the bar, which is great for keeping the kids entertained while the adults relax and enjoy a game or two on the big screen.
The only downside to the experience is the cost—it is quite expensive. However, we split the expense between two families, which made it more manageable.
Overall, Center Parcs Longford Forest is an incredible place for families or extended groups. Apart from the expense, everything else was flawless. A big thank you to all the staff, especially Loughlin, for making our stay so enjoyable. Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was probably our 6th stay 3 times for Christmas 2021,2022,2023 and couldn’t fault a thing. We are a family of 3 adults and 2 dogs and couldn’t be anymore pleased with everything and have another stay booked 8/11/24 Maple 965. The staff and facility feel like a second home to us and we always see some familiar faces Lodge 965 , We have stayed in this lodge or area a few times and can recommend it and while it’s dog friendly it’s spotless and only around the corner from the dog park which our 2 dogs lodge. The lodge has everything you need self catering and only a short bike ride to the center. We always get early check in and the lodge is ready and spotless on arrival. Big shout out to the cleaners we know they work hard. We always rent bikes and always have received great service from the girl on reception she always asks about our dogs. We have done activities on a few occasions whether it’s bowling, aerial adventure , pool , segaways , owl encounters etc the staff are incredible. Our breaks normally consist of walks with the dogs , bowling , cabana at the pool and spa it’s the most relaxed stress free experience. Our 2 favourites are the Indian restaurant and Cara’s , the Scottish girl in the Indian always remembers us from previous visits and Lorcan in Cara’s always makes time for a chat and when he found out it was mums birthday they presented her with a lovely dessert. Try and catch the music in Cara’s it’s well worth booking dinner while it’s on. Canopy bar in the pool dose lovely reasonable bites nachos , nuggets etc and served quickly . We had always bring back the food to the cabana and there is no issue there . Sports bar does great food too and great to see some familiar faces behind the bar. Restaurant runner while pricey think restaurant pricing is always efficient and hot when delivered to your door . The onsite parcs market has most of your everyday essentials and while not the cheapest it’s your everyday spar type pricing and more . Do a shop before you arrive and then pick up the rest as you go along . Keep doing what ye do ,see ye in November Spa is amazing highly recommended the 3 hour spa experience, or the 3 hour spa experience with afternoon tea. The glass of bubbles by cafe vital was a nice treat for mums birthday. Last stay I had my first treatment, Hope was amazing and went through everything thoroughly. Our favourite experience is booking the 3 hour spa experience and it’s a great way to spend a Christmas Eve we find. Can’t wait to come back to our second home
The Walshes 965 8-11 November
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Early check inn if with dogs
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Just back from 4 days, family of 4 with twin 11 year olds. Checking in was a breeze as We arrived early. Collected our bikes and set off for the lodge. All activities and restaurants booked already. The lodge was incredible, 2 bedrooms and a fully functioning kitchen. We cooked on the first and last nights. Our heat wasn't working and the staff sorted very quickly. 1) The pool is brilliant kept the kids entertained. Downside is the lack of chairs. 2) Aerial Adventure, brilliant fun. 3) Archery, again great fun thoroughly enjoyable. 4) Bowling and Pool, great craic and no real rush to finish up. 5) Huks restaurant, lovely meal. By no means reasonably priced €120 but a lovely meal and the staff were excellent. A magician came to the table and he was great craic. 5) Bella Italia, as above definitely not reasonably priced €130, but another fantastic meal. 6) onsite shop, typical of Spar etc. Plenty of choice and well stocked, 7) Pool cafe/restaurant. as with everything here is was not cheap €60 for a pizza, salad and burger with drinks. But another good feed. 8) sports plaza, the bar is not cheap €7.50 for a pint but a break in Center Parcs is not a booze up. Plenty of seats but the queuing system requires attention. 9) the staff are by far the best equipped and well mannered staff i have experienced. they are a credit to the organisation and literally could not be any more helpful. 10) the app is a fantastic tool. TIPS: 1) Bring toilet paper, washing up liquid, logs, food and drink. If you cook your breakfasts, lunches and occasional dinner it takes the sting out of it. 2) the bikes are a great way to get around. 3)Unfortunately there is a lack of seats by the pool as a lot of families take multiple seats. We took 2 seats and 2 tables for the 4 of us. If everyone did this then there would be ample seating. Checking out was a breeze, yes you have to be out of your lodge by 10am, but We headed for coffee and then to the pool. You can stay as long as you want. We have already booked again for next year.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Bring logs, wash up liquid and fill the fridge
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Accommodation: At best basic, a lot of wear and tear. I had to work up my courage to sit on the sofa… Beds uncomfortable and small. When you pay at least €350 per night for accommodation alone, you’d expect something marginally more pleasant.
Restaurants and food: This is an absolute disaster. We tried Bella Italia, Huck’s and Rajinda Pradesh. Food an unmitigated disaster in all of them, very basic and grossly overpriced for the subpar quality you’re getting. Indian was completely bland and tasteless, even our kids thought the dishes tasted of nothing. All the dishes in Huck’s were drenched in barbecue sauce. I won’t go into details but the service in all of them was an unmitigated disaster, dishes forgotten about, drinks not arriving, at one point in Huck’s they plonked a jug of water and two starters on our table but we had no cutleries or glasses, I had to hunt down a waiter to get them. I saw customers going around tables picking up unused napkins because they didn’t have any and gave up on trying to get the waiting staff’s attention. I met a lady in the bathroom in Huck’s who was raging, they’ve been waiting ages for their food and missed their slot for the pool table. One more gripe, coffee in the Coffee House is €4.50 for a small one and €4.95 for a large !! Which might be half acceptable if it was of excellent quality but it’s barely drinkable.
Pool: There’s 3 rides, the Cyclone is the most thrilling and good fun, the other two quite lame. The “wave pool” barely produces any waves, maybe designed with small kids in mind. The rapids are great fun, kids spent hours in it, except one of the days it was closed for 3 hours which was very disappointing.
Overall a very expensive holiday for the subpar accommodation and food you get. I cannot believe how people flock to this place and drop thousands without question. It doesn’t appear to be too pricey when you initially book it as you pay for accommodation only up front but once you start booking meals and activities it racks up quickly and I assure you, everything costs money.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Center Parcs, Guest Services / Front Office at Center Parcs Longford Forest
Responded 14 Jan 2025
Sorry to hear that we failed to meet your expectations, particularly in respect of dining options. Center Parcs breaks are sold on a self-catering basis but we appreciate that eating out is an important part of most guest's stay. It's unusual to receive such negative feedback, but I've shared your concerns with the Food & Beverage Manager at the village, who will be keen to address the issues you raise. Occasionally issues can arise which, in the interest of guest safety, require us to close a facility until it's safe to re-open. This may be for a variety of reasons. I'm sorry that this had an impact on your pool experience.
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We stayed for a week (Monday-Monday) in lodge 38 Oak. On arrival we were welcomed by lovely staff members at the check in desk. We drove straight to the lodge and began unloading our vehicle. We were a bit disappointed to discover the towels provided in the bathrooms were dirty and that the table, counter tops and cutlery, utensils and crockery in the cupboards were dirty. We put a few things in the dishwasher only to discover this was broken. Next morning we informed guest services about the issue with the dishwasher and requested more towels. Due to having dogs with us and therefore staff being unable to enter the property without us present, we arranged a time and they arrived promptly in the afternoon to fix the dishwasher. During our stay our children built a fort with the sofa cushions which revealed all manner of dirt and crumbs in the sofa that clearly had not been cleaned / hoovered in a very long time. There was also a lot of dust and dirt in the corner of the rooms and under the sofa, furniture, dining table and beds. We were concerned that the dog may have picked things up from the floor that could cause her to become unwell. The delivery service for food was good and the swimming pool area was great for the kids. The variety of foods on the menus at the restaurants we tried (Huck’s, Cara’s, the Sports Bar, Rajindas, the Pancake House and Bella Italia) was significantly reduced compared to the other Centre Parcs we have visited. The portions also seemed smaller and there are very few healthy options for the children. We have stayed at the other five Center Parcs and Longford Forest definitely had a reduced menu at all restaurants compared to all the other sites. By half way through the week the children were having to choose from the adults menu just to have something other than burger and chips or chicken nuggets. The vegetable portions for children were more like a garnish and when considering the inflated prices it was quite disappointing. The staff we encountered were lovely especially those interacting well with the children. The man (sorry I’ve forgotten his name) who led the off road explorers was brilliant and made the activity a really engaging one as was the handler for the owl encounter. He was very knowledgeable and we loved every moment, our girls have come away with lots of information and enjoyed identifying the different owls on a television program we have seen since.
I would struggle to recommend Longford to anyone having visited the other sites and the standard of cleanliness being much higher. We were not impressed with the finish to the lodge with lots of smaller details missing the mark, such as gaps around the skirting boards the need filling/ finishing, fittings being loose and the external door not closing well. I’d taken dishwasher tablets, but hadn’t planned on bringing spare ones to clean the already dirty kitchen items. Overall we were not at all impressed with the house keeping side of things with quite simple tasks such as changing the towels not having been done.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
On our last night of our center parcs break. This is our second visit. Our overall experience has been one of disappointment. There is no interest in guest experience. It is mainly how much money they can extract from each guest. For example eating in the pancake house we asked for a plain pancake with some banana (so just take away the chocolate) they charged us more even though we asked for less. Despite paying nearly €500 a night you pay for towels in the pool. The spa provides toweling robes but charges for something for your feet (they don’t tell you that in advance so you can bring your own). Even if you pay for a treatment you can’t use the spa like in so many other establishments. My advice if you choose to come here arrive well stocked and choose a self catering break. Food average at best and very overpriced. Takeaway as expensive as eating in and took nearly 2 hours to arrive. Half the order arrived after an hour and 15 minutes the other half arrived later after we complained. Other piece of advice don’t do a group booking. Book separately and then pay extra for location. They are incompetent with group bookings!!
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Center Parcs, Guest Services / Front Office at Center Parcs Longford Forest
Responded 17 Dec 2024
We're very sorry to hear of your disappointment. We do regularly review the facilities we have on offer to ensure that we continue to maintain the quality experience and good value for money expected by our guests.
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Just had 4 magical days here. Where do I begin it was just amazing. The views outside ur Lodge every morning is just magical. Lodge was perfect size lit fire every nite was so cozy. Pool was brilliant you could spend hours there pool food is reasonable but u can bring all of your own food. Most of Restaurants have play areas which is a god send for parents. Booked activities off road explorer owl show all very good. You can make this trip as expensive as you like we brought food shop only are out once in hucks restaurant was amazing and had pizza at the pool other than that we ate in our Lodge and brought lots of snacks. Got marshmallows and chocolate in parc Market was lovely touch to our last nite. I recommend bringing more towels washing liquid or dishwasher tablets with you other than that 10/10
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We go to CenterParcs every year, simply because it is the only location within driving distance that is fully accessible and has adapted accommodation.
This year we went with the 3 bedroom woodland adapted lodge (the most affordable). When we got there the lodge stank of a dog odour (as it also doubles as a dog friendly lodge which wasn't clear at time of booking). These lodges are supposed to be deep cleaned between visits, this one clearly wasn't. Housekeeping were sent out to try and help, they shampoo'd the carpet areas (there was a strong smell of urine at the front door) and while that helped for short time, once the fragrance used in the shampoo had worn off the odour came back. This meant we spent most of the time in the lodge sitting on the hard chairs round the table as the sofa was unusable due to the smell and had to keep windows open to get fresh air round the place. The cleaning staff are obviously under pressure to get these lodges turned around in a relatively short space of time and that results in corners being cut. There was evidence that the adapted bedroom hadn't been cleaned properly (a cut fingernail under the profiling bed.....).
On the first evening we had organise a "Dine In" delivery...not cheap, but nothing is (think restaurant prices for a take away). It probably would have been better but we had to eat with the windows and doors open to try and clear the smell which also meant the food was cold within a few minutes!!
Leaving the smell and cleanlines to one side, the lodges are well kitted out. The beds are comfortable, although the duvets are VERY heavy. The bathroom as clean and everything worked as expected. The kitchen comes with a fridge, oven, hob, microwave and dishwasher (they leave a pack of 3 dishwasher tablets). This lodge also has a TV in the main living area, one in the adapted bedroom and one in the Master bedroom. The bedrooms were one double and two twins.
The site itself is awesome, plenty of activities (you have to book and pay for these), and we love being able to get out for walks without having to worry about downramps and accessibility, it is all just done as standard. If you are out and about early enough, there is decent chance you will see some of the local deer roaming round the edge of the forest.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was our first visit and we enjoyed a fantastic and fun filled weekend with our 11 year old boys, the great weather added to the experience. Saying that, CP is a money pit, you could spend as much or as little as you like. With 3 kids, activities add up!. We stayed in the Woodland 3 bed Lodge, which were really well laid out, clean and very comfortable. We dined in on Friday night, got a tasty takeaway delivered from Dining In (Main Square) - ordered on Saturday morning. On Sunday night we dined in Bella Italia which was tasty and enjoyed by all. We found all the staff to be courteous and guest services very helpful. The amazing Tropical Pool and facilities did not disappoint, which we frequented many times during our stay. We brought our own towels. We opted not to hire bikes. We participated in a number of activities including Laser Combat, Bowling, Crazy Golf and Football. We brought food with us but saying that the supermarket was excellently stocked and in our view, not much more expensive than regular supermarkets. I would advise all to bring head torches/arm reflectors as it is very dark from 6.30pm. The Coffee House breaks in the sun were an added bonus, after we visited the gorgeous toy and gift shop . Bring a pizza cutter if dining in and a Cricket Lighter if using the log fire (recommended). It is so quiet and relaxing environment, we felt as if we were abroad for the weekend. For such a popular venue, location signage is poor for us first timers. The kids are already asking when are we returning.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just been to centre parcs Longford. 4 adults and 2 kids(4&8) 3bed executive lodge. Fabulous: clean, spacious , beds/bedding/towels superb. Some toilet rolls provided supplied. Remember bathroom lotions and soap. Powerful hairdryer provided. Full kitchen, wine cooler. Bring btl opener. Bring non-stick frying pan. Remember basics to keep cost down: salt, pepper, cooking oil, sauces, teabags, washing up liquid. Booked bbq’s in advance, had 2 large delivered to room. Great service 17euro. Bit pricey but couldn’t get anywhere else as it was February. Book restaurants well in advance to get times you like. Food a bit pricey but buy less alcohol to keep costs down. Road runner service great for food. We didn’t book activities in advance in case the kids changed their minds. But still plenty to do daily on arrival. Kids just loved getting out on their bikes and scooters with the odd activity thrown in. Don’t over-book. Pool area with slides etc great bring own pool towels or pay 2.50 euro per towel. Only issue was that they should have more seating in pool area (maybe benches) as people reserved loungers all day. Shop reasonable prices and well stocked. Frozen/fresh items, staples but also hot food snacks all available. One of our party had mobility issues and all staff but especially the security team were very helpful Staff can’t do enough for you, so helpful. We loved it. Have already booked for next year. Well done centre parcs.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Bring pool towels. Btl opener. Non-stick pan. Kids bikes and scooters. Bathroom lotions and soap....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Ballymahon area.
LOCATION
IrelandProvince of LeinsterCounty LongfordBallymahon
NUMBER OF ROOMS
496
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
