Forest Holidays Reviews 

647
TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.7

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 91 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many people found the lodges and cabins to be tired, dated, and in desperate need of refurbishment, citing issues like broken furniture, damaged fixtures, and general disrepair. Customers frequently reported problems with cleanliness, encountering dirty accommodations and unpleasant smells upon arrival. Additionally, many experienced issues with amenities such as cold or broken hot tubs, faulty showers, and non-functional appliances, which often went unresolved by staff. Reviewers also expressed dissatisfaction with customer service, citing poor communication and a feeling that their concerns were not addressed, leading some to feel the holidays were overpriced for the quality received. Conversely, a small portion of people appreciated the beautiful woodland locations, finding them peaceful for relaxation and walks, and some found the staff to be kind, friendly, and helpful.

What people talk about most

Facilities

People report ambiguous experiences with facilities, with some reviewers praising the beautiful cabins,... See more

Holidays

Consumers find holidays to be ambiguous, with many reviewers expressing disappointment due to issues like... See more

Staff

Customers had ambiguous experiences with staff, with many reviewers praising the staff for being kind,... See more

Location

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of location, often describing it as beautiful, scenic, peaceful, and... See more

Quality

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with quality, with many reviewers expressing significant... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Location super, stunning, amazing! But lodge very tired, needed a lick of paint, new furniture( collapsed settee) some linen thread bare and frayed.no heated towel rail or washing machine/ dry... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous cabins at the Garwnant site in the Brecon Beacons, genuinely lovely woodland setting, and the staff on-site were kind and helpful, that part was great. However, during our stay we ran into sa... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I have stayed at multiple forest holiday lodge locations, all have been lovely, clean with beautiful scenery. My most recent had an unfortunate incident happen, which unfortunately wasn’t handled the... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Stayed at cropton from 27th to 30th March lodge no.46.Great upon arrival,everything clean but from Saturday morning the 28th we had no hot water and no heating error code up on their Samsung heating w... See more


Company details

  1. Self-Catering Accommodation

Written by the company

Discover the ultimate stress-free staycation at one of 13 inspiring UK holiday locations. Relax and reconnect in your very own cabin with a hot tub. Whether you’re looking for a family adventure with your dog in the great outdoors, an unforgettable group getaway, or a romantic retreat for two.


Contact info

2.7

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

647 reviews

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No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Hasn’t replied to negative reviews

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2.7

All reviews

(647)

79 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I would give zero stars if could

I would give zero stars if I could.
Stayed in Garwnant Forest Holidays for a long weekend. The maintenance and cleanliness of the cabin was very poor. We had food still left in the fridge, with a broken door and mould growing around the inside,dirty floors, walls and furniture. The kitchen cupboards were so dirty that we had to clean before use. We had sockets coming out of the walls and one bathroom we could not use as water wouldn’t drain when we showered. We have never stayed anywhere so dirty and poorly maintained. We reported so much it was embarrassing but judging by the reviews and the timescale of replies from customer service they are obviously inundated with complaints. I’ve been offered a 15% refund! We didn’t even stay the whole weekend as it was so uncomfortable. Stay well clear of Forest Holidays. We ve since had a £200 refund which doesn’t even cover half the cost of the weekend away and an apology reply! Honestly was the worst weekend away I have ever experienced. It’s an absolute shambles. If people had any sense they would never stay at Forest Holidays. I’m going to contact the CEO as it needs shutting down totally!

25 April 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

We’re very sorry to hear about your experience at Garwnant. The cleanliness and maintenance issues you describe are unacceptable, and we sincerely apologise for the discomfort and frustration caused. Your feedback is taken very seriously, and we are investigating these matters thoroughly to ensure they are addressed. We understand your disappointment with the resolution offered and appreciate you sharing your concerns. If you haven't yet and would like to, we recommend contacting our Customer Services team at customerservices@forestholidays.co.uk.Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We regret that we did not meet your expectations and hope to learn from this to improve our service for all guests.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Meant to book Centre Parcs

Meant to book Centre Parcs, accidentally booked this. £250 mistake.
I booked with a £25 deposit and when I realised my dumb error, naturally I wanted to cancel. The booking was for 5 months in the future, so I was quite surprise that I was then made to pay £242 to cancel... a scam and a rip off. As if they wouldnt be able to get a new booking in 5 months. Disgraceful. Hope their cabins burn down lol

17 May 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

We’re sorry to hear about the frustration surrounding your booking. We understand how disappointing it must have been to realise you'd booked the wrong holiday, and we do our best to be clear about our cancellation policy at the time of booking. Our terms, including cancellation fees, are in place to ensure fairness and help us manage availability and operations—especially during peak periods. That said, we do regret that this led to such a frustrating experience for you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Overpriced and bad customer service

Shocking experience with Collette who answered the phone. Me and my husband booked a lodge holiday 2 days ago and yesterday we found exact same holiday with exact same offers much cheaper on different website. I called Forest Holiday and asked Collette who answered the phone what is the benefit booking though Forest holiday and what are you offering more compare to other company as you are charging more but she wasn't able to answer the question.

All she said was i can not speak to you due to data protection and we will charge for cancellation. Call handler agent who doesn't know benefit of products that she is selling and not even try to understand and empathise customer's frustration.

Very disappointed with this company as price of the lodge is overpriced and customer service on the phone was terrible! Not recommended and do your search before booking with them. Surprised to see how many bad reviews on trustpilot. I don't write reviews as i have no time for this but the way how i treated on the phone by Collette was shocking!!

13 May 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear about your experience. We strive to offer friendly and helpful service at every stage, so it’s disappointing to learn we fell short during your recent call. We understand your frustration about pricing differences, while third-party pricing can sometimes vary due to promotional agreements. Your comments have been passed on to our management team for review as this is not the level of service we aim to provide. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope we have the opportunity to restore your confidence in us.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Went to Blackwood Forest 7th to 11th…

Went to Blackwood Forest 7th to 11th April cost of £1389.
Door did not lock and resort was closed by the time we discovered this. Place was very dirty I spent 3 hours cleaning it. My bed was full of someone else's hair and there was a stench of sewage. Made a complaint in the morning of the 8th Door was fixed they did offer to clean the lodge but i had already cleaned it. the were very dismissive of the swage smell woman just shrugged her shoulders. That evening once all lodges were occupied again the smell was so bad it was making us feel sick. I checked on my youngest and he was covered in red ants biting him so we packed up and went home. complained to the head office and they addressed each concern I had but dismissed them all and gave me no compensation or even a good will gesture. No one leaves an expensive holiday after 1 night if everything is acceptable. in the resort lodge we also witnessed them serve food to the wrong customer then 5 minutes later collect the food from that table and return it to the rightful owner. when the customer asked for a fresh meal he huffed and 3 minutes later returned with the same plate of cold food.
Shame really as our last experience at sherwood forest was amazing.

7 April 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re very sorry to hear that your stay at Blackwood fell so far below expectations, particularly after a positive visit to Sherwood Forest. The issues you described are absolutely not the standard we aim to deliver. We also regret that your concerns weren’t handled with the urgency and empathy they deserved.
We’re truly sorry that your complaint was not met with a resolution that left you feeling heard. We appreciate your feedback and will be addressing it with the relevant teams to ensure improvements are made. While we regret that this experience has impacted your view of Forest Holidays, we do hope to have the opportunity to restore your confidence in the future. If you haven't yet, and would like to, we recommend contacting our Customer Service team at customerservices@forestholidays.co.uk.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cabins not safe spend a little more and go elsewhere

We have stayed at a few different sites and some were fantastic deer park, blackwood forest and delamere staff were brilliant cabins clean and any issue delt with quickly.
Sadly the same can not be said for forest of dean and garwnant, cabins are basically illegal having many safety issues decking falling apart and smoke detectors missing and when you Contact customer relations they just say sorry we will do better but when your spending decent money you expect a safe and relaxing stay I would advise to spend that little bit more and get what you deserve.

24 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your honest feedback and for being a returning guest to several of our locations. We're really pleased to hear that you’ve had great experiences at Deerpark, Blackwood, and Delamere—and that our teams there made your stays enjoyable. We’re very sorry to learn that the Forest of Dean and Garwnant did not meet the same standard, especially where safety is concerned. This is something we take extremely seriously, and your comments have been escalated to our team for urgent. We understand that a relaxing stay should also feel safe and well cared for, and we regret that this wasn’t the case. If you haven't and would like to, we recommend contacting our Customer Services Team at customerservices@forestholidays.co.uk. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention—we truly value your feedback and your loyalty as a guest.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

We were really looking forward to this…

We were really looking forward to this break in Thorpe forest. We were not impressed by what we found on arrival. The bathroom was not cleaned but fortunately I had cleaning supplies in my car. There were brown marks under the toilet seat,the sinks were not clean and lime scale everywhere that could have been removed with proper cleaning. The decking had not been swept and there were copwebs everywhere, even in the bedroom. Every time we put the outside lights on the whole lodge tripped out. We didn’t sleep as you can’t turn the heating off so felt like sleeping in a sauna even with the thermostats turned off. We paid so much money for a wasted weekend. We came home early just to get a good nights sleep. We stayed in lodge 19 from 25th April. The only good thing about our experience was the staff they were so friendly and helpful.

25 April 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your feedback. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced during your stay in your Cabin. The cleanliness and maintenance problems you described are unacceptable, and we’re addressing them with our housekeeping and maintenance teams as a priority. We’re also sorry to hear that the heating and lighting affected your comfort—it’s disappointing to hear your break didn’t meet expectations. We’re glad our staff made a positive impression, and we’ll be sure to pass on your kind words. If you haven' yet, we’d welcome the chance to speak with you directly and see how we can make this right. You can contact our team at customerservices@forestholidays.co.uk or on 03330 110 495. We hope this information helps and we hope they can sort something for you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

360 trees, the elements and a friendly helpful onsite team

Support from the onsite team was excellent.
An immersive experience of staying in the forest. Surrounded by trees and lying back in the hot tub, knowing there is a real fire inside the well stocked cabin.

25 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so glad you enjoyed the immersive forest experience and the comfort of the cabin, especially with the hot tub and real fire. It’s great to hear our onsite team made such a positive impact on your stay. We hope to welcome you back for another relaxing escape in the future!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Was a lovely experience

Was a lovely experience, staff friendly and helpful, lodges were in a great condition and of course the hot tub and surroundings made you feel so relaxed. We immediately booked again for next year.

We have tried ‘cheaper alternatives’ but always come back to Forest Holidays because nowhere else beats them.

7 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thanks so much for the lovely review! We’re thrilled you had such a relaxing stay and that our team, cabins, and surroundings made it special. It means a lot to hear you’ve chosen to return—and we can’t wait to welcome you back next year!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

No Response from Customer Services- dirty knickers in room!

I wrote to this company about finding a pair of women’s knickers with a sanitary towel in our lodge under a sofa at Sherwood. We gave these to reception and advised they need to clean lodges better. We were advised ‘you will receive a response within 21 days’. Nothing. If you want quality cleaning & quality follow-up to a fair comment, avoid this company. We won’t be going back. Four hundred pounds a night for cigarette ends on the jacuzzi decking and red pants under the soda? There’s better ways to spend your money.

I would add the staff we dealt with were fantastic & helpful - and in this case, mortified.

20 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear about your experience and the cleanliness issues you encountered during your stay at Sherwood. This is certainly not the standard we aim for, and we completely understand your frustration. We apologize for the lack of follow-up and for not meeting your expectations in terms of both cleanliness and communication. Our team currently has a large backlog of calls and emails so we can ensure you will receive a response soon. If we could get your booking reference number we can help speed up this process for you. Your comments are being taken seriously, and we will address this with our housekeeping team to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We do appreciate your kind words about our staff, and we’ll make sure to pass those along to them. We hope you’ll reconsider and give us another chance to provide the quality experience you deserve.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Awful holiday company

Awful holiday company, no bereavement skills what so ever.
Had to cancel our Holiday at the forest of dean due to my mum on palliative care and only had a few days left. We booked a week to celebrate our beloved mums birthday back in Sep for this Aug with the cost of £3500 for 5 of us. Due to the current situation with mum and all the upset and distress we have had to go thru as family to then cancel the holiday for my mum no words can express the amount of grief we are going thru. The person or persons i was actually dealing with was quite straight to the point, no compassion at all.
Was told that we would loose 30% of our money due to the cancelation policy.
I was horrified that this was booked a year in advance paid in full only for you not to have only gained the interest on my mothers money but now your to re-sell the cabin at a higher rate due to inflation and price increases. Absolutely disgusting and disrespectful !!
I asked them to review their policy in certain circumstances as its not just like a normal cancelation. They got back to me and said there manager is not budging an inch and stated its their cancelation policy, I was told i could move the holiday to the following year at 2026 but would have to pay that years prices so we will not only have to pay more but it would cost me another £50 admin charge for the pleasure of them doing this for me. So sadly my mum passed away 2 days after the cancelation of the holiday with a loss of £1050 and their gain. I would not book with this company ever again. Its sad because we had a lovely birthday celebration for mum last year at the forest of dean the company itself is shameful and fell like they need to review there policy for bereavement cancelations!!!

14 March 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Thieves!

The night before I was due to check in my dad had a massive heart attack. He was very sick. He was stabilised & I called to ask what options I had. Given it was less than 24 hours before check in I was told there wasn't much they could do. I told them it's fine I'd try get up on the Saturday & drive back & forth to the hospital. I was advised to cancel it & they'd put it back up for sale! Of course it didn't sell & they kept every penny of my £700! Absolutely no remorse. Not a bit of empathy. I didn't expect the full amount back but possibly the deposit or credit note to rebook! Thieves & the girl who advised this should be disgusted with herself!

30 January 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

We are truly sorry to hear about the difficult situation with your dad and understand how challenging that must have been for you. We sincerely apologize for the lack of support and empathy you felt during this time—it is certainly not the experience we aim to provide. We will review your feedback to ensure we handle such situations with more compassion moving forward. We genuinely hope your dad is on the road to recovery, and again, we deeply regret that your experience with us was not as expected. We'd recommend contacting our team again to see if they can help in any way at customerservices@forestholidays.co.uk. Thank you for sharing your concerns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were leaving to go and hand in our…

We were leaving to go and hand in our keys to check out and a kind gentleman called Rob kindly offer us a lift as we had a lot of luggage . he was kind enough to drop us off at the visitor centre and had a great chat on the way . He is a kind person and deserves all the recognition he gets.

14 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for sharing your kind words about Rob! We’re so glad to hear he made your departure easier and more enjoyable. It’s wonderful to know that his kindness and thoughtful conversation added to your experience. We’ll be sure to pass on your compliments to him—he certainly deserves the recognition! Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The cabin was very cosy and beautiful …

We stayed at the Strathyre cabins in Scotland at Mount Ben Ledi. The cabin was very clean and very cosy and beautiful and the views of the snowy mountain peaks all around are absolutely breathtaking. Very peaceful and relaxing environment and the perfect place for nature lovers. We loved it so much and we cannot wait to go back again.

2 December 2024
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so happy to hear you had such a peaceful and relaxing stay at Strathyre, and that the cabin and stunning mountain views made your experience unforgettable. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for another nature-filled getaway!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

An Amazing stay with Forest Holidays

The whole trip from booking, communication with the team, when there the whole experience was fantastic. An amazing cabin and a wonderful spot to enjoy the countryside and nature.

14 February 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re thrilled to hear that your experience, from booking to your stay, was fantastic. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the cabin and the beautiful countryside surroundings. We look forward to welcoming you back for another amazing getaway!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Everything we expected and the area was…

Everything we expected and the area was great to explore. Lodge looking tired and really wish the windows had been cleaned. Such beautiful views and dirty windows!

3 February 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your feedback! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the area and the beautiful views. We’re sorry to hear that the windows weren’t as clean as they should have been and appreciate you bringing it to our attention. We’ll be sure to address this with our team to improve the experience for future guests. We hope to welcome you back for another stay soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent short break

Really enjoyed the holiday, have been coming back here for 10 years, love the place. The staff are so friendly and helpful and the food was excellent and arrived at our cabin hot and on time.

11 February 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you so much for your kind words and for being such a loyal guest for the past 10 years! We're thrilled to hear that you continue to enjoy your time here and that the staff, food, and service met your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you back for many more great holidays ahead!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

This was our 19th year staying at Forest Holidays. already booked again.
As always lovely cabin in a great location with very friendly and helpful team :)

31 January 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you so much for your continued loyalty over the years! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your stay once again, and we’re looking forward to welcoming you back for your 20th year. It's great to know you had a lovely experience with both the cabin and the team. See you next time!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great holiday once again

Great holiday once again

7 February 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're so glad to hear you had another great holiday with us. We look forward to welcoming you back for your next stay!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A must needed break

Forest Holidays talks for itself. Forest of Dean is so beautiful, was a must needed break away from a busy life and to small down. Log cabins are well maintained and clean. Have already booked for next year.

30 January 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so pleased to hear you had a peaceful and rejuvenating stay in the Forest of Dean. It’s great to know that you enjoyed the cabin and the beautiful surroundings. We can’t wait to welcome you back next year!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Forest of Dean getaway

Just got back from a long weekend at the Forest of Dean Park with a party of 15 in 3 lodges.

I stayed in a 4 bedroom lodge which was spacious well equipped for self catering and furnished to a good standard.

Whilst the park is intended to be quiet the facilities at the main hub were good. We ate there on the Friday night and food was good and reasonably priced. All staff were friendly and helpful.

On Saturday we had a group Archery session led by Gerry O’Brien who was a fantastic instructor so warm and friendly and deserves a 5* rating to himself.

Overall a wonderful relaxing weekend with warm, friendly and welcoming staff.

1 March 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Forest Holidays

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so glad to hear you and your group had a wonderful time at the Forest of Dean Park. It's great that you enjoyed your 4-bedroom cabin and found the facilities, food, and staff to be excellent. We’re especially happy to hear about your Archery session with Gerry – we’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to him! We look forward to welcoming you back for another relaxing weekend soon.

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