Forest Holidays Reviews 

Firstly our previous experience back in 2019 was wonderful however this time we are staying in a silver birch cabin 79, we had pre ordered a meal on arrival to be delivered but the chef was off sick so we had to go out looking for somewhere decent to have food and ended up with a takeaway! So come Tuesday was when we had delivery and it was late !
The bathroom with the bath in absolutely stinks not sure if it’s the actual room or drains but we could not use it!
The other shower room had long black hairs on shower floor and the shower cubicle wall. Breakfast that was pre ordered for monday was ages so we were given orange juice which was very nice. Staff were lovely though.
Tuesdays breakfast no hash browns !or morning coffee as they decided to service the coffee machine Also had to change coffee cup as had coffee stains in to be given a cracked cup.

Five star experience at Delamere Forest, me and my family really enjoyed our first Forest Holiday which was perfect and luxurious. We booked another trip for next year whilst there because we can’t wait to go back! The hand wash and shower gel / shampoo they use is just gorgeous. I ended up buying a candle and bath salts in that range whilst there. We were amazed by the accommodation and really enjoyed the hot tub. Lovely place.

We recently enjoyed a fantastic family weekend at Forest Holidays, Delamere. The whole site is absolutely beautiful, surrounded by nature and perfect for escaping everyday life.

The cabins were spotless, spacious and well equipped. The hot tub was amazing, and having a gas BBQ made our stay even better. We enjoyed some lovely quality family time together, relaxing and making the most of the peaceful surroundings. We genuinely couldn’t fault the accommodation or facilities.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we were seriously considering returning for Christmas or New Year with our children.

The reception staff were absolutely fantastic! So friendly, welcoming and helpful. They explained how the cabins are decorated for Christmas, making everything feel festive and magical for families.

Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything better than watching our children wake up on Christmas morning in a beautiful forest cabin, with presents underneath the Christmas tree. We were genuinely excited about booking.

Unfortunately, one interaction with management left a very sour taste.

As we were checking out on Monday, we wanted to ask a few more questions about Christmas bookings and compliment the team on our wonderful weekend.

We approached a gentleman who couldn’t have been less interested. His attitude was incredibly rude and dismissive. We were essentially told, “I haven’t got time to talk to you,” before he walked away.

I’m sorry, but is that really how you speak to paying guests considering returning for another holiday?

We weren’t complaining or demanding anything. Quite the opposite! We wanted to compliment the business and potentially spend more money booking another family holiday.

What made it worse was that shortly afterwards, we saw the same gentleman near the café, laughing and chatting with other employees.

Apparently, five minutes to answer questions from paying guests was too much trouble, yet there was plenty of time for a catch-up with colleagues!

We also overheard part of his conversation, and I was disappointed by what sounded like negative remarks about other members of staff.

Out of curiosity, I later asked the reception team who he was. They confirmed his name was Oliver and that he was a manager. I didn’t explain why I was asking; I simply wanted to know who we’d been dealing with.

I was genuinely shocked to discover he was a manager.

Someone in that position should be setting an example, supporting their team and making guests feel welcome, not brushing them off like an inconvenience.

What makes this particularly disappointing is that every other member of staff we encountered was wonderful. The reception team especially went above and beyond to make us feel valued and excited about returning.

Then, in one brief interaction, Oliver managed to undo so much of that positive impression.

I understand managers are busy, but being busy is no excuse for rudeness. A polite explanation or directing us to somebody else would have been perfectly acceptable.

Good customer service costs nothing, and neither does basic respect.

It’s such a shame because we genuinely loved Delamere. The cabins, hot tubs, BBQs, woodland surroundings and fantastic staff made for a memorable family weekend. We could already picture our children enjoying a magical Christmas there.

Forest Holidays, you have a beautiful location and some wonderful employees who deserve recognition. Please don’t let poor management overshadow their hard work.

We had a fantastic family break, but our experience with Oliver was extremely disappointing and has left us questioning whether we’d return.

A beautiful site, lovely accommodation and wonderful staff. It’s just a shame someone in management couldn’t show the same warmth and professionalism as the rest of the team.

We stayed for three nights. Unfortunately, the quality of both the food and service fell significantly below the standards we expected for this price.

I have detailed our specific grievances below:
Subpar Breakfast Experience: We ordered the Plant Breakfast and the Woodland Breakfast, both of which were supposed to include sourdough bread. However, the bread served to us was completely stale. Furthermore, the side butter had entirely melted and dripped onto my trousers, causing a permanent stain.

Severe Service Delays: The service we experienced was exceptionally slow. We were forced to queue for 15 minutes just to order, and then had to wait an additional 35 minutes for our breakfast to be served.

Understaffed Forest Retreat: There was a severe lack of staff at the Forest Retreat hut. This resulted in excessively long queues and frustratingly long wait times just to be served a coffee.

Missing Lodge Amenities: We were not provided with the standard blue bin bags for the indoor recycling bins, which caused unnecessary inconvenience during our stay.

Cancelled Activities: The Quiz Night scheduled for Sunday evening was cancelled. This was an activity we were highly anticipating and left us with no evening entertainment on our final night.

Given that we paid a lot of monet for what was meant to be a premium, relaxing getaway, we feel incredibly let down by these multiple service failures.

I honestly don’t know where to begin with my experience at Forest Holidays, Delamere Forest. What was supposed to be a peaceful break to help my mental health turned into an awful experience, and I ended up leaving on day two feeling completely devastated.

After paying nearly £900, I certainly didn’t expect to arrive to find dog poo on the patio and what appeared to be dog urine still wet halfway up the curtain!

I’m a dog owner myself and fully understand accidents happen in dog-friendly cabins. However, there’s a difference between welcoming dogs and expecting guests to stay in their mess!

The poo on the patio was the size of cow pats and had gone between the patio slabs. I actually hosed it down myself. The urine-soaked curtain, however, was something I couldn’t do anything about. Once the underfloor heating was switched on, the smell became increasingly unbearable.

I want to make one thing absolutely clear: apart from the curtain, the housekeeper had done a fantastic job. The cabin itself was spotless. She was lovely, genuinely helpful and did everything she could to assist me. My complaint is certainly not about her.

Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse when I spoke to Oliver, who I was told was the manager running the site.

His attitude was honestly one of the worst examples of customer service I’ve experienced. He came across as sarcastic, arrogant, dismissive and completely uninterested in resolving the situation.

At one point, his response was “Don’t book a dog-friendly cabin”, followed by “Are you sure it wasn’t your dog?”

I’m sorry, WHAT?!

Yes, Oliver, I’m absolutely certain! My dog is a tiny female who certainly isn’t cocking her leg halfway up a curtain, nor is she producing piles of poo the size of cow pats!

The fact I even had to justify this to someone in management is ridiculous. I paid nearly £900 for a relaxing break, not to be questioned about my dog’s toilet habits because I dared to complain about basic hygiene!

What made things even more uncomfortable was that the housekeeper herself appeared uncomfortable with Oliver’s reaction. She was doing everything possible to help, while the person supposedly in charge seemed more interested in dismissing my concerns.

I was told other cabins were available, yet Oliver refused to move me. Instead, it felt as though responsibility was being pushed onto housekeeping rather than management taking ownership of the situation.

I was eventually supposed to meet with an assistant manager, who I was assured would definitely sort things out. Sadly, by that point I was so upset and mentally exhausted that I couldn’t face another conversation. I left before that meeting, so I cannot comment on what the assistant manager might have offered.

I’m genuinely not someone who complains. I understand things go wrong, and had Oliver shown a little kindness, understanding and professionalism, this could have been a completely different review.

But his attitude has honestly made my blood boil.

What upsets me most is that I booked this break specifically for my mental wellbeing. I needed peace, relaxation and a chance to escape everyday stresses.

Instead, I left after just two days feeling more alone, upset and depressed than when I arrived. The very break I’d paid nearly £900 for to improve my mental health ended up having the complete opposite effect.

Oliver, if you read this, please remember that you have no idea what somebody might be going through. A little kindness and respect costs absolutely nothing.

A manager should resolve problems, not become the reason a guest feels they have no option but to leave.

Forest Holidays seriously need to look at how complaints are handled at Delamere. Your housekeeping staff deserve recognition, not to be left making up for management’s attitude.

Nearly £900 spent, a break cut short and a completely unnecessary amount of upset.

I certainly won’t be returning or recommending Delamere Forest Holidays based on this experience.

The housekeeper deserves five stars for her efforts. Unfortunately, Oliver’s attitude is the reason this experience deserves one.
The date that is stated I stayed is a false date as I don’t want to be identified and contacted by the company!

We stayed at Cropton. Accommodation was lovely but customer service was lacking. Reaturant was unable to cater to allergies outside the top 14 and was quite rude about it. We’d prepayed, but no refund given, told this would have to be through head office yet they are impossible to contact. TV is a rip off - want £40 for you to be able to log into your own Netflix and limited free view channels work so bring a book. If customer service/after sales was better would return but they seem to only want your money and then pretend you don’t exist.

Stayed at Keldy Forest. Read all the reviews after I’d booked it! Needn’t have worried. The 2 bed lodge (number 40) was clean and well looked after. The staff were very friendly. The facilities around were great and had a very nice relaxing time. Thanks to all the staff who clearly work hard there.

My wife and I stayed here for 7 days to celebrate a special occasion and we booked a valley view cabin especially for the view.
Unfortunately, there is no valley view..
We complained upon our arrival and were told by the manager that this wasn't the first time this particular compliant had been made but despite Forest Holidays knowing about the issue they are still advertising something that doesn't exist.
The cabin was also dirty, the bi-fold doors didn't open properly (despite trying to fix them) the fridge was filthy and the shower full of mould.
The only reason I've given them 2 stars is because of the friendly staff who work there. If it wasn't for them this would have been a 1 star review.
We made an official compliant and they offered us the same discount for what we paid they give for signing up to their emails.
We've reported the company to Trading standards for false advertising.
The cabin was also supposed to be dog friendly. While dogs are allowed there the cabins are definitely not friendly for dogs.
The Brecon Beacons are an amazing location so stay somewhere else.

Stayed at new White Willow Cabin and the cabin itself was really nice, undefloor heating great and log burner. Grounds at Strathyre need improvement, no place to let dogs off and have a good run about. It is not a cheap break but get that running a place not cheap.
My main gripe is the absolutely unneccessary daily fee for dogs. When you arrive the cabins are clean but this is done primarily by the previous occupants (we left it cleaner than when we arrived) but for some unknown reason if you have a dog it costs £15 extra PER NIGHT PER DOG. Now if cabins were being thoroughly cleaned by staff after each visit I could almost see justification for a single fee if dog(s) there but not a daily charge, but to charge £15 each night per dog when occupant has to leave cabin the way they found it is absolutely ripping it.

Helpful and compassionate staff.

Awful, shabby company, avoid! We booked months before our stay, only to get an email on the Friday before we arrived which was one working day prior to arrival, to say the electricity, power and water on the whole site would be off for a whole afternoon of our 4 day stay! The email said this work was ‘scheduled’ meaning they knew well before the day they advised us of this! No compensation, no apology, nothing, we were just told we could go out for that afternoon!!! After we returned to the cabin that day when everything was supposed to be working again, it wasn’t!!! The Tv, movies, casting service we had paid extra for just did not work! What annoys me most is they know about this when we booked but only told us the(working day) before we arrived , so we had no options to arrange alternatives or demand any type of compensation! It was a shabby trick by them and we will not ever be booking again! If you do decide to book with them, look at all the terrible reviews first and then check with the company that no ‘scheduled’ works are planned during your stay!

Absolutely non existent customer service/after sales! I called 4 times trying to contact customer service and was on hold between 9-25 minutes at variable times when called with no answer.
Contacted them on different platforms and email, had 1 email reply but no other replies in 3 weeks, so given up.
A real shame as we'd used them 4 times, but won't anymore, nor shall we recommend.

We booked a Forest Holidays break for my husband and our youngest son’s birthdays.

My husband is also recovering from a recent operation, so I wanted to make the weekend extra special and tried to upgrade our lodge. I was more than happy to pay the additional cost.

What should have been a very simple enquiry turned into a frustrating experience. I made numerous calls to Forest Holidays 2 days before, with several calls being disconnected. Eventually, I was told someone would call me back, only for me to have to keep chasing for an answer.

When I finally spoke to someone, I was told that the available lodges had not been released for upgrade.

We then arrived, and unfortunately the experience continued to disappoint.

My husband arrived first and found the hot tub visibly dirty, with dirt and debris floating in the water. Maintenance attended and initially asked what was wrong with it, despite the condition being obvious. They eventually removed the debris, but then left suction equipment at the lodge for us to use ourselves if we wanted to remove anything further.

We had also been told that complimentary white robes would be provided, however they weren’t in the lodge when we arrived. When they were eventually brought to us by maintenance, they were simply handed over in a white bin bag. This was supposed to be a thoughtful complimentary gesture, but unfortunately it felt very underwhelming.

Then came the most frustrating part.

Reception advised us that there was another lodge available which may have been suitable for us to upgrade to. I was told they would contact Head Office at approximately 8:30am the following morning to confirm whether we could move.

I waited for a call that never came.

I eventually had to call Forest Holidays myself this morning, only to find that the person I spoke to knew nothing about what had happened the previous evening. I was then told that the lodge had now been given to someone else.

I am extremely disappointed.

I had been trying to upgrade before we even arrived and was genuinely prepared to pay more. I was trying to make my husband and son’s birthdays special, particularly because my husband is recovering from an operation. Had I been given the correct information and had my request been followed up as promised, I would have happily paid for the upgrade.

Instead, I have spent a significant amount of time chasing Forest Holidays, received conflicting information, arrived to find a dirty hot tub and then lost the opportunity to upgrade because the lodge was apparently given to someone in a space of an hour before the matter was followed up the following morning.

This was supposed to be a special birthday weekend for my family. Instead, it has been an incredibly disappointing start to our stay.

I have now made a formal complaint directly with photographic evidence to Forest Holidays and I am awaiting their response.

We booked this ages ago, when we got there and went in and the cabin was lovely, nice and clean everything ready for us, the hot tub had been cleaned and refreshed that day so the temp was not quite ready for a couple more hours, which we didn’t mind as it was lovely and clean. Was a stunning location in the woods. The onsite store and bar/cafe was descent but slightly expensive (as you would expect though) we went on 2 day trips to different trails with waterfalls and hikes and the Harry Potter railway and Heartbeat village of Goathland, we even bumper into Tricia Penrose and got a pic with her.. the final night we was down at the bar and walked through the woods in an amazing thunder storm it was absolutely stunning.. if we came again, I’d probably bring my own cleaning sprays, bin bags, robe for getting out the hot tub, and defo my own frying pan as it was a bit old and lost the non stick.. but overall it was a beautiful place.. and I didn’t have no problems at all.. was just sad when I had to leave and go back to reality..

Extremely disappointed after 10 years as a loyal customer

We were due to arrive for our Forest Holidays break today, but last night our home was unexpectedly flooded with sewage.

The flooding was serious enough that we had to leave our home and stay in a hotel, and today we are dealing with the water company, council, insurance company and emergency trades to assess the damage and make the property safe.

We contacted Forest Holidays as soon as we could to explain what had happened. We were not asking for a refund — we simply asked whether our booking could be moved to another date because, through circumstances completely outside our control, we are physically unable to take the holiday we had paid for.

Unfortunately, Forest Holidays have now declined our request twice.

What makes this particularly upsetting is that we have been going to Forest Holidays for around 10 years. We have been loyal, returning customers and have chosen Forest Holidays repeatedly for family breaks over that time.

After a decade of custom, I would have expected there to be some room for discretion and basic compassion when something genuinely exceptional happens.

This isn't a change of mind, poor planning or simply deciding not to travel. Our home has suffered a sewage flood less than 24 hours before our planned arrival and we are having to deal with the immediate aftermath.

We weren't asking Forest Holidays to refund us or lose the value of the booking. We simply wanted the opportunity to move the break and take the holiday at another time.

After 10 years of choosing Forest Holidays, it is incredibly disappointing to feel that our loyalty counts for so little when we genuinely need some understanding.

We had been looking forward to this break, and after what has happened at home it would probably have been needed more than ever. Instead, the way this has been handled has added another upsetting and unnecessary problem to an already extremely difficult situation.

I would really hope someone at Forest Holidays takes another look at this and considers whether this is genuinely how they want a long-standing customer to be treated.

Update 21st Sept 26:
Customer service very poor:
As requested, your complaint has been escalated and reviewed by a Senior Customer Service Manager, taking into consideration the exceptional circumstances you have described and your history of staying with Forest Holidays.

Following this review, our position remains unchanged. Unfortunately, we are unable to transfer the value of the booking to alternative dates and must adhere to the terms and conditions applicable to the booking.

I appreciate this is not the outcome you were hoping for, particularly as the circumstances were entirely unexpected and outside of your control.

I wish i had used this website before choosing and booking with Forest holidays. Issues seem to be well documented. I have paid in full for my holiday in advance. After receiving a link via email to manage my booking, i attempted to log in. I couldn't access my account either on mobile/app or browser. All receiving errors or loading loops. I called customer service (10 minutes wait) which was a little reassuring to hear my booking details are confirmed. The assistant told me they are aware of an issue on the website and this will be fixed soon. It would have been nice if this info was on their webpage so users could be updated.
Anyway, since the call, i have emailed Info@ and Customerservices@ three times over the last 2 weeks asking for an update with no response. A simple acknowledgment of my email or any communication would do. I have no idea what is going on and will keep this review updated with my experience as things progress.

First off the staff and setting was lovely. Keldy Forest. Our issue was with the lodge. It was clean and the hot tub was lovely. The shower upstairs didn't work. It was either freezing or scalding hot. The TV switched itself off after a couple of minutes. Constantly. There was a hole in the outside table which had sharp pieces of plastic rattan sticking up from it. None of the faults were able to be fixed by the on site team. We were offered the cost of one of our dogs ' stay as compensation £45.in retrospect this doesn't seem enough when you compare what other guests hot for their money. When I handed the key in at reception the person on duty said the whole place was tired and needed a face-lift.

We echo the comments of a few other recent reviewers. We’ve been regularly visiting both the Sherwood Forest and Forest of Dean sites since 2014, and sadly the standards have noticeably slipped over the years.

The cabins are now looking very tired, with cracks, dents, scratches, damp and mould staining. Cleanliness has also become an issue. The floors in our cabin were so dirty that our socks were black after walking around inside. We actually brought floor wipes with us this time because, based on our previous two visits, we anticipated having to clean the floors ourselves.

What makes this particularly disappointing is how dramatically the prices have increased. Forest Holidays now commands a genuinely premium price, but the accommodation and overall experience simply don’t reflect that anymore. Given the change of ownership in 2022, it’s difficult not to wonder whether investment and standards have taken a back seat while prices have continued to rise.

Staffing also seems to have slipped. The team appeared noticeably understaffed and struggled even with a relatively small number of people ordering drinks. At one point we heard a member of staff say they had taken cocktails off because they simply didn’t have time to make them. That’s not a criticism of the individual staff, who seemed to be doing their best, but surely points to inadequate staffing levels.

The shop has gone downhill too. There seems to be an abundance of dog-related products and miscellaneous items, while some of the useful basics you’d actually expect from an on-site shop are lacking. At Forest of Dean, bottles and stock being left out on tables also didn’t create a particularly good impression.

Then there are the basics around the site. Large potholes throughout the roads, tired accommodation and generally neglected-looking areas all add to the feeling that maintenance and reinvestment simply aren’t keeping pace with the prices being charged.

It’s a real shame because we’ve enjoyed coming here for more than a decade and know how good the experience can be. Forest Holidays desperately needs some meaningful reinvestment in its cabins, sites, staffing and cleanliness to get standards back to where they once were.

Sadly, our impression now is that demand remains strong enough that there’s little incentive to make those improvements. At these prices, though, customers should be able to expect considerably better.

Extremely poorly maintained, broken cupboards, loose oven, broken blinds, panel loose on hot tub, dirty in places.
many frustrating issues, no staff knew the complaints proceedure until the second to last day. Staff kept telling me they are shprt staffed due to crap minimal pay so "staff phone in sick" activities cancelled and fobbed off by staff. No organisation what so ever. Manager only came to see us just before we left to say she sees all the issues we have had. Maintenance guy already knew about half the reported maintenance issues. Pile of rubbish, will not return, no where near worth the steep prices

I haven't stayed here yet, however, it is disappointing that Forest Holidays do not allow smoking or vaping, even on your own private terrace.

As a wellbeing break, having to walk to a designated area to smoke, defeats the object of relaxing, and forces you into an open area, exposing a private habit.

It would be nice to expect a private terrace to be your own space to relax without leaving your accommodation..

To pay for a room with an outdoor area that you cannot use the way you want is unfair and quite discriminative and seems our comfort matters less than the comfort of non-smoking guests.

I totally understand not smoking inside a property, out of courtesy for the next customer, however the policy makes me feel unwelcome and judged, rather than accommodated as a paying guest, especially at these prices.

For this reason, I would not stay or recommend any of their properties.