Reviews of Golden Sands Holiday Park,
Review by Justine on 31st May, 2014
Add your review Date visited: May 2014
Just because you want value for money does not make you a "Cheapo" or a "Chav". I have a degree and a good job but wanted somewhere I could go with my family on a budget, so I could visit family who live nearby. These comments are generalised and abusive.
This is what we got on so called Gold accommodation:
I received a telephone call the day prior asking what bedding we needed. During this conversation I asked if it was bunk beds (which is what I expected) the woman on the phone said no it was two twins and that the sofa pulled out into a bed (this was not the case). I asked for both singles to be made up and the double. On arriving the double and one single was made up. So I called reception to change this, an hour and half later two very rude women arrived. I also asked for extra pillows on the double as only two thin ones where provided.
My elderly mother jokingly said to the house keepers my daughter says it need the Hotel inspector here. To which one of the housekeeping team scrunched her face and said, “does this face look bothered”. Disgraceful customer service, clearly she had not received any training.
The top bunk on the bunk bed was missing a safety rail, a young child would have not been safe using this bed, should the bed come away from the wall a child could become trapped.
The next morning we wanted to cook breakfast, the oven/grill was not working correctly so everything had to be cooked on the hobs. All the windows had to be opened as the fire alarm would go off. The extractor fan did not work correctly and sounded like a tractor on the verge of breaking down. Despite reporting, it was not resolved.
The shower room was tiny and covered in mould, water leaked past the seal covering the floor. I reported the mould, the young man who came out to deal with the mould stated he struggled to get the mould off and it looked as though the shower needed to be resealed and re-grouted. No extractor fan.
The hot taps in bathroom and kitchen are excessively hot, the one on the bathroom constantly leaked.
I wanted to dry my hair in the bedroom in front of a mirror, there was no plugs in any of the bedrooms. Why have stand up heaters in them if they can’t be plugged in.
In my search for plugs I found mould . This was worse in the room my daughter and I slept in. This was cleaned by the young man who tried to deal with the bathroom following my request. It is clear that the house keepers rarely clean behind furniture this has taken time to build up. I'm pretty certain mould spores can be hazardous to health when breathed in, particularly for those with respiratory conditions.
A sock and dirty tissue where under a set of draws, neither mine, covered in months of dirt.
Broken blind in lounge which I had to roll up by standing on the table. Blinds did not block out adequate light so therefore my daughter woke early every morning.
Only one two seater sofa for a four birth chalet which was very uncomfortable.
The TV signal was terrible and needed retuning at least once a day.
Broken guttering on corner of chalet which water poured from when raining.
The onsite bathrooms where disgusting.
Damp on an internal wall next to shower room, paint work bubbling and falling off.
Squashed dead bug on the wall, no one had bothered to clean.
Wall in bedroom had stains down it, all across one wall.
I asked for a mop because the shower leaked we never got this so had to use our own towel on a filthy floor.
Dust all around the skirting, skirting in lounge area near door has come away probably through damp.
The limited plates and glasses where dirty and we had to wash them before use.
Swimming pool absolutely filthy, not somewhere I would walk through barefoot.
The ground where potholed and uneven bad enough for cars but even worse when you have a ageing parent with mobility issues.
Cigarettes and rubbish thrown around the children's play area.
After reporting some issues and waiting around for them to be resolved I became fed-up with reporting things. I was told we could go out, but I didn't really want strangers in a room with mine and my families things.
The tone of the last submission only illustrates the point of how little the team care at that resort and the broken items should be fixed in-between use as you are paying for a service and entering into a contract which Park Resorts are frequently breaching.
Review by Dan on 8th January, 2014
Add your review Date visited: Worked there
Listen here you stupid cheapo chavs.
I used to work here before I went to Uni. It is a CHEAP place to stay that your budget allows. You are CHEAP. Stop complaining.
Of course the owners will not update the site if all the chavs ruin everything. The name of the game is to maximise profit. Not lose money on dirty horrible cheapo chavs eh?
If you want a nice holiday, educate yourselves, get a better job and pay for a more expensive holiday.
I recommend Mexico.
So long losers!
P.S the lifeguard are not qualified.
Review by Mavis Blunden on 21st October, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 17th September 2012
This admittedly was a Daily Mail cheap 5 day break. We have taken these breaks for quite a few years with no complaints to make.
However Golden Sands needs to be seen to be believed. We were allocated an upstairs apartment, not suitable for 73 and 74 year olds. The state of this apartment was unbelievable, should have been condemned and pulled down many years ago. The light in the so called living area kept going off but was subsequently fixed. The filthy cooker oven could not be lit, the bedding was unusable. Fortunately I always take my own pillows, quilt, sheets etc. thank god.
Dawlish is a lovely place and I stayed there many years ago when my children were small. We stayed at a site in Dawlish Warren which I had believed was called golden sands. It was near the railway bridge which we went under to the beach, ideal. Had a lovely caravan spotlessly clean and I had hoped for a similar experience.
I hate complaining like this but certainly hope this site is taken of the Daily Mail lists of sites in future. Booking is was a nightmare having to stand for at least an hour in line to book in, really nothing at all to recommend. Please, please, close down, rebuild and get adult staff who know what they are doing and just maybe it will be fit for human habitation.
Review by Claire Vincent on 9th October, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 17/09/12 - 24/09/12
We recently had a holiday at Golden Sands Caravan Park in September and it was a huge disappointment.
The park was in need of so much maintenance is was unbelievable the "apartments" as you call them looked more like Dormitory's we stayed in a "Gold" caravan in which we payed nearly £400 for and it was cold, the fire didn't work, the piolet light on the boiler kept going out,the floor was creaky,we was having to leave the fire on over night as there was no heating in the main bedroom and we have a 6 month old baby and even with her being wrapped in 4 blankets and a grow bag she was still freezing, the pillows were like something that was out of a pound shop, the quilt was paper thin, the beer in the club house was poor and flat, the food was like eating cardboard, the only decent thing was the entertainment, overall the only good thing was we had our car so we went out everyday that we were there. We left the caravan park on the Saturday as appose to the Monday to stay in my own caravan in Burnham on Sea, overall it was nothing like i had expected and was really disappointed with the overall experience!!
Review by Our Claire on 5th September, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 20-27 August 2012
I have to say after reading these reviews my family and I were very lucky. Yes the mattresses were thin, the windows could've been a bit cleaner and there was a little dust in the corners of rooms but everything else in our caravan was clean and worked. Granted we spent most of our days at the beach (Dawlish & Dawlish Warren are lovely), approx 15 min walk, we did spend some time in the pool and clubhouse in the day. On these occasions there were activites for the children (and adults) to take part in and we had great fun in the pool. We spent every evening in the clubhouse and I have to say the entertainment staff were amazing. They really made our holiday. They had games, competitions and discos for the children. Bingo for the ladies, a fantastic caberet show and adult gameshows, competitions, kareoke and discos. No two nights were the same. The life and energy they brought to the fore was supurb. Thank you soooo much to the entertainers it's thanks to you guys we'll be back next year =)
Review by Angela Ehoro on 19th July, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 24/09/2012
Hi i am very worried about all the things iv read. My daughter and i are going to golden sands devon holidaypark.we have had a bad. 7 years and. Thort we would have a brake from it all.iv payed and was realy looking forword to it.now im nervas.will it be stress free as i was wanting or just stress.i do hope not......fingers crossed angie.
Review by Mrs Angry on 12th June, 2012
Add your review Date visited: may 2012
What a dump!! Talk about seriously misleading sales brochure...the photos on the website must have been taken 20 years ago when the site was brand new and havent been updated since! Looked like a delapadated army barracks or a run down boarded up council estate.
Our upgraded caravan was mouldy,damp,smelly and gas oven didnt work at all!! Our shwer unit had a crack in the base that when my toddler stood on it, pinched and cut his foot and could see day light..lucky my 17stone husband didnt shower first he'd have fallen through it. we complained to very rude,disinterested barely adult staff who made no apologies and said they'd look at it at some point.....On return one day we found the shower had been looked at whilst out and found a shiny piece of wood had been siliconed over the crack...needless to say when adding water and soap that became an icerink and my daughter feel and cut her knee on sharp edges.On complaining again they gave keys to a chalet to use the showers there.This chalet should have come with a health warning..worse than the caravan.Mouldy walls,peeling paint, plaster falling off in chunks.mouldy blinds, lifting dirty carpet and lino.stench of damp and the shower...OMG moudlt filthy slimy disgusting...ran back to the caravan and risked breaking our necks in there as it was the lesser evil!!
The whole place is fit for bulldozing...the clubroom is ok..they constantly find more ways to rob you of more money there,the pool was dirty and slimey, so didnt risk it.Whole holiday was ruined by the depressing thought of returning to such minging accomadation!! :(
And Golden sands???? Again how misleading its in the middle of an industrial estate with the closest beach several miles away........ DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY, miserable excuse for a holiday park! Ive taken photos and WILL be complaining to trading standards.For anybody who things im a snob i really am not.We have stayed in caravan accomadation on holiday parks 28 times in 10 years and this is by far the worst weve ever seen.shocking!
Review by michelle on 7th June, 2012
Add your review Date visited: 05/05/12
Well.. i wish i had read these reviews before i wasted money going there! the place is disgusting you look on there website and it looks nice.. you arrive there and think you've turned up at the wrong place! i had an upgrade to a caravan from an apartment it was freezing had the heaters on all day and night..the shop was not worth having the food was disgusting the entertainment was okay.. it kept the kids entertained.. the beds were horrible... park rubbish swimming pool freezing and although it was clean.. the best part of my holiday was knowing i had a lovely home waiting for me 160 miles away.. my advice dont go there...
Review by Shiltons on 17th August, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 13th August 2011 - 20th August 2011
Well what can I say. Golden Sands my a**e. Arrived saturday at 3pm an hour earlier than expected but with 3 young children who were exhausted after the long journey I would of thought we could of had our key sooner than 4pm. Reception staff were like zombies didnt want to help only suggested to go and waste out money in there so called club house.
Finally got our key at 4.10pm apparently they were cleaning it. Found out where we were staying and oh my god if you have half a brain you wouldnt bother with this site.
We arrived at a chaved out council estate holiday park. There was no holiday even thought about when we found out where we were staying. No double glazing to the windows, Chalet door rotten and random pieces of furniture dotted about the children play area like some kind of war zone.
Opened the chalet door to be faced with a horrible smell and a lovely peice of paper telling us who had cleaned our apartment. Well thats if it had of been cleaned unless she was blind.
The place was filthy, a two seater brown stained settee was greeting us along with a battered old woodern table & 4 broken chairs. Lovely jubbly NOT.
We ventured inside to see what else we would be faced with and there was a leaking toilet and a moldy shower cubicle. The toilet is that close to the sink you could multi task and brush your teeth whilst having a poo. I wasnt sure if I felt cleaner going in the shower or not having one. It was that duscusting.
The kids room had bunkbeds. With them being so young I mean my two eldest (3 year old & 5 year old) top and tail on the bottom bunk the mattress had the springs sticking out and the quilts they provided were wafer thin and hardly kept the kids warm. They hated it here and couldnt wait to go home.
Our so called bedroom was discusting mirror filthy, wardrobes full of damp so didnt put our clothes inside. Slept on the bed for one night and couldnt sleep in there again. Had to result in using the two seater settee which folded out to a bed.
Well its day 5 since being here havent slept a wink. Like a chavvy council estate outside until 11.30pm as people dont seem to care about there kids around here.
Weve had to rearrange the living area around for more space so our 1 year old can move about without banging his head.
The best of it is we cooked something in the kitchen the other day and the pre historic cooker fell to bits. No safety testin notices and no heating on either. Needed matches for the gas cooker. Went to the onsight shop and guess what ??? ALL SOLD OUT. What kind of sh**e place is this ???
Tried to make the best out of stayin here but I have to grit my teeth to drive back here everyday roll on home time. Even pigs wouldnt live this this. Oh wait yes they do there outside not chavving it up. The only thing missing is the stolen car burnt out in the middle of the kids play area.
Went down to the club house earlier to try and pass our time away. Went to the bar and ordered two long drink containers with slush puppy in. Had sold the guy previous to us one and then told us they had sold out. Yeah another lie. Another guy after us goes to the bar and orders two and gets two. My husband went back to the bar and kicked up a fuss asking why he`d been lied too and they said they refuse to serve him. Well they did us a favour. Saved us from giving this scummy holiday park anymore of our well earned money.
Place is only fit for dogs and there is more than enough on this site with plenty of dog mess dotted about the place to prove it.
If you know whats good for you avoid this place like the plaque.
Review by Allen on 8th July, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 04/07/2011
Booked one of those £9.50 holidays through the Sun newspaper for just the two of us to give my partner Maggie a short break after a rough year. Overall it came to £100.30, thats without the petrol costs to get there.
Anyway I should have had my suspicions when we were allocated Golden Sands Holiday Park even though we had'nt put it down as one of our choices; But we were told by friends that Dawlish was a nice place to visit, so we thought we would give it a try. We arrived late on the monday night so made our way to the clubhouse as instructed to collect our keys,the staff behind the bar were helpful and advised us we were in number 24. We were dissapointed to see it was a chalet or Stalag as we called it, and not a caravan. When we opened the door we were hit with a damp musty smell; The two bedrooms and bathroom had black mould in the corners of the ceiling, there was dust and fluff hanging from the bottom of the radiator in the living area where there was also a small brown two seater settee which was dirty and made you itch. The top of the grill on the cooker was greasy and when i looked under the sink unit for storage,that also had mould on the wall. The mattresses on the beds would'nt have been out of place in an Indian Fakir's sideshow as it was like sleeping on a bed of nails, luckily for us i had brought along a spare duvet which we put under the bottom sheet to protect us from the protuding springs. We decided to have a drink in the clubhouse where we were suprised to see an empty bar even though there was approximately 150 people in the club,we soon found out why £3.20 for a pint of bitter. Generally we were very dissapointed with the whole of the accommodation and would never venture near this park again. After one full day here we decided we had had enough and went home. One plus point i forgot to mention, the bedlinen was clean, but thats about all.
Review by gareth on 1st July, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 20-6-11
never again! gold plus caravan was like
a self build on site, staff didnt care
swimming pool leaking water from the roof when it was raining. what a hole.
back to haven for us. paid extra to have the breakfast, not good dont waste
your money, get in touch and i,ll tell you more.
Review by d summers on 18th June, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 11 june 2011
What a mess the only way round this is for the bosses to go when the staff dontknow they are coming we had a appartment it was realy bad smeld some thing terrible the reception staff looked at me like they was on a diffrent planet not helpfull at all out side the` bedroom was a massive hole and in the morning at 8.30 there was a digger and crane going full blast golden sands the only sand i so was being made into concrete i will never put a step into golden sands ever again dawlish was realy nice
Review by mr, Simonds on 16th June, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 10/06/2011
Me and my family booked a 3 night stay here at the "GOLDEN SANDS" commencing the 10th June 2011. upon arriving at the site office we assumed we would be given the keys to a caravan as booked but were told we had a chalet instead. Unfortunately the joy was short lived when we opened the door to the said chalet.It stank of damp and was rancid.I cleaned the rooms and sprayed with air freshener, went and bought two scented candles that were lit for the whole stay.We agreed that we was not going to let this spoil our break,however there is virtually no facilities the pool was shut on Saturday when the weather was not good, no reason was given. The evening entertainment was generally good apart from one night which was one person shouting songs down the mic.But no matter how nice Dawlish was we still rounded the day off by coming back to "THAT RANCID CHALET" .When we returned home and was glad to get back to normality and a day of clothes and bedding washing everything smelled of damp.If I was to sum this park up I would say its really disappointing given its location that its such a state. it reminded me of childhood holidays when everything was basic.Given the standards of today this is a really poor choice of caravan park and would never return, or advice anyone to go there. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Review by Claire on 4th June, 2011
Add your review Date visited: June 2011
Myself and my family have been going to Golden Sands for 7 years. We were apprehensive when Park Holidays took over 3 years ago. The 1st year under Park Holidays our caravan was dirty, we did complain and they told us that they had an ongoing problem with their cleaners. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and the following 2 years our caravan has been clean. Up until this year Golden Sands was very much run the same way it had been while it was an independent site. Unfortunately this year it really showed that it is being run by a big company. The entertainments team has changed and is no where near as good as the previous one. The touring area has been replaced by all static caravans. The childrens play area has been replaced by stastic caravans. The childrens entertainment room has been replaced by the arcade to make way for a dining area. The lovely atmosphere that the park used to have has gone. We were very disappointed and will not be visiting again. However Dawlish is a beautiful area and well worth a visit just not on a Park Holidays site!
Review by Amy Hollins on 23rd October, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 18th-22nd October2010
After reading the reviews on both this website and many others from other peoples experiences we were quite anxious to discover what the park would be like as most mentioned it was on a grotty, noisy council estate well i would like to know where that is as we did not come aross one unless they meant the appearence of the chalets.
We arrived at around 3pm and were not supposed to check in till around 4pm but we decided to anyway a friendly member of staff gave us our keys and showed us which way to go.
First impressions of the caravan were good it was clean, the sofa and chairs were not damp and the beds were almost comfier than the ones at home. We did not have the bedding we had paid for though so we went down to the reception where a kind man asked us how much we needed and asked if we wanted to take it up or if we wanted it delivered but we decided to take it.
The adults entertainment that night was quite good but very rude considering a lot of younger children were around.
We also found that the childrens entertainment was on rather early so therefore if we had got there earlier to watch it, we would have been around there for about 5 hours! The other nights were good though as we arrived just in time for the gala week where they have all the winners of competition heats come in for the finals(they were all very good).
We checked out the swimming pool the next day to find that it was not heated and was absolutely tiny the outdoor pool was also open but was 10x colder so we didn't dare get in. We would definately recomend using another leisure centre also the changing rooms were extremely hot and quite dirty.
The arcade was quite good but not much to do and the food onsite was not very good as didn't open until 6pm and the food in the restaraunt was really expensive also the kids menu only went up to 7 years old.
The shop stocked your essentials but not much else and was rather pricey.
The best bit about this holiday was definately the local area Dawlish,Teignmouth,Newton Abbot and Exeter were all very good,there are some beautiful views and lots of spots for pictures(especially the black swans at Dawlish and the coastlines) the only downside was Teignmouth as the pier was mainly shut and so were the takeouts.
Overall it was a truely spectacular holiday and we will most probably visit this park again in the future if they can improve the entertainment and the temperature of the pools!
Review by Dean on 18th September, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 25th July 2010
We booked a 10 night stay in the touring area of Golden sands.when we got there the pitches had been covered over with very rough and sharp wood chippings so when we pitched the tent the flooring was damaged straight away.
the shower and toilet block were disgusting, only 2 showers were working, and the sinks were constantly out of order. the floor was covered in 2 inch of water so you had to wade through it.
the whole block looked very under maintained . the tent area had fire hoses that were constantly leaking and looked as if they had not been serviced for a long time, god help us if there was a fire.
the pool was dirty and after just one trip in there my daughter was ill the next day.
The whole site was run down and by the look of theother buildings i was glad we were in our own tent.The toilet block was vandalised by underage drinkers that came from the shaletts and nothing was done apart from putting hazard tape on them.
I contacted the park as soon as i got home and they just offered us a 4 night pitche again which we refused and i asked for a refund and they have not replied to any of my emailes which is rude.
DO NOT GO TO THIS PARK AT ALL COSTS AS THEY DON'T CARE AT ALL
Review by mandy ballinger on 29th August, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 23/8?2010
Arrived at 12pm and had a look around the holiday park, was very clean, had lunch at the site's resturant very good food and did'nt have to wait long for the food, checked in at 2pm and was very impressed did'nt have to wait long for the keys.
First impression of caravan from outside was ok,went inside ,it was very clean, however was not happy about the layout of the caravan, booked a silver but it certainly did not look like the silver caravan in the brochure, it was very small for a family of 5, found the bedding in a black bag,no beds made up,last thing you want to be doing is making all the beds up when you go on holiday, settee was smelly and damp, mattress in double bedroom was very uncomfortable (springs digging into your sides)so decided to sleep on the bed settee, pulled it out and it was smelly, mattress was very thin and the bed squeaked everytime you moved, so ended up sleeping on the floor for the rest of the holiday which when you pay all that money is no joke.
Entertainment was pants, nothing much going on in the day, the swimming pool shut 2 days running without good reason so kids were really fed up as no other entertainment was provided.
The on site shop was very reasonable and stocked a good variety of products.
Found the staff did'nt really interact with the people who were staying there.
On the plus side of it, off the site was fantastic, the beach was not far away, good pubs and dawlish warren was fab, highly recommend dawlish as a place to go for a holiday.
We will be returning to Dawlish next year but to a different holiday park, however will not rule out that maybe one day i will return to Golden Sands, if improvements have been made because overall the site was lovely and clean and had some good features.
Review by Mike W on 25th July, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 24th July 2010
We've just returned home after one day of a seven day holiday at Golden Sands in Dawlish, booked two weeks ago. The party comprised myself and my wife, our adult daughter and our four-month old grandson. Because our grandson still requires a pram to get around, we had specifically requested a ground-floor chalet.
When we arrived we were told to make our way to chalet 35 which was up a flight of concrete steps, along a landing and down a few more steps - totally unsuitable for transporting a full-sized pram several times each day. I returned to the reception desk, and was told that ground floor chalets of that size were fully booked, but they could offer us a smaller one. As the reception desk was closing (it was 6pm) we reluctantly accepted that.
On arrival at the new chalet, we were greeted by a smell of sewage outside the door, and a smell of damp when we walked into the chalet.
There were stil five steps to negotiate with the pram, even though it was a ground-floor chalet, so I don't know how the park accommodates disabled visitors.
The sleeping arrangements comprised one double bedroom and one small bedroom with a bunk bed. A black bin liner containing sheets was provided, so we had to make our own beds.
The chalet was totally unsuitable for our family arrangement - the bunk bed was more suited to children, not a third adult, and when we had put the travel cot alongside it, there was no room for our daughter to move in the room, and attending to the baby's needs was very difficult. There was no bath, just a shower and very small sink in the bathroom, meaning the baby had to be bathed in the kitchen sink - not the most hygienic of arrangements.
As we had just had a long journey, we didn't want to cook or travel far for food, so we tried the on-site restaurant for a quiet meal(around 7.15pm), but turned away when we walked in to find the children's entertainment in full swing, so we were forced to get into the car and drive to Dawlish Warren for a pub meal.
The website suggests the beach is close by, but is a 20-minute walk through the adjacent caravan and camping park - the quicker alternative being along a narrow road with no pavement (again unsuitable for those with prams or pushchairs)
As Reception was closed by then, I went back there first thing the following morning to express our disappointment, and to tell them we were planning on leaving.
The staff were very polite and seemed to understand the predicament we were in, and suggested we write a letter requesting a refund.
We currently await the outcome of this letter.
Review by bob chapman on 23rd July, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 19/07/2010
We were greeted by a beaming, bearded individual, called Steve, whose neck was in a sling. I suspect he had unsuccessfully tried to slit his throat, so dire was the establishment were he works.
The toilet wasn't actually screwed to the floor so you could rock about at will, the tolet roll holder was so positioned that you could break your wrist attempting to wipe your arse.
Getting up for a pee in the night I was confronted by thousands and I don't mean a few flies, who had taken up residence in the shower, wash basin and toilet, the floor was black and alive. I went outside to pee.
Next morning after cleaning up the corpses I went to reception, where Steve's attitude changed immediately I told him about the flies. " You're in the middle of a nature reserve," he said.
He said he'd send someone to see. It never happened. The next night, in addition to a new batch of flies we were infested with flying ants.
The next day I went to reception, where Steve told me, someone had been to the chalet, but found nothing and suggested I had given them the wrong chalet number. Which incidentaly is number 30. He said some one would come and see. Still waiting.
I can't bother to go on much more, but I spoke to a girl in reception, who gave me her word on two occasions that some one would call ( they didn't) and another individual, who told me , " I was off yesterday, I'll investigate." Still waiting. A day early we packed up and went home. It wasn't cheap for four nights £186, but it certainly was nasty!
Review by C K Alexander on 14th July, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 19.4.10
After reading reviews on the Golden Sands website, I believed that this holiday park would be, well great. My dad got the deal from a Sun Holidays £9.50 deal.
We was greeted with a untrained blonde receptionist who was no help at all.She had no idea, even I could of done her job and I'm 15. Anyway, after amunreliable map told us the way to our Bronze Chalet. In the heart of a run down council estate with northeners running the place. All we could hear was swearing and with their morbidly obese children wearing their tacky football shirts wobbling around screaming and causing arguments. Oh the joys.
We arrived at our 'cell' and entered. Filthy, and our chalet was a BRONZE. I couldn't believe the state of the place. I did say to my dad 'Bronze? You mean there's worse than this?!' I've seen bigger studio flats. And thats saying something.
Dust covered everything, even the 70's styled kitchen. Nothing was clean in the whole 'flat' sticky cupboards, no bin, no light in the shower block and a toilet roll that looked older than myself.
We had to pay for the things which came as basics here, linen that smelt like roast lamb and gas, which strangely we had NONE OF. The 70's gas cooker was a health hazard and non workable. So we had to eat at the clubhouse.
The food was okay I guess. More of an variaty would of been nice, everything was served with chips and peas, nice.
Entertainment was hilarious, mainly because of the thought of 5 or 6 people humiliating themselves infront of the obese 'locals' who have seen these acts for 4 or 5 years on the trot now.
Loved the surrounding area, Dawlish Warren is a brilliant place with easy access to all the major towns from the 15minute walk to the train station. With cheap fares. I've been on buses costing more than a ticket to Plymouth.
Coming back again this month actually, thanks to the free Gold Plus caravan we are getting for a few days. Love it!
Hopefully the £600 caravan will be in a much more fit condition.
Expect a more suitible review in the near future.
Charlie Alexander. 15
Review by jeannie on 17th May, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 15.05.2010
can i just say that anyone reading this reviews will think om my god what the ?
can i just add my views i have been to going golden sands since 2006, we started off in a clean and tidy chalet (yes some are up steps) the chalets are now all being modernised double glazing,central heating etc, we have never encountered some of the problems that have been added. We have now purchased a caravan yes it will be classed as a bronze but it still we still have to supply everything that is needed (toaster microwave tv etc)and by the way if anyone stays in a chalet or caravan and leaves it in the state that some ppl have said how do they live at home? Any problems thatwe have found (not that we have had that many) maybe a broken light bulb, faulty tv have all been sorted on the day we reported them, Give this site a go yes the beach is about 15 mins away but take a take a walk through peppermint park avoiding the road, You need to see the work the entertainment team put in it is fantanstic, they all work together and really get involved with the holiday makers
Review by Mandy Buller on 15th May, 2010
Add your review Date visited: may 2010
The chalets are basic but very clean. The sister park peppermint has some lovely accomodation.But why go to Golden Sands .... because the entertainment is outstanding for a holiday park. All the ents team are so friendly .. excellent with children and the shows are so professional.A really tallented team. All the other staff are really friendly too.
Review by C M Alexander on 19th April, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 12-18th April 2010
After booking a four day tabloid holiday & then getting a three day extension, with 'upgrade' My daughter & I arrived at our block to be greeted with what only described as a scene from 'Shameless' A run down near derelict sheltered housing scheme complete with fat swearing children & a middle aged, tattooed, football shirted bruiser parading their pit bull past us.
Inside our chalet (four berth) we had the table & four chairs but only a two seater sofa, three cups, three egg cups etc. (Yes,I know there is only two of us but..)no bin or bowl, thick dust over the kitchen utensils and pans (this was before Iceland set light to its self in an insurance scam, so we can't blame them)& Windows dirtier than a trains. We could hardly see the dog faced bruiser walk back, arms now filled with large bottles of cheap cider and now with her husband.
There was little evidence of damp ( the half toilet roll on the wall, now the size of a scooter tyre, absorbed all the moisture) or storage, all my daughter had was a floordrobe next to the wobbly bunk bed (no room for a ladder here) & red hot radiator, with a thermostat that came away in my hand.
"UPGRADE? What the hell! do they have worse than this?, Then?" Was one of the more hopeful comments my fifteen year old gave me, as she wrote her tag in the dust with her finger.
After checking out the sites attractions (5 mins) all Dawlish Warren had too offer(15 mins) and 'muck on a truck' meals with entertainment we woke the next morning in our freezing chalet. The radiator was off when we got back last night and the electric heater had been on all night.
After getting back from the sparse site shop with the paper (Ironiclly on a site filled with Sun readers the shop didn't stock the aforementioned paper, so they had to make do with The Sport or Star)Cleaning the telly screen and cups we found we couldn't have any toast as there was no gas.
On Wednesday a senior manager of Park Holidays (Suitless, through fear of lynching)paid a fair cash payment for the food I couldn't cook, a fair percentage refunded on the holiday, a half price holiday, free breakfast lunch & dinner for the duration of the holiday and there will be no gas to the cell blocks until next week. (I will keep you informed with the refund & half price holiday deal as this was only a verbal agreement)I wish I had my daughter with me though, as she said she would of held out for a toaster & a George Formby grill.
The free meals on offer that night were like school dinners before Jamie Oliver got involved. In fact if the cashier had a cigerette hanging from her bottom lip with an half inch of ash on it I could of been back at infant school.On the bright side though my daughter is enjoying her self and loved the camp camp entertainment.(I know I wrote 'camp' twice)
By Thursday the full menu was back on for those with free meal passes and the rest of the holiday was hassle free.
On the whole my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed Dawlish and the surrounding area and will go back. Golden sands, not so sure, depends what accommodation is on offer.I mean we are sure it can't get any worse
Review by sarah on 19th April, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 10th april 2010
I use my own caravan so i have no issues over accommodation. I have been going to golden sands for 28 yrs i go purely for night entertainment and i love it, paul does a great job and mark!! mwah mwah mwah is my fav will be back soon luv u all xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Review by samantha adams on 12th April, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 09/04/2010
We visited this site with trepidation after reading the reviews left on this site. However we were pleasantly surprised with what we found. We stayed in bronze accommodation - a static caravan - it was very clean and tidy.The shower and toilet were immaculate and all the units were in excellent condition. The staff were all very friendly. The swimming pool was great, the entertainment was good - and the bar/clubroom was lovely! After talking to staff it was apparent that some updating has taken place over the winter period - so I would say give this place another chance as we had a great time and I would go back again.
Review by Karen Lincoln on 25th October, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 14 September 2009
We had booked a holiday at the “Golden Sands” park holiday site in Dawlish, Devon, from Monday 14th of September to Friday 18th of September (2009). This was for a bronze caravan or chalet, for two adults and two children (one is two years old and the other is just under six months).
Unfortunately, we have to say that both the accommodation and the reception staff were not up to an acceptable standard.
On entering the accommodation (chalet number 10), around 4.20pm, we were shocked by the state of it. When we opened the door, the smell of damp was the first thing we noticed. Inside, we found a number of problems/faults including; the seating area was dirty with rubbish between the seat cushions, broken/missing tiles in the kitchen area, cupboard doors hanging off, broken plug sockets, the smoke alarm was disconnected, the heavy metal ladder for the bunk bed was not fixed into place and the television was on an unsecure foldaway table. We found the source of the damp to be on the inside wall of the chalet, in the bedroom – the wall was black, with the paint and plaster peeling off.
We could not spend any amount of time in there, so reported the problem to reception, requesting alternative accommodation. We were told that they would send someone to the chalet with us to see what the problem was, so we went back to the chalet and showed them. They agreed that the accommodation was not suitable. We then returned to the reception area.
The manger said that there was no alternative accommodation available and that we could not have a refund. We requested that we speak to head office, to which the reply was that we could not. We told them that we had to speak to someone to sort this out, making him ‘phone head office and pass the ‘phone to us. Head office was helpful, saying that they would try to help and would ‘phone us back. We then had to wait in the reception area. We had to change our children’s nappies in the car, breastfeeding our youngest in the reception area and feeding our oldest in the car. No offer of anywhere else to sit or even a drink was made by the reception staff. We asked what time head office was open ‘til and the reply was that they did not know. We spoke to head office again (Carol), who said she may have found somewhere for us to say and would ‘phone us back again. After a while, the manager told us that he had spoken to head office, there wasn’t any other available accommodation and he could give us a refund. No offer of help to find somewhere to stay or eat was made, even though it was now gone 6.30pm.
We then left the site and, luckily, found a travel lodge that had a family room available. We paid to stay there and they were kind enough to explain where the nearest places to eat were.
The following morning, I spoke to head office again to see if they could offer us any assistance. We did not see how it would be fair on the children to drive all the way home again straight away. I spoke to Carol again who was very helpful and she managed to find us accommodation at Riviera Bay, Brixham. We found this site to be very nice, welcoming and tidy. The accommodation was very well maintained, clean and met our expectations.
We have found this whole experience to be very disappointing and distressing. If not for the help of Carol, we would not have had a holiday whatsoever. We feel that no one else should have to go through this.
We have complained to both head office and the actual site, replies to which have been very poor.
Our advice is; DO NOT STAY AT GOLDEN SANDS!!
Review by Sharon Wood on 22nd October, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 28th August 2009
My family had the most awful holiday at Golden Sands Holiday Park in Dawlish. The bronze chalets are fit for demolition and havent been cleaned for a very long time. As soon as we arrived and saw the chalets, we complained and were told the site was full and there was nowhere they could move us.
My partner and I thought it would be nice to take our 6 children and 5 month old grandchild away for a long weekend.
We couldnt even put the baby down anywhere! The bathroom and bedroom ceilings were covered with black mould. Nobody could face getting in the filthy shower - so we had to use the facilities at the swimming pool! The cooker didnt work, the fridge was leaking all over the floor, everything was either broken, dirty or dangerous. There were draughts coming through the rotten door frames and windows. Well, the list goes on.
I wouldnt advise anybody to waste their hard earned money on a holiday at this park.
We were eventually moved to a bronze caravan late on our 2nd day, but considering we were only there for 3 nights, our holiday was a total disaster and all we have received is an apology with the offer of a very small discount off a future booking! Well, we wouldnt ever want to spend anymore of our hard earned money staying on what felt like a very run down council estate.
The linen was the only clean thing in the chalet - so well done to the company who does the laundry for this park. Maybe the cleaners and the management could learn a thing or two from them.
Review by Mark Wainwright on 30th September, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 18th September 2009
IFirst, to be fair, much has been said here about the cleanliness of the chalet accommodation. The chalet we booked was found to be reasonably clean, but extremely run down. The windows are slowly rotting out, the place smelled damp and the paint was pretty much peeling off every single surface, but it did appear to have been cleaned.
The park is like Colditz. It was clearly built in the 1970s and has not been refurbished since. Notice how the park promotional material doesn’t show any photographs of the Park other than the swimming pool? Now you know why, it looks less a holiday park, more a concentration camp!
I booked this at relatively short notice only a week or so before. I needed to work in the locality, and thought it might be nice to bring my eight month pregnant wife and 2 ½ year old daughter along and have a little break. Mistake!
Upon arrival, we were confronted with signs stating that this week the park was ‘over 18s’ only. We soon found out that this meant that we had no access with our daughter to the show bar, and thus the area where we were able to eat and drink. I complained to the deputy manager who, frankly, couldn’t have cared less and were told that we could walk 15 minutes down the road and eat somewhere else. I explained that my wife was heavily pregnant and walking distances is not practicable. I asked for a taxi to be supplied on the basis that we had not been informed of the restrictions when booking.
I was told that head office should have called us, but in any case their terms and conditions permitted the removal of any facilities as they saw fit so pretty much tough luck.
Also worth mentioning that the park advertisies itself as having free Wifi, but since this is in the clubhouse - the one we were not premitted to enter, this is yet another facility we couldn't use. It was one of the main reasons I booked, as I need continual access to e-mail for my work.
Overall, a dump of a camp, dreadful facilities and an utterly disgraceful management. It exists because it is fortunate enough to be in a relatively nice location, but there must be far superior accommodations nearby. This place does not deserve to be in business. We shall be pursuing a claim. DO NOT BOOK HERE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!
Review by Claire Bates on 30th August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: August 09
Firstly, after visiting this park for many years both as a privately owned park and as a park holidays resort I understand the reviews people have left. The chalets are dated and need vast improvement and the bronze caravans need to be scrapped (to be perfectly honest!) Another mistake that has been made is pets. This park used to be pet free, and due to the fact that every single one of the cleaners can be labelled as non other than USELESS this has proven to be a problem this year, with many unwanted residues, smells and generally poor maintenance on their behalf.
On a plus the Gold Caravans, Gold Plus and majority of all silver caravans (when cleaned by cleaners who actually care - which im yet to find one of this year!! Bring back 2006/2007 cleaners!) are beautiful vans, and i would reccommend.
The biggest positive of the park is the entertainment. Even when Park holidays took over they kept the resident entertainments team (Paul, Becki etc) and rightly so. Park holidays - these guys are the only reason we will ever keep returning to golden sands.
So as for Matthew, who has said the entertainment was 'non exsistent' i suggest you watch a show before you judge. from 6 30pm right through to 12am, they give their all, most importantly get the audience involved and generally have a laugh. the hard work and effort that these guys put in shines in every show and i feel they deserve nothing but praise for what they do.
Park Holidays need to clean up their act and take a long hard look at this park - It truly could be something special, i suggest you put your hands in your pockets and invest some well deserved money!
Review by steve clifford on 28th August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 24th August 2009
I booked online and was sent my booking form which stated that we would be in a bronze chalet. Two days before leaving for the trip I telephoned to confirm booking, I was told I was in a silver chalet. On arrival we found ourselves in a CARAVAN. This was only the start of our troubles, reading about certain problems like dirty utensils did not bother us too much and as we found plates and cups all dirty, a quick wash would resolve those. what I did not expect was no teapot, no bed linen, no dining table and a bedroom that smelled of cat urine.this room was so uninhabitable that my wife and I slept outside on the settees. If this was not bad enough, there were condoms outside under the caravan. we complained about this and were told it would be sorted however 3 days later they were still there. this was a health hazard to kids more than anything. As we were only here for 4 nights we put up with the problems as overall the enjoyment was away off site. we returned on thursday night to our lovely home, where I e mailed the feedback line straight away.
If you are looking for a good holiday company, book john fowlers, I have used them for 20 yrs and only had a handful of trouble which was sorted out quickly.
Review by Tracey Davis on 27th July, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 18th July 2009
I booked a Bronze Chalet Sleep 6, I walked in saw the state of it and walked out. The directions were not that clear and we could see no beach in sight even though according to the brochure the beach was a leisurely stroll away.
To my horror the chalet we were allocated was up 20 steps, in the brochure it said nothing about steps or that the chalets were two storey high. On walking into the chalet we were greeted with the most hideous yellow painted walls in the kitchen I have ever seen in my entire life. The chalet was sparse and there was a sofa which was so disgusting It looked as if a dog had been sleeping on it (this was supposed to be the other bed – there was no way that either of my children could sleep on that as I wouldn’t know what they would catch!). On entering the main bedroom there was a child’s cot, on the booking form it was clearly stated that the children were not babies and this was not required. The other bedroom ( I was under the impression that i had booked three bedrooms from the website) had bunk beds which were wobbly, the paint had peeled off and were a health hazard. I opened the bathroom door and walked out in horror, it was stinking dirty along the tiles and behind the basin, the toilet seat was not on straight, it was absolutely disgusting and I really wish I had taken photographs.
I immediately went to reception and asked if I could have an upgrade, the two young receptionists with no customer service skills at all, were very unprofessional. I also witnessed other comments to each other and raised eyes and glances back and for to each other aimed at me as I was stood at the desk. I apologised and just made it very clear that I could not stay in that particular chalet. Four other families whilst I was waiting in reception, came to complain about damages to cupboards, cots in the rooms, and another family like us said that there was not enough room in their accommodation and were made to sit down and wait!
I asked to speak to the duty manager, and enquired if there was any chance for an upgrade and offered to pay the difference, he said he had no availability. He asked if I would be prepared to try another one of the other resorts. He did ring around but I felt he was just going through the motions, and didn’t really make any effort to try and rectify the situation, so I asked for a full refund. A good holiday had been shattered by the appalling condition of the accommodation that was allocated to us. We were forced to drive all the way home back to Cardiff and my children were denied their holiday. Both children cried all the way back home and I have now had to try and make it up to them with day trips.
Reception is the first point of contact holiday makers should not be greeted with unprofessional staff members making fun of them and not being greeted with a service that they deserve.
The brochure says “whatever your choice, a clean and comfortable holiday home awaits you” – what a joke – this was certainly not the case at Golden Sands.
I thought it was too good to be true an affordable holiday, in a great location which was absolutely ruined by the dismal accommodation and service that Golden Sands are providing on behalf of your company. Emailed Head office waiting to hear back.
Review by steve tiley on 14th July, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 27/6/09
At last park holidays have excepted my complaint and have refunded my holiday payment due to the filthy chalet we stayed in at golden sands,so at least they came good at the end.
Review by steve tiley on 6th July, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 27/6/09
What a mistake taking my wife and 4 young children to this park.
We got a bronze 6 berth chalet and it was filthy disgusting,on our arrival there was glass outside,front step(wooden)was coming away from the brick wall(my 3 year old daughter actually fell over the step the next day and cut her left leg).
Inside the chalet the cooker was filled with grease and human hair,the bathroom floor caked in visible dirt,and my eldest daughter found used tissues on and down the side of her bed,it took my wife 2 hours to clean up the place,also baby cot i had paid £12 for did not arrive till 17.30 that evening,golden sands is a park to avoid and i will be telling people not to book with park holidays,letter of complaint has been sent to the head office i want answers.
Review by Martin Holmes on 11th June, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 30/05/09
Well were do i start? I had booked a chalet in the bronze package, it looked really nice on the website, well when i got there i found that the room had not been cleaned, there was some crusty white stuff in the veg tray in the fridge, hair in the shower tray, thick dust on all the ledges, nappies left by the previous person, screws sticking out of the cupboard doors, a nail sticking out of the wall, shelves held up by matchsticks, the TV was placed on a chair meaning my chalet that slept 4 had 2 seats! the floor was soo dirty my wifes feet were black from walking on it, mould on the ceiling, broken tiles in the kitchen, damp patches on the wall. So then we come to the linen, i was charged £40 for linen, this included a double duvet & 2 pillow cases which we had to put on ourselves, that was it for the week, didn't get any fresh covers or towels, £40 for that is a bit steep to say the least.
The club house was always pitch black & the entertainment was pretty much non existant & what we did see was poor quality.
Luckily the weather was nice so didn't have to spend much time there. Would have left early had i not got a young child.
Letter of complaint is on it's way.
Review by paul on 24th March, 2009
Add your review Date visited: june 08
what a brilliant park this is.i hope its not going to be spoilt now its
been taken over.the entertainment team are brilliant my little girl just loves dev.the only thing is why are the drinks prices so high.we have booked for june 09 which wil be our 5th year running,one of the other things is because the other parks can use the clubhouse it was a bit crowded compared to last year.but overall
we like the place and the gold caravand a quite reasonable its costing us 270 pound for a week in june and thats four adults and a child
see u soon
Review by Harry Underwood on 19th February, 2009
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Hay Guys,
Really nice to read what u all have put about golden sands and our team ;)
Hope u all come again real soon, i might see u there, but this year one of u guys!!!
xxx
Review by Teresa and Evan williams on 28th December, 2008
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I and my family have visited this site on many occasions and have always had a fantastic time. This is largely because of the very hard work that paul and his staff put into the shows. The ents team always go beyond the call of duty in making the holidaymakers welcome and have made our holidays special. With 5 children ranging in age from 7 to 18 I feel this is testimony to the range of entertainment available as I have just given my children the choice of 3 weeks in Majorca or Goldensands for summer 2009 and guess who won Looks like we ll be seeing you real soon Paul. The park is in a fantastic location with many attractions close by. The reception staff are always willing to give advice about days out and the staff in the shop are very friedly. All in all a great family place to holiday and once you go there you ll soon feel like its your second home as you ll just have to go back.
Review by janice chapman on 9th December, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 9th august 2008
I had always holidayed in dawlish even as a child. My parents had always took me to golden sands.I hadn't been to golden sands since the 70'3 so when it was my turn to take my family I was shocked to see how much it had changed over the years but it is still a fab place the people are so friendly & helpful we had bad weather most days but we never tired from being at the site at least we could swim indoors when it rained we had such fun & we will be back next year & every year after. the entertainers are the best harry made my kids laugh so much my kids commented on how nice every one were keep up the good work the cd is fab we play it most days for the grandson who dances away to it. I could never be tired of golden sands the best place to stay all you need is on site fabulous
Review by heather robinson on 18th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: march 08
i have been visiting golden sands now for 16 years and i have seen faces change and some that have stayed the same with just a few more wrinkles but i can honestly say that when i have kids that is the first place i will think of taking them. i have always dreamed of being on stage but certain issues held me back but my dream came true this year as one of the many competitions was a talent show there is alway something to keep you entertained. as for the team i dont know how they manage they're energy at such a high level especially mark and dev well done to you all. this is definatly a 10/10 rating for all types of people of all ages.
Review by Louise Chapman on 9th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 30th August 2008
First impression was "this was no Haven Park" but then we didnt pay Haven prices. The caravan was basic but practible. The one thing that made holiday just fab was the entertainment team and of course La La La La La Loopy!! (The song just dont get out your head!!) My boys loved Ness and Dev especially but all of them are so talented - bloody well done. Shop very reasonably priced too great for kids to choose what they want without having to say too expensive! A good holiday in all 8/10 - thanks
Review by Maxine McNeil on 31st August, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 23rd August 2008
What can I say about this holiday! This is the 8th time my family have been to Dawlish Sands.It started off with just us 4,then progressed up to 35 for our yearly trip every October.
Everyone we recommend Golden Sands to return year after year.Why? THE ENTERTAINMENT CREW!!!
Every year, the shows get better and better.Paul,Bex,Stax,Harry,Dev, Mark and Vanessa are a truly talented team who work so well together - Park Holidays have got a winning combination, it would have a major impact on their business if they lost these fantastic hard working, lovely people.Park Holidays need to remember that the crew have a massive following - it is only them that the regulars return for each year.
We are fortunate to go abroad each year but the one (or 3 this year!) holiday my children look forward to is our Golden Sands holiday.We are gutted that some of the crew are leaving this year- I cant believe I won't be able to hear Dev sing "only The Good Die Young" again after October.But with Paul and Becky at the helm, I am sure it will continue to be our favourite place for holiday entertainment.
Review by Alice on 13th August, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 2nd-9th August 2008
The Entertainment Team were amazing!!!
Every night they put on a stunning show and I can't believe how much energy they all had!
The dancing and singing was fabulous.
The last night was also very funny, Andy Pandy and Loopy Lou!! Harry and Mark are very funny! I think Harry is a very good entertainer. I think they all had outstanding voices especially Dev and the dancing was superb, especially Harry.
The adult games were also funny, especially on the last night.
The entertainment team all had a great sense of humour and made the holiday even better, they made up for the weather!
Well done Harry, Mark, Becky, Dev, Vanessa and Stacey, and of course Paul Michaels who has obviously worked very hard!!
I think Harry is just so funny, you've got to love him! He always made me laugh, especially when my mum walked across the middle and he asked if she'd been released early!!
Well done again!!
Alice
Review by s bass on 11th August, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 26 july 2008
we stayed at the park for a week, the site was nice, but the entertainment team, TEAM 2008 was fantastic, they make you feel so welcome and involved..... a wonderful choreography team and Harry is FAB !!!!! my children loved every minute, each night was as entertaining as the previous. We have never been to Brit holiday parks but we shall be revisiting Golden Sands in 2009 for sure !!!!! Caravans are better than the chalets i feel. Value for money as well all round.... The shop on site is very cheap which was a shock, we expected expensive. It was cheaper than normal high street shops which was good on the the purse ! Overall Golden Sands is a great family break !!!!! Team 2008 see you in 2009 !!!!
Review by JasonBabbbes on 27th July, 2008
Add your review Date visited: Every year
Caravan was nice, park was nice BUT the entertainments team 2008 are AMAAZING, each member of the ents team are a credit to Golden Sands and Park Holidays. The production and cheography of the shows are immence and other components that make up the nights entertainment like the adult games are well presented and put together. I will be back very soon! Well done Paul, Bex, Dev, Mark, Vanessa, Harry and Stacey!
Review by Karen on 18th June, 2008
Add your review Date visited: Aug 2007
Took the family to Golden Sands last year on a friends recommendation and loved it. We camped and the site people couldn't have been more helpful. Entertainment was abosolutely brilliant and the kids and a fantastic time. Booked in May this year for August and paid in full - no problems. Got a letter this week to tell us they were cancelling our holiday as they couldn't meet demand, and we could have a place on Peppermint Park next door. No pool and no entertainment although we were welcome to use the facilities on Dawlish Sands nad Golden Sands. I asked how this would work, as last year we had passes for the club as it got so busy how did they see it working if three sites were now using the club at Golden Sands. It went rather quiet before the receptionist said 'well I can't deny it will be busy'. I think you need to watch out, things are definitely going to change. Golden Sands is going to lose that family feel and become part of a big pack-em in group, and it's started already. Wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience?
Review by PAUL on 25th May, 2008
Add your review Date visited: JUNE2005/2006.2007/AND COMING AGAIN JUNE 2008
THIS WILL BE OUR FOURTH YEAR NOW AT GOLDEN SANDS.
MY LITTLE GIRL LOVES IT THERE.THE ENTERTAINMENT TEAM,ARE JUST BRILLIANT.PAUL MICHAELS IS REALLY TALENTED,AND DEV IS WONDERFULL WITH THE KIDS.BECKY IS BRILL AND AND STACEY AND WOT A LAUGH HARRY IS.MY LITTLE GIRL LOVES THE OVALTINES AT THE END OF THE NIGHT WHERE THE KIDS CAN DANCE TO ALL THE SONGS WHICH IS SO FUNNY TRYING TO DO ALL THE ACTIONS,ESPECIALLY KING CARACTACUS.WELL WORTH A VISIT.I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER SO I HOPE THE NEW OWNERS DONT SPOIL IT.ID GIVE THIS 100 OUT OF 100.
Review by Jenna on 12th April, 2008
Add your review Date visited: April
i just come back it was good mark is so fit!
Review by heather on 29th March, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 21/3/08 til 29/3/08
just got home after an 8 day holiday at golden sands. had a great time. nice to see all the entertainment team paul, harry becky dev stax mark and the new girl vannessa was great lovely voice. 1 little nark which was the price of the drinks in what is now loopys bar went up from 75p to £1.30 for a fruit shoot over night. other than that we all (11) of us had a great time .THE ENTERTAINMENT AS USUAL WAS FANTASTIC PAUL AND BECKY DO A MARVELLOUS JOB AS DO ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. HOPE TO BE BACK FOR THE END OF SEASON WEEK.
Review by Sarah on 8th March, 2008
Add your review Date visited: We practically live there
To C. Moore,
Im 13. Ive been going to golden sands since i was 3 years old, and my parents and i go down about 6 times a year. I'd just like to say if "the childrens entertainment is virtually non-existent", in your opinion i would be going on holiday just to sit in the club with my parents, with absolutely nothing to do. What person, in their right mind, would want to come back to the same place so frequently if they spent all their time doing this? The arcade facilities are excellent, and every day there are at least 3 activities/competitions for children to participate in IF THEY WISH TO DO SO. I can only imagine your children are the type who complain aobut nothing to do, and then when they find something, they complain its boring? Golden sands also has a brilliant kids club, whilst the bingo is on, which i always found extremely fun whilst i was younger. So now you've had THIRTEEN YEAR OLDS disagreeing with you, maybe you'll reconsider your accusation of non-existent kids entertainment? x
Review by Dawn on 22nd October, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 21st - 28th April & 13th - 20th October 2007
We first stayed at Golden Sands in April 2005, and we loved it then. We always intended to go back in 2006, but due to saving for our wedding, it wasn't possible, so we went in April 2007 for our honeymoon.
Despite not having been there for what was now two years, a couple of the entertainments team remembered us, which was lovely. As it was our honeymoon, we were treated to a bottle of chardonnay 'on the house'.
The entertainment was excellent, despite a few teething problems with the mini disc player, but there was always a show, and it was excellent, regardless of the problems.
The location of the park is ideal, and as long as you don't mind a couple of hills, is within walking distance for the amusements in both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren. If you do mind hills, well, we saw plenty of buses about.
There were a few minor problems, which were down to my use of a wheelchair more than anything. The security system means that since our earlier visit in 2005, you have to wait for security or club staff to let you in and out of the disabled access. This is okay as long as you aren't desperate for the loo ansd the security staff are at the front of the building.
You have to exit the building via the arcade, and come back in the main entrance to use the disabled toilet, which is fine if you use a powerchair, but could potentally be tiring for a carer or someone who self propells using a manual chair. It would be helpful if the area between the two doors was covered, especially now that its used by the smokers as it would benefit them, and stop them hanging around by the doors, blocking access to other guests.
There is only one caravan deemed accessible for a full time wheelchair user, which for the most part is okay. It does state in the brochure that some aspects of the caravan may not be suitable for all wheelchair users though, however, you wouldn't expect the shower to have a side that you have to climb over! Surely this could be replaced by a shower tray and shower stall. I have suggested this in the past to staff, but nothing was ever done. It was suggested that I use the disabled shower room (for the campers & caravaners) which is close enough to the caravan, but seeing as I could manage, I felt that I didn't need to.
Obviously, you can't expect the kitchen to be accessible, given space restrictions, but my husband & I managed perfectly well, and I think that most wheelchair users would manage with assistance.
On our return to the park in October for Gala Week, we received a lovely warm welcome from all the team, and the shows were as excellent as always. How the Bluecoats manage their endless streams of energy, even when some of them aren't 100% is a mystery to me, and Paul always seems to put the best mix together when it comes to the team and the shows.
Also, a mention for 'Tasty Bites' - I love your cheesy chips & beans! and the on site shop 'The Jolly Pedlar' for not overpricing your stock when so many on site shops do.
We're looking forward to returning in 2008 and hoping for a holiday that either equals or is better than this years!
Review by The Allens on 25th August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 18/08/07-25/08/07
We have been going golden sands now for 5 or 6 years and every year the entertainment team get betta and betta what a joy it was to see harry back he brought alot of laughter and fun to our holiday, also the rest of the fantastic team paul ,stacey ,becky and the two new recruits mark and cat the shows every night were fantastic and every year they add something different to them well done team 2007 for making our holiday fantastic .
Review by Richard Green on 24th August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 04-05-06 twice-07 soon to be twice
Relaxing, Entertaining, Fun.
Situated in a good location, Golden Sands Holiday Park is an ideal destination for people with young families. Please do not be fooled, this park caters for all ages, with a hint of the nostalgic holiday camps, the bingo, talent nights and sporting competitions. To the evening entertainment that is easily the best in the area. Paul and his team always put maximum effort into this and it pays off. As a former holiday camp photgrapher (I.O.W)it is nice to keep my hand in taking some publicity shots of the team during my stays. Some may even be usable.
The site is always well looked after with a calming laid back atmosphere. A well stocked shop with all the essentials. (bingo dabbers)
As we all need to get away from it all sometimes and take it easy, there is no better place.
An indoor/outdoor pool that my children love, oh go on then , me aswell.
As I said, if you want to be relaxed, entertained and have fun, treat yourself and book in for a break from it all, at Golden Sands Holiday Park. I am, see you all for two weeks in October.
Paul and the team. Sorry, we have something else set up for the end of awards ceromony. Watch out.!
Review by tony &pat mason on 9th July, 2007
Add your review Date visited: comming soon
dear paul and the team cant wait to see you all again on the 4th august 2007and have yet another fantastic holiday with you give bex,stacks and dev our love see you all in 3 weeks ps after reading reveiws nice to here harry is back xxxx tony pat stuart and hannah mason port talbot south wales
Review by Karen on 1st June, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 12 May
Well we have just had the most enjoyable weeks holiday at Golden Sands, the park as usual was very well maintained. The staff as always were friendly and approachable.
The children were well entertained during the day and also at night in the Show Bar.
As for the Entertainment Team under the supervision of a good friend of mine and my family Mr Paul Michaels were extremely talented, the shows were as good as you would see in any West End Theatre, Well Done again Paul and Team.
Harry! well your a scream as well as a very talented dancer and all round entertainer, as are the others.
Hope to see you all again in September
Karen, Neil, Nicola, Gary, Nicola, Tash, Graham, Matthew and not forgetting Melody
Review by jenna miles on 17th May, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 31st/april/07
heya. me and my family visited golden sands, we satyed for two weeks, it wus amazin. n i made loads of friends.n i made frnds with the entertainments team. they where lovely.thanks
Review by lainey on 12th May, 2007
Add your review Date visited: The last 7 Years
Well what can i say, its Saturday the 12th May just getting ready to go on my hols to Golden Sands. This is the first year i havent rung the site to find out who is on the entertainments team, as i want it to be a surprise for the kids. One thing i do know, is that as long as Paul Michaels is in charge of the entertainment team it will be a blast. I have brought my children here for the last 7 years. Each and every year they have left in tears as they dont want to leave. So as i have only just found out about this web page and after reading the reviews, i was somewhat shocked by the comment left by C Moore. I guess some people are just put on this planet to moan, and seem to have nothing better to do with their lives, I also work on a 4 point system, people who moan, people who like to moan, people who love to moan moan and people that have got nothing better to do then moan, but hey who cares..... This place is fantastic everyone should go, this is without a doubt a fantiddlyastic holiday park especially for kids. Hi to all the staff and entertainments team, i will see you in about 2 hrs. Cheers luv Lainey n Da & Jord, Tyler and Tiffany-Dawn
Review by Rebecca P on 14th April, 2007
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I love golden sands we always go there we were even asked if we wonted to go to disney land or golden sands and we went to golden sands we all have fun EVERY time we go there we have been going there for years and i love it
Review by Emma on 13th April, 2007
Add your review Date visited: Many many times
I have been to Golden Sands many, many times and have always had such a great time. I've got to know all the staff on the camp but the entertainment staff are the very best! They are a great bunch of the nicest people you could ever meet, and they defaintly make the holiday a better one!
I've read most of the reviews and noticed that Arron and Danny are people's favourites, but sorry to dissapoint you all they left 1 week before the season ended in october 2006, they got jobs on a cruise ship (hope they are getting on ok).
Well as for the rest of the team - what can I say?
They are all such great people and dedicated to what they do, they work long hours and reherse all the time just for the holidayer's enjoyment. All the shows are great especially 'we will rock you' and yes they certanily did! Also wow to bingo, some very big cash prizes there!
Hope to see them all again this year.
I've told so many people about the camp and they all say the same, its such a nice place to have a holiday and great fun!
Review by kerry on 23rd November, 2006
Add your review Date visited: many times
i visited this site with an entertainer of a site near by vicki(peppermint park). i loved the shows here we will rock you is an amazing show and they pulled it off realy well. the entertainments team are wicked, paul he is a brilliant person to have a chat to, stacey i love her accent as her accent is worse than mine people didnt say nothing about mine which was great, dev you are so funni, becky a great laugh, aaron ya wicked,not forgetting danny i loved you so much you are one of the funniest people i met, thanxs for all the drinks at another site on your night off(dawlish sands)loving the shots. yea i am onli young but remember your the one that watches bob the builder not me hehe you no what i mean. the otha staff around the site were all pleasent aswell. jay (barstaff) you are one of the funniest people i know and i love ya loads. will be back next year as i told paul i will be coming to visit them all bt her probley wont remember me cya nxt yr. gd luck in ur other jobs aaron n danny
Review by Louise on 27th August, 2006
Add your review Date visited: 19th-26th August 06.
Having just come back from my holiday yesterday, there are still loads of memories in my mind.
I reccomend this holiday park to everyone.
I went three years ago, and had an awsome time, but this year was even better.
I'm glad to see Paul still there, he's an amazing singer and entertainer. Becky, Dev, Helena, Stacey, Aaron and Danny all have so much talent and quailty aswell, that I hope they will be there next year when I go.
We had the exact same challet we had last time, and it was still the best accomodaton i've stayed in.
The shows of a night were great, We will rock you and Grease being my faviourites. The team always had us laughing. Live shows never go quite to plan do they ;]
Bunky seemed like a great mascot, and the kids i heard talkign about Bunkys Den, it seemed great.
Ovaltinies was a fun 15 minutes to, good way to tire you out.
Bar staff and other staff throughout the site were also pleasent to speak to and were really helpful.
I would of stayed 2 weeks if I could.
The entertaiment's team this year, were the best bunch of people around and I'd just like to thank them all for giving me such a lovley holiday and also talking to us whenever they saw us.
I hope every single one of them are still there next year. Espically Aaron and Danny ;]
x x x
Review by joe on 3rd August, 2006
Add your review Date visited: july 2006
i have been visiting golden sands for many years because paul is my cousin. i think that this years team are amazing especially arron and danny. my favourite show is the we will rock you show and we should hopefully going down next year.
Review by Liz and Simon on 29th May, 2006
Add your review Date visited: 29th April 2006
I really enjoyed my holiday at golden sands again for the third time, It was nice to meet the new members of the team, especially Arran and Danny. It was nice that paul and becky remembered us from before,even though they got my name wrong. It was good to see paul getting more involved with the evening shows even though its not called merlins club now (hope you liked the t-shirt).I think the whole team have put alot of effort into the shows,and all the other stuff to keep us entertained.I wished that kieran and harry were still there as it is not the same without them.We will be back in october for gala week,so cant wait to see you all again. Signed the not karen team
Review by nikki dean on 29th April, 2006
Add your review Date visited: 1993-2004
i have been going to golden sands since i was 7 and i always loved going, the staff are always great, some especially! ;op! anyway it was the fantastic team that inspired me to follow my dreams and become a coat myself, and to go to auditions, and thanks to them, i have since done a season at a holiday park close by, and also played snow white in the biggest touring panto in wales!! i am now, in the middle of writing a sitcom for c4 with a team of producers, all because of meeting the right people along the way! unfortunatly i am too busy this year to go, but im sure i will be back soon!xx
Anonymous Review on 15th April, 2006
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i have never bin 2 golden sands i usualy go 2 dawlish sands but i have met most of the entertainments staff harry, kieran and nicki they are all wkd harry ive never met sum1 more unny than him wen we went crabbin down the sea front with nathan james and matt ramsey of dawlish sands this year i wil b visiting golden sands. i know that nicki and kieran will not b there due to the occupation in tenerife good luck 2 the both of u n especially matt my baby xxx
Review by Brenda Langford on 22nd January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: 6th june - 13th june 2005
On my visit to Golden sands holiday park i though it was the best holiday i have ever had. On the arrival, the team was very friendly and welcoming, there was a lot to keep you occupied in the day and the accomadation was a very good standard. The entertainment of the night was out of this world. The shows were fantastic and the team was of a very high standered. Mr Paul Michaels is a brilliant manager as he is lively, fun, welcoming and he can keep you captivated all the time as can all his staff members. I have already reccomended this park to many of my family and friends. It truely is a family friendly park. Keep up the good work i look forward to seeing you soon!
Review by rachel on 22nd January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: August 2005
My family and I visited Golden Sands Holiday Park for the first time this year. We usually go to Butlins but the entertainment team were nowhere near as professional as Mr Paul Michaels and his team, what a fantastic week we had all thanks to their hard work. Paul was obviously a good manager because it was shown through the closeness of the whole team throghout the holiday. The shows were first class and Butlins will not see us again, it's Golden Sands for the future. My two young children took a liking to Bex and Stax and they both went out of their way to make my childrens holiday, I just hope that they are back at the park in 2006 otherwise I will have two unhappy children!!!
Well done to Paul and his team, ultimate professionals!!! SEE YOU IN AUG 2006
Review by Sue on 22nd January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: August/September 2005
I have been going to Golden Sands since I was 13 and I'm 20 now. That should say something. Every year it just seems to get better and better.
The best part of the holiday is, as always, the entertainment. Fun packed days for the kids,if the choose to get involved and fantastic evenining entertainment.
I have seen different teams in the 7 years I have been going there but I Have to say that this year was the best ever, thanks to Paul Micheals, Nickey Bree, Bex, Stax, Andy, Kieran and Harry.
Can't wait to go back this year.
Review by Kat & Family on 21st January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: Too many to mention
We have been going to Golden Sands for many years now,the accomadation is very good and the site overall is very clean.However we have to say that the pool really does need updating.The entertainments team have in the past and still now have been exellent
and we really do feel that that has a lot to do with the entertainments team manager.(who we must say has a fantastic voice)We have seen several people (ENTERTAINERS)come and go at Golden Sands all have very good communication skill , good voices and know how to get the children involved.( to the person who said that the entertainment is no good for the children.....the children need to take part to enjoy what is on offer)fancy dress/swimming/shoot the hoop/tresure hunt to name just a few of the activities for the kids.
Some of the staff at the reception also have a plus from us as they also are very polite.
The year before last we went to another holiday park in Brixon......NEVER AGAIN.
Apart from the Golden Sands holiday park site the area in which it is is also good,it is in walking distance of Dalish Warren with a sandy beach and also Dawlish with a pebble beach and shops.
Would recomend ****
Review by Corina on 21st January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: Summer 2004 (for 4 weeks)
I´m from Germany and I stayed at Golden Sands campsite in Dawlish for 4 weeks in summer 2004.
Golden Sands is a very good campsite for short stay and even long term holiday.
There are lots of facilities at the campsite and in the area.
The best thing for me was the daily entertainment, as the entertainment team and especially the manager Paul Michaels really had a large choice of shows and there was something for everybody.
The kids were involved well and the entertainment team was really friendly and open minded.
Golden Sands campsite in Dawlish, Devon is really one of the best campsites I ever stayed at and I really recommend it to everyone, especially to families with children.
All the best from Germany, Corina Pfeiffer XXX
Review by Mr Paul Michaels - Entertainment Manager. on 20th January, 2006
Add your review Date visited: 21.01.06
Having recently heard from a friend about the use of this website about reviews on Golden Sands, i thought i should come onto the website too see what people think of the park. From what i can see, the majority of feedback seems to be good and constructive, however, i have also noticed that one certain review has been to an unsatisfactory standard. First of all i would like to say that for the fifth year i have been here, the park has continued to grow in all areas of the business, and each year, we have continued to top the previous year, both in confirmed bookings and repeated bookings. It is my job to make sure that ALL of our customers are happy with their holiday, and i often ask the reasons for many people returning to the park. Following a great deal of feedback, i have found that many people return due to the sincere friendliness of all the staff, the park facilities and the fact that we offer the highest standard in family fun, professional entertainment. I was upset to read the above comment, and i have reviewed the situation with great detail, and i believe, as do over 10,000 guests, that my entertainment programme offers the best in versatility, both providing a range of children's entertainment, through to a fantastic range of production shows and adult entertainment seven days, and nights a week for a period of 32 weeks a year that we are open for business. I believe this is a great opportunity to announce that the 2006 season is approaching quickly, and this season i believe is to be the best so far, with our NEW air conditioned Show Bar, and some new friendly faces. Here's to 2006! Hope too see you all very soon!
Review by Karen on 31st October, 2005
Add your review Date visited: October 2005
Ok, we were there for the finale....I have to say that we had a fantastic week-end, the place was packed, the staff were fantastic and I can not praise the shows enough.
As long as Kieran and Harry are there next year...then you can put me down for a Holiday. And you can quote me on that!
The place wouldnt be the same without them.
P.S: To the guy who said there wasnt anything for kids...you obviously dont have very socialising kids!
Review by Emily on 13th October, 2005
Add your review Date visited: September 12th 2005
I went to Golden Sands Holiday Park in September this year for 1 week. This isnt the 1st time that i have been there. I enjoyed myself alot and had a great time. The entertainment is deffinately the best part about it. The guys all have great singing voices especially Harry, Andy and Kieran. I cant wait to go back again next year.
Review by C. Moore on 11th September, 2005
Add your review Date visited: 3rd Sept 2005
I work on a four point system for judging a holiday park, Location, Accommodation, Swimming Pool and Childrens entertainment.
The Location of the site is good, the accommodation is clean, comfortable and well equipped, the swimming pool is a bit small and quite cold, the Children's entertainment is virtually non existant.
If you like to see your kids have a good time being entertained in the evenings, don't go to this site, they have an entertainment team of 7 persons who seem to spend most of the time wondering about doing nothing, I have been to many holiday parks, most of which have a much smaller team of entertainers yet are still able to to entertain the kids for a full two hours each night.
If Children's entertainment is not important to you, then this is a nice site.
Review by Karen on 26th August, 2005
Add your review Date visited: June 2005
The best thing about Golden Sands this year HAS to be the Fantastic talent of Kieran. This guy made my Holiday, I was upset at not going abroad this year but Man am I glad we met him. He was the lad from Pop Idol a few years ago. He should have got somewhere other than Devon though.
Somebody GIVE THIS GUY A BREAK HE DESERVES....and dont forget Karen told ya!
I think you are wonderful Kieran. Simply the Best!x