Center Parcs Ireland: Ten things you need to know as €233m resort opens

Here are 10 things you need to know about the €233 million complex, set in over 400 acres of woodland in the centre of Ireland, which was seen by the News Letter over the weekend.

1, The accommodation ticks every box. There are 466 self-catering lodges and 30 apartments and the News Letter stayed in one of the two-bedroom lodges. Everything you could want is under one roof. The kitchen and living rooms areas are hugely impressive, with television, dish washer, fridge, a dining table and both bedrooms have en suites. You can eat outside in the dining areas. The whole complex has wifi.

2, The days of worrying about misplacing your room key are over when you stay at Center Parcs. Guests are issued with a green wristband on arrival at Longford Forest and you should never need to take it off. The wristband is waterproof, so you can keep it on in the shower or the bath, and, crucially, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. It doesn’t just open your lodge door either, the wristband also enables you open and lock your locker in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise changing area, so you don’t have to worry about bringing along small change.

3, The Subtropical Swimming Paradise lives up to the hype. It has been billed as Ireland’s biggest and best indoor water park and it doesn’t disappoint. At 29.5 degrees, the temperature is perfect, you don’t need to worry about shivering once you come out of the water unlike many other leisure centres. There is a wave pool, a lazy river, and an area called Venture Bay and Venture Harbour which is specifically aimed at younger children. The Wild Water Rapids area is outside which will be interesting in the winter months! The main slides are absolutely thrilling and not too scary for those who are faint-hearted. The Tropical Cyclone is the biggest of the lot.

4, The journey down is arduous. Be prepared for a long drive if you’re coming from Northern Ireland, and especially if your journey starts in the north or east of the Province. Our journey down took well over three hours once you took into consideration the couple of stops which are almost obligatory when you’ve children in the car. Our SatNav didn’t recognise the resort’s post code so there was a bit of anxiety as we negotiated plenty of unfamiliar narrow country roads. We finally came across a sign for Center Parcs on the other side of Mullingar. If you’re going down to stay for the weekend try and prepare as best you can the night before and aim to leave as early as you can. The lodges might not be available until 3pm, but that’s no big inconvenience, and with so much to do, the earlier you get there the better.

5, There is a good choice of food, but book early to avoid disappointment. The restaurant choice is impressive. There are good Indian and Italian options, an excellent coffee shop and an American Bar and Grill. We were pre-booked for the Friday night but found, to our cost, that we should also have booked for Saturday night. All the main restaurants were fully booked when we checked our lunchtime, but there is no need to book at the Sports Cafe. Fitted with televisions for basically every table, it’s reminiscent of all the best diners in America and there is a great soft play facility a few yards away and an outdoor play park. The service was mixed, but that should be resolved in time.

6, This is not just a break for families. Of course, the majority of those who plump for a holiday at Center Parcs will be families, but there is plenty here for the more discerning adult. The outdoor activities, including the outdoor activity centre (which boasts a thrilling zip line) are geared towards the adult market, I spoke to one person who said the spa treatment she received at the Aqua Sana was unrivalled.

7, Look out for bargains. Center Parcs Ireland is mostly booked up for the remainder of the summer and the prices can seem excessive if you want to opt for a summer stay, or even Halloween or Christmas. The key will be to avoid the peak holiday times. If you are not tied to school holidays your prospects of a bargain stay will increase considerably.

8, If the weather disappoints, you are still in for a thrilling time. You might think that Ireland’s traditionally poor weather could ruin your stay at Centre Parcs but I don’t think that is the case. You can spend half a day without a problem enjoying the Subtropical Swim Paradise and the indoor Sports Plaza offers almost everything that you could think of. There is bowling, a craft room, a fitness studio, indoor climbing, and a huge sports hall offering tennis and badminton.

9, Make sure you rent a bicycle or bring your own. With cars banned from the roads of Center Parcs, you need to get around and bicycles are the best way. You can walk of course, the distances from lodge to the likes of the Village Square and waterfront are comparatively short, but it’s liberating and fun for all the family to use bicycles to get round. I found myself longing for my own bicycle again.

10, Center Parcs Ireland is located at Longford Forest, Newcastle Road, Co Longford, N39 RH95. To book go to www.centerparcs.ie