Center Parcs says guests must ‘remain in their lodges’ on day of the Queen’s funeral

Outraged Twitter users likened Center Parcs’ plans for Bank Holiday Monday, when the Queen will be laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in London, to house arrest and prison

Center Parcs will allow guests to remain in their lodges (

Image: Center Parcs)

Center Parcs told guests they’d have to stay inside their cabin all day on Monday due to the Queen’s funeral.

The holiday company caused confusion and outrage yesterday when it announced that its villages would be closed on Monday for 24 hours, meaning guests staying there would have to leave and then return on Tuesday.

Last night it backtracked on the plan, saying those due to stay through Monday would be allowed to stay on site.

Center Parcs has since added to the confusion by telling customers that they wouldn’t be able to leave their cabins for the whole of the day.

“We recognise leaving the village for one night is an inconvenience, we have listened and made the decision to allow guests to remain on village on Monday, however, the village will still be closed, so guests will need to remain in their lodges,” a tweet from its social media account read.

Social media users were quick to condemn the tweet

The decision immediately enraged Twitter users, who likened staying in a wooden holiday cabin for a day to being in prison.

“So essentially under house arrest, then? People being without the right to leave a building is called a jail,” one person wrote.

Another wrote: “Will you be coming round and locking lodge doors to ensure that your valued prisoners, sorry – guests – don’t go for a walk?”

Several minutes later, Center Parcs tweeted again, saying that the first statement was a mistake.

“Apologies for my wording, you will be allowed to walk around the village, but the facilities will be closed,” the second post read.

While Center Parcs has reversed its original decision to close completely out of respect to the Queen, many people are still out of pocket and impacted by its current plan.

The holiday park was accused of ruining people’s stays (

Image:

Press Association Images)

Check-in is not open on Monday, meaning some guests are having to find alternative accommodation that night before they’re able to get their cabin on Tuesday afternoon.

One upset visitor wrote on Facebook: “I am due to go on Monday. I’m absolutely boiling.

“If they had just shut the restaurants/pool etc I can just about agree with that but being told not to come until Tuesday is outrageous. It’s self-catering! I’ve been offered a 30% refund or cancel the holiday.

“We will get into the lodge at 3 pm Tuesday so only have two full days as out Friday at 10am. “

Before the U-turn, guest Tracy Groome, 58, a consultant who lives near Manchester, was concerned about where her party of nine would stay after she booked a seven-night stay at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Suffolk.

The trip – due to begin on Friday – cost more than £2,500.

She said: “I’m very sure it would not be what the Queen or the royal family wants.

“I’m sure they will not want everybody who was due to go to Center Parcs on a holiday to have their holiday spoiled, and for them to have this stress of trying to organise something different.”

Glynis Meloy, 68, from St Austell in Cornwall, is booked to stay for a week at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire in a group of six people at a cost of £1,800 and had expressed concerns about how they would spend Monday.

Center Parcs had planned to close fully to honour the Queen (

Image:

Getty Images)

“If nowhere is open, what are we meant to do with all these people all day?” she said.

“Not everybody’s a royalist, not everybody wants to watch.”

This morning Center Parcs told The Mirror: “Like many businesses we have taken the decision to close all our UK villages on Monday 19th September.

“This decision was taken as a mark of respect and to allow as many of our colleagues as possible to be part of this historic moment.

“We have contacted all the guests due to arrive on Monday 19 th September and offered them a number of different options. Our villages will be open to welcome guests on Tuesday 20 th September.

“The vast majority of our guests are either due to arrive or depart on Monday 19 th September. We have however, reviewed our position regarding the very small number of guests who are not due to depart on Monday and we will be allowing them to stay on our villages rather than having to leave and return on Tuesday.

“The villages will still remain closed on Monday and we will be offering a discount for the lack of facilities available on that day.”