Forest Holidays Reviews 

Just returned from a wonderful week at Blackwood Forest Holiday staying in Silverbirch cabin 40. We booked last minute and for midweek so got a good deal. The cabin was lovely (although I could see the cleaning was a little rushed e.g. the coffee table wasn’t wiped over completely but nothing really bad and a few hairs on the shower floor from the previous occupants). The rooms and outside all looked well maintained and we thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub both in the morning and evening after. Long walk through the Hampshire countryside. The setting was beautiful and all only an hour from London direct from Waterloo station. The staff were all very friendly and incredibly helpful. We misunderstood the website and thought our cabin came with a Nespresso machine (it didn’t) but the staff brought round some ground coffee for a press free of charge. There was also a problem with their booking system so our free shuttle bus transfer booking didn’t register correctly. However, fortunately the staff sorted that all out for us as a taxi costs £35 one way to the station for a 10 min journey since they have to come from Winchester). The one small gripe I might have is setting up the TV and getting my WiFi single sorted but that could well be my own illiteracy when it comes to to a new TV remote.

While the location itself is lovely, I’m afraid the overall experience did not reflect the £1,882 price paid. The accommodation felt closer to budget level than premium, which makes the cost difficult to justify.

There were also several specific issues:

Our evening meal on the first night was delivered cold and approximately an hour late.

Breakfast quality was below expectations for this price point. £13 for 1 sausage, 1 bacon, 1 egg , 4 slices of mushroom and a small pot of baked beans.

We paid nearly £50 for a guided woodland walk that, in reality, did not offer meaningful added value over what we could have done independently.

I also booked a checkpoint game for £25, but this was never outlined or facilitated by staff, so it did not take place.

On one evening we were asked to vacate our table due to a pre-booking for the quiz, despite there being no indication that the table was reserved when we sat down and ordered drinks.

Most staff were friendly and polite, which we appreciated, but overall the experience did not align with the premium pricing.

At the very least, I would have appreciated a refund of the £25 for the checkpoint game that was never delivered but customer service are non existent. Complete radio silence.

We stayed in a Golden Lodge at Deerpark Cornwall from the 9th February for 4 nights.
On arrival we noted water seeping up through the floorboards in the kitchen area. We reported this and the maintainance person stated it was over vigorous cleaning. We also reported that the hot tub wasn’t warm enough. Again it was reset but was still too cool.

After two days we reported the same issues again the same response was given but the seeping water continued. The hot tub temp was raised again but with no noticeable difference and was still too cool.

These two issues spoilt our holiday and were not resolved by staff nor were we offered alternative accommodation.

On return home I submitted a complaint via their complaint section on the website. I have waited 14 days and heard nothing…

Disappointed customer.

We often stay in lodges and choose local to where we live due to having a pet dog. We were very happy with the surroundings driving in. However we were met by staff that were rude looked too busy and brushed us off. We went to the log cabin that was un clean, dirty glasses, dirty plates, dirty floors and sofa , I always like cooking, home or away, I wouldn’t have cooked in this kitchen.. we looked around for items to clean ourselves, we had a dustpan no brush a mop no head. However we made the best of it. We went for food the first night at the cafe and it was ok, not great but ok.. we were sternly told by staff to put our friendly dog on a lead walking around the forest, I asked even for a wee outside the lodge and he said always.. the beds were uncomfortable.. we chose to make the most of what we had paid for off the site and just come back to the lodge to sleep. The last night I thought, we hadn’t used the hot tub as no mats or extra towels to dry ourselves, let’s make the most of it, go get a cocktail each, to be greeted with a lovely menu and 3 bottles of shake it when you want to drink it and 3 cups of ice.. I woke up cleaned to a standard that was better than I walked in, stripping the bedding, placing towels all together, sweeping a floor, washing the sides down, sofa down, cleaning all the plates and cutlery as it was filthy.I think it will be in better standards for the next family.. the added extras that we always do such as archery, axe throwing was limited to one day. Very disappointing to leave a bad review. We won’t be staying again.

We've visited various FH sites since 2013, and despite escalating prices, have enjoyed 7 or 8 visits. This year we chose their Keldy site and we were looking forward to the usual level of luxury, cleanliness and great facilities. We were very disappointed to find an extremely dirty cabin (including splattered toilet, hand prints and unidentified spillages up walls, dust and cobwebs everywhere, overflowing ashtray) and an overwhelming and unpleasant solvent smell. We reported this on arrival and the member of staff on reception came to clean the toilet, but could give no explanation or solution to the solvent smell.
On night 2 of our 3 night stay, the hot tub would not switch on, there were no lights or jets. I reported this through the QR code on the TV menu at 6:11pm. My husband went to the retreat at 8pm to look for staff and there wasn’t anyone available. We were unable to use the hot tub, one of the main facilities that we’d paid for. Maintenance staff did come to fix the hot tub on Sunday morning, although we only know this because we saw them, there was no apology or follow up at all.
I had pre paid an additional £40 for a late checkout (2 extra hours) so that we could use the hot tub before we left. I confirmed that this had been noted when we checked in, but on the Monday morning staff knocked on our door 3 times and said they didn't know we had late checkout. Then the WiFi to the cabin was turned off at 10am, the original checkout time. We felt rushed and like we'd overstayed our welcome.
Having spent over £1000 on the initial booking and add on purchases, we were expecting a much better experience and returned feeling very disappointed.
To add insult to injury, I have emailed all of this to the only email address FH offers and have received no response at all, despite 2 follow up emails. I also tried to call and after 30 minutes of waiting for someone to answer, had to give up.
It's been a winter tradition to visit FH for a treat weekend, but we'll be finding somewhere new and I'd encourage others to consider the same - if you're lucky you'll have a lovely weekend at an FH site but if you're unlucky and something goes wrong, it appears they really don't care.

The level of disdain being shown by Forest Holidays towards existing customers is staggering.

I’ve previously stayed at several of their locations and had genuinely great experiences. But right now, the business appears completely consumed by an internal IT system update — to the point where basic customer service has collapsed.

Valid voucher codes can’t be processed. Payments can’t be taken properly. And instead of resolution, customers are left sitting on hold for extended periods, only to reach someone who offers little more than a shrug.

This was my third call.

Same issue. Same lack of ownership. Same “not our problem” attitude.

System upgrades are understandable. Operational disruption can happen. What isn’t acceptable is pushing that disruption directly onto paying customers with no accountability or meaningful support.

If you’re going to modernise your systems, at least protect the customer experience while you do it.

Right now, it feels like customers are the inconvenience.

We stayed at Cabin 13 from 16/02/2026 – 20/02/2026. Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing.

Most of the advertised activities, including guided night walks, archery, shooting, and the zip line were unavailable for the entire week. We had specifically booked this week to enjoy these activities during school holidays, and paying a premium of £1,060 felt unjustified given the lack of access.

Axe throwing was initially unavailable for children under 16, contrary to the website, though we were eventually allowed to participate after turning up. The hot tub was cold on the first night, and WiFi was intermittent throughout our stay.

While the cabin itself was comfortable, the lack of advertised activities and miscommunication significantly impacted our holiday. We hope Forest Holidays addresses these issues so future guests are not similarly affected.

My recent booking was cancelled without my knowledge and I’m yet to receive a refund of £361 already paid so far after multiple chasers. I used Forest Holidays the last two years so I was shocked to receive such a shocking experience with them. It appears my latest payment bounced (I didn’t realise) so they instantly put our lodge back up for booking. I continue to chase for my money back. My booking was in May so they could have easily resolved this by emailing me or calling. Disgusting they still have my money and I’m having to chase to get it back. Don’t book with them.

I am giving one star, and I have not even visited the lodge yet. I have been trying for a whole week to get in touch with customer services to amend/cancel my stay. They do not answer the phone. I have called them every day. All my emails have been ignored. I have never known such terrible service. Avoid them like the plague

Absolutely terrible to get hold of via a phone!
If you need to cancel your going to have a big problem.

Overpriced.

We have been visiting forest holidays for 11 years every February and love it, great locations and site are always kept well. Over the year they have been redecorated and kept up to scratch.
For our visit Feb 2026 it cost £787 for a lochside in Argyll and just went to rebook but Feb 2027 is £1265. We expect an increase each year however 60% increase for the same cabinet Feb weeks was an absolute joke.
There were several empty cabins this year and suspect this will only increase with the 60% hike!

Poor show

Booked a cabin with these at Scotland was good decided to book another one but due to unfortunate circumstances and ill health we are unable to attend with plenty of notice they have to just said there is nothing they can do no compassion just happy to take your money not a good experience over all will not be using again at all and would recommend anyone who is family orientated not to use either

I'm just sorry I had to leave a one star review, I wanted to leave zero stars. As repeat customers we had a trip booked for this weekend Feb 13th. Our son is now in a mental health crisis & we're on suicide watch. I emailed Forest Holidays on Feb 4th asking not for a refund, but to be allowed to change the booking to a later date. They have categorically refused, citing their 'terms & conditions'. I am devestated as we already have a difficult time & have now lost £1,000. Citing the terms which I'm aware of, I was just hoping for some compassion or a gesture of goodwill. I want nothing to do with any company that refuses to have a human touch.

Holiday Cancelled with 1 days’ notice
I’m extremely disappointed with Forest Holidays and want to warn others before booking. We booked our break six weeks in advance, only to have it cancelled with ONE day’s notice due to a booking system error they failed to spot earlier.
This was supposed to be a birthday trip, and the late cancellation meant we had no chance to make alternative plans. It completely ruined the occasion.
The response since then has been just as poor. The only thing offered was a minimal discount on a future booking, which felt like a token gesture and not remotely reflective of the upset and inconvenience caused. Adding to the frustration, I am still waiting for a refund for a prepaid activity, leaving me out of pocket.
This was our first time booking with Forest Holidays, and sadly it will be the last. Unreliable systems, last‑minute cancellations, disappointing compensation and unresolved refunds — an all‑round awful experience.

I had to cancel my booking due to a family death,a health condition, and having to cover excessive funeral. FH were happy to refund what I had paid less the deposit amount and said it would be better to take out insurance, that way I dont lose over £300. As a customer for 3 years only, I won't be going back especially with price bump for school holidays.

Recently stayed in a log cabin in Delamere Forest for a birthday weekend. The cabin was lovely & tranquil, the log burner was very warm & cozy, and the hot tub was very relaxing & great fun.

Sherwood Forest – Unfortunately a first and last visit
We were hoping for a relaxing break, but there were far too many negatives.

Pros
• Lovely woodland setting and peaceful scenery.

Cons
• The booking advertises Wi‑Fi, but once you go to pay it warns the Wi‑Fi is poor unless you upgrade for £42 – which feels unreasonable.
• Everything comes with an extra charge. We bought the log‑fire starter pack (£10) and asked for a few extra sticks to get it going, but were told that would be another £4.50. Even a simple walking‑trail map was £10.
• The underfloor heating is the only heating (there was the log fire), and it takes 24 hours to cool down. We spent the first night too hot (we all had to sleep on top of the blankets - not a good nights sleep for anyone), the next night freezing because we were scared to turn it back on. This is actually why we had to buy the log‑fire pack.
• Plates, cutlery and towels were dirty on arrival. We took photos in case we were blamed.
• The hot tub felt like it was on its last legs.
• There’s a warning that if you don’t leave the cabin spotless you’ll be charged £250 for cleaning, so we filmed everything before leaving to protect ourselves.

Overall, it wasn’t the relaxing weekend we needed. It was an impulse booking, and we really wish we’d read the Trustpilot reviews beforehand.

Keldy site is great, just returned from another week visit ( stayed here many times) and already booked ahead for summer and January 2027. Anything not right quickly dealt with ( frying pan needed replacing) by friendly and efficient staff.
We also used our “ flexible amendment “ cover to change the dates of our July break , this was simple to do. Anyone who doesn’t take this out ( only available at time of booking) and adhere to the terms can’t then complain ( and presumably they don’t bother with travel insurance either) if their circumstances mean that they lose monies already paid. “ Sympathy “ and “compassion“ doesn’t come into it - companies have to treat everyone the same! Either you have cover or you don’t - that’s what insurance means.

Never again been going in january for 3 years now year 1 and 2 fantastic this year disgusting unclean cabin no spare bedding staff and company rude and dont want to know about problems ykur a disgrace forest holidays thetford

I have stayed with forest holidays coleford about 12 times since it was built. Once in near Looe. Brilliant lodges and stayed when first built. Last stayed in october 2025 6 berth pet friendly silver birch woodland. The lodge a bit dated but clean and welcoming. Clear instructions. Underfloor heating loved by the dogs 😄. Only downside in oct was the hottub was cold as had a fault and wasnt heating up inntime for the evening after being backfilled in the morning of arrival.
FH were amazing and apologised for the not being able to use it that evening (had 3 visits the friday evening). It needed time to heat up. It was up and running the next morning early. HQ ended up with arranging a decent reduction on our upcoming Feb 2026 visit. Cannot wait! Put it this way, i will be calling coleford to check hot tub is working in the morning. We will be back