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What's The Difference Between Cottage Grades at Center Parcs Europe?

Our thrilling comparison of Comfort Cottages (£) Premium Cottages (££) and VIP Cottages (£££) at Center Parcs Europe

Center Parcs in Europe can be half the price of Center Parcs in the UK.* However, there are some notable differences from the UK resorts - such as the grading system used for accommodation at Center Parcs Europe.

​Here's the quick summary without the waffle:
"Most Center Parcs Europe visitors stay in a Comfort Cottage (£), Premium Cottage (££) or VIP Cottage (£££). They're all decent and have terraces, fireplaces and basic kitchens but posher grades have nicer décor, dishwashers, saunas and whirlpool baths.

Several essentials aren't included with Comfort Cottages (£) such as towels, bedding, tea towels and fast-Wifi so you will probably end up adding these as 'extras'. If it's off-peak, it is better value to upgrade to Premium (££) or VIP (£££) than to pay for the 'extras' separately.

If they're available, upgrade to a 'renewed' or 'new design' Cottage as they are much less worn."
Center Parcs Les Trois Forets New Design Comfort Cottage
A 'New Design Comfort Cottage' (£) at Center Parcs Les Trois Forets in France...
New Style Woodland Lodge at Center Parcs UK
...is the closest thing to a New Style Woodland Lodge (£) at Center Parcs UK (Picture credit: Center Parcs)
Read on for the full guide, complete with exceedingly detailed comparison tables...

What are the main grades of accommodation at Center Parcs Europe?

The majority of properties at Center Parcs Europe are 'Cottages', which are broadly similar to the 'Lodges' that you get at Center Parcs in the UK.

​The three main types of Cottage at Center Parcs Europe are, from cheapest (£) to most expensive (£££):
These ratings are a bit like a Bronze, Silver, Gold rating that lots of UK holiday parks use. It tells you which facilities and luxuries you will get with each property but not how old they are. Keep an eye out for 'renewed' or 'new design' cottages, as these have been refurbished recently (personally, I prioritise new properties over facilities).

Besides Cottages, there are also 17 other types of accommodation (yes, really!), such as boathouses/floating houses (£££) and treehouses (££££). These aren't usually graded in the same way but they tend to be more expensive than Cottages. 

These unusual properties aren't available at every resort so we will mostly focus on Cottages.
Comfort Cottage at Les Bois Aux Daims
Comfort Cottages (£) are the cheapest grade at Center Parcs Europe...
Premium Cottage at Les Bois Aux Daims
...whilst Premium Cottages (££) are the mid-range grade at European resorts...
VIP Cottage at Les Bois Aux Daims
...and VIP Cottages (£££) are the top grade at most resorts (these pictures are from Les Boix Aux Daims in France)

What's the difference between a Comfort Cottage (£), Premium Cottage (££) and VIP Cottage (£££) at Center Parcs Europe?

Alright, alright, let's get to the meat of this Center Parcs Europe sandwich. Here's the summary:
​
  • Comfort Cottages (£) at Center Parcs Europe are the most basic. You get kitchen facilities, a basic coffee machine, a TV, a fireplace, free but basic Wi-Fi and a standard shower. You don't get bedding, towels, toiletries, tea towels or cleaning cloths. On arrival, you'll be making the bed yourself unless you pay extra.

  • Upgrading from a Comfort Cottage (£) to a Premium Cottage (££) gets your bedding included and your beds made up. You also get tea towels and cloths for washing up, a hairdryer, an extra TV and a better coffee machine. You get a CD player but that doesn't really excite me as it's not 1998. It's also necessary to upgrade to a Premium Cottage (££) if you are travelling with a big group including aunts and uncles, cousins and other hangers-on. The biggest Comfort Cottage (£) sleeps 10 people whilst the biggest Premium Cottage (££) sleeps 20 people.
 
  • Upgrading to a VIP Cottage (£££) gets you those upgrades plus several other appealing improvements. You get a dishwasher (very important!), faster Wifi (also very important!), towels, a sauna, a whirlpool both, a fancier shower, toiletries and a DVD player or Bluetooth speaker.

It's worth noting that you can bolt-on some things to a Comfort Cottage (£) booking, such as towels and a bread delivery. Don't spend an extra £1000 on an upgrade if the only thing you really want is a towel...
Sauna in VIP Cottage at Center Parcs Les Trois Forets
VIP Cottages (£££) come with saunas. This one is Les Trois Forets in France.

How about a comparison table showing the three main accommodation grades at Center Parcs Europe?

Now that's an excellent suggestion.

Here's a big comparison table, showing what you get when you upgrade from a Comfort Cottage (£) to a Premium Cottage (££) or VIP Cottage (£££).​
Grade/
​Facility
Comfort
Cottage
​(£)
Premium
Cottage
​(££)
VIP 
Cottage
​(£££)
Group Size
2-10
2-20
2-12
TV
1
2
2
Kitchen pack
(tea towels etc)
No
​(£7 upgrade)
Yes
Yes
Towels
No
(optional
​upgrade,
​approx £10pp)
No
(optional
upgrade)
Yes
Wifi
"Basic Wifi"
"Basic Wifi"
"Streaming
Wifi"
Bedding
No
(optional
​upgrade,
approx £10pp)
Yes,
​beds made
Yes,
​beds made
Bread delivery
No
(optional
​upgrade)
No
(optional 
​upgrade)
Yes
Private
​terrace
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cleaning
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hairdryer
No
Yes
Yes
Coffee
​Machine
Basic
Nescafe 
Dolce 
Gusto 
​Machine
Nescafe
Dolce
Gusto
​Machine
Dishwasher
No
No,
​not usually
Yes
DVD/
​Sound System
No
Radio.
​CD Player
DVD or
Bluetooth
​Speakers
Sauna
No
No
Yes
Whirlpool
​bath
No
No
Yes
Toiletries
No
No
Yes
BBQ
No
No
No
Fireplace
Yes
Yes
Yes
Shower
Standard
Standard
"Rain Shower"
Oven
No
(see notes below**)
No
​(see notes below)
No
(see notes below)
Hobs
Yes
Yes
Yes
Microwave grill/
​microwave oven
Yes
Yes
Yes

How much does it cost to upgrade from a Comfort Cottage (£) to a Premium Cottage (££) or VIP Cottage (£££) at Center Parcs Europe?

It depends! 

As you will have guessed, the cost of upgrading at Center Parcs Europe depends on when you visit, how long you stay for and which resort you choose. 

However, to give a general idea, we will look at one of the best Center Parcs in Europe - Les Bois Aux Daims in France (see our guide to the best Center Parcs in France to see why we think it's one of the best). We searched for the price of a family of four staying for a week.
  • For an off peak week in mid March 2024 it was £717 in a Comfort Cottage (£) or £785 for a Premium Cottage (££) or £879 for a VIP Cottage (£££). So, leaping from Comfort (£) to VIP (£££) cost just £162. That's about £6 a day, which I consider to be well worth it - considering that you are getting a whirlpool bath, towels provided, beds made, a dishwasher, better Wifi and a daily delivery of bread.
  • For an on-peak week in early August 2024, the Comfort Cottage (£) was £1702 whilst a Premium Cottage (££) was £1880 and a VIP Cottage (£££) was £2099. So, upgrading from Comfort (£) to VIP (£££) was £397, which is more than double the cost in March.​
Waterslide at Center Parcs Les Bois Aux Daims
We looked at the price of upgrading at Les Bois Aux Daims
There are other factors to consider.
  • You might prefer to upgrade to get an extra bedroom. My children don't sleep very well if they share a bedroom, so I would probably cough up for an extra room even if it meant I couldn't afford a whirlpool bath! For the August 2024 dates mentioned above, a Comfort Cottage (£) with an extra bedroom cost £1846, which is about the same as upgrading to a Premium Cottage (££) with two bedrooms.
  • The cost of adding extras to your booking stays the same throughout the year (as far as I can tell) whilst the cost of upgrading to a different cottage varies. Once you add together the extras, you may conclude that it's worth paying to upgrade. For example, we were quoted £41 to add bedding to a week's holiday at Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands for a family of four. Adding a washing up pack added another £7 whilst having the beds made and towels provided added another £57. So, adding on those extras added £105 to our holiday. Upgrading to a VIP Cottage was only £162 in March or £397 in August. ​

What does 'Renewed' and 'New Design' mean at Center Parcs Europe?

You will also see the word 'Renewed', 'New Design' or 'Nouveau Design' being used. These properties have been recently refurbished or upgraded, so cost a bit more than the equivalent grade of an older property.

Center Parcs Europe have updated properties at several resorts in recent years including De Eemhof, De Huttenheugte, De Kempervennen in the Netherlands, Vossemeren in Belgium and Park Eifel and Bispinger Heide in Germany.

The newest Center Parcs resorts in Europe include Les Landes de Gascogne in France and Center Parcs Terhills Resort in Belgium.​
Older design Comfort Cottage at a Center Parcs resort in France
This is a typical older design Comfort Cottage at a Center Parcs resort in France
New design of Center Parcs Comfort Cottage in France
...whilst this is a new design of Center Parcs Comfort Cottage in France

How do Center Parcs Europe cottages compare to Center Parcs UK lodges? 

It's a bit tricky to compare Center Parcs UK accommodation with Center Parcs Europe accommodation. They operate as separate companies, so there isn't consistency between the two.

There is an obvious comparison to make in that they both have three main grades. 
  • Center Parcs Europe has Comfort Cottages (£), Premium Cottages (££) and VIP Cottages (£££)
  • Center Parcs UK has Woodland Lodges (£), Executive Lodges (££) and Exclusive Lodges (£££)

However, we can't really make the leap and say that a Comfort Cottage (£) at Center Parcs Europe is exactly equivalent to a Woodland Lodge (£) at Center Parcs UK. Please don't turn up at a Comfort Cottage (£) at Center Parcs Europe and assume that it will have the same setup and inclusions as a Woodland Lodge (£) at Center Parcs UK.

For example, at Center Parcs in the UK, towels are included as standard with every grade of accommodation. At Center Parcs Europe, towels are an optional extra with the Comfort Cottage (£) grade.

In my opinion, a VIP Cottage (£££) at Center Parcs Europe is more comparable to an Executive Lodge (££) at Center Parcs UK. At Center Parcs in the UK, whirlpool baths are offered with the Executive Lodges (££) whilst at Center Parcs Europe you only get a whirlpool bath with a VIP Cottage (£££). 

See our guide to Center Parcs UK lodge accommodation grades if you want to do your own comparison.

What about the other types of property at Center Parcs Europe?

Besides the Cottages, there are (at least) 17 other types of property at Center Parcs. As mentioned earlier, you won't find every type in every resort. 

Here's our quick summary of the various types of property we've seen at Center Parcs Europe. Our price guides (£) are just a rough indicator of how much they typically cost.

The various types of Cottage at Center Parcs Europe 

Let's start with the three main options, mentioned above:
  • ​Comfort Cottages (£) are the cheapest grade of the standard property. They are available at all Center Parcs in Europe and are fairly similar to the Woodland Lodges in the UK.
  • Premium Cottages (££) are the mid-range grade of the standard property type. They are also available at nearly all Center Parcs in Europe (exceptions include Center Parcs Limburgse Peel, which just has Comfort Cottages and VIP Cottages). 
  • VIP Cottages (£££) are the higher grade of the standard property type. Again, these are available at all Center Parcs in Europe. ​
    ​
There are a few minor variations on the Cottages, which you will see at a few Center Parcs in Europe. 

  • Eden Cottages come in Premium (££) and VIP (£££) grades. You can find them at Center Parcs Het Heijderbos and Center Parcs De Kempervennen in the Netherlands and Center Parcs Bispinger Heide in Germany. The only difference I can see with standard cottages is that they have big doors that open out to the garden!
  • Pagode Cottages (££) are very similar to standard cottages, but the buildings have a slight Japanese theme. They are available at Les Bois-Francs in France. I have no idea why!
  • Wood Cottages (£££) can be found at Les Hauts Des Bruyeres. They make a bit more of the woodland location and have lots of wood and natural materials in their design.
  • Lakeside Cottages are available at some locations in Premium (££), VIP (£££) and Exclusive (££££) grades. Locations include Le Lac d'Ailette in France and Center Parcs Terhills Resort and Center Parcs Park de Haan in Belgium. You get a terrific view but they aren't much good if you have young children and want to relax for more than three seconds!
Lakeside cottage at Le Lac d'Ailette
Lakeside Cottages have excellent views (this one is at Le Lac d'Ailette)

​Wheelchair accessible, baby friendly, dog friendly and child friendly accommodation at Center Parcs Europe

Some Center Parcs in Europe have Cottages that are designed to make life easier for guests with specific needs:
Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland wheelchair friendly cottage
Center Parcs including Hochsauerland have wheelchair friendly/disabled cottages for people with mobility issues
  • ​Baby Cottages (££) are slightly better equipped for young children, with things like a changing table. Honestly though, Center Parcs is generally child friendly so this isn't a dealbreaker. They are available at one Center Parcs Europe - Center Parcs Het Meerdal (££).
Baby Cottage at Center Parcs Het Meerdal
Dutch resort Het Meerdal has cottages with extras for babies
Kids Cottage at Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland
Playgrounds come with the Kids Cottages at Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland
  • Dog Cottages (££) come with things like a cage/kennel for your dog. They are only at one Center Parcs Resort - Center Parcs Het Meerdal. You can bring dogs to other Center Parcs resorts in Europe, but these are just particularly good for dogs.
Dog cottage at Center Parcs Het Meerdal
Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands has Dog Cottages

Posher cottages, treehouses and boathouses at Center Parcs Europe

​There are also a few grades of accommodation that I consider an upgrade from the standard Cottages at Center Parcs Europe:

Exclusive Cottage at Center Parcs Terhills
Exclusive Cottages (££££) are one step up from VIP Cottages
  • ​Wellness Cottages (£££££) are perhaps the most luxurious properties you can get at Center Parcs in Europe. You get a hot tub, whereas most higher grade Center Parcs in Europe just give you a whirlpool bath. There's also a sauna and each bedroom has a bathroom. They can only be found at three Center Parcs in Europe, including Center Parcs De Kempervennen or Center Parcs De Eemhof in the Netherlands and Center Parcs Park Allgau in Germany.​
Wellness Cottage at Center Parcs Park Allgau in Germany
Wellness Cottages (£££££) have hot tubs and offer some of the very best Center Parcs Europe accommodation
Boathouse at Center Parcs De Kempervennen
Boathouses are at resorts including Center Parcs De Kempervennen
Center Parcs Bispinger Heide treehouse
Some Center Parcs in Europe have treehouses

Quirky, unusual and themed accommodation at Center Parcs Europe

There are various cutesy designed​ accommodations, which are only at a few Center Parcs including:
Animals of the Forest Cottage at Center Parcs Erperheide
Animals of the Forest Cottages have a nature theme
  • Farm Houses (££££) are available at just one Center Parcs Europe (Les Landes de Gascogne). There's a vegetable patch but it's really just a large lodge with more of a rustic vibe.
  • Chilla Houses (£££) have a slightly irritating name but don't let that put you off. They are beach themed and are only available at one Center Parcs resort (Center Parcs Park Zandvoort ).​
  • Pony Cottages (£££) are only available at two Center Parcs resorts - Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands and Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium. You live next door to a riding arena and look after a horse! This will either be very appealing to you...or will be something to avoid. I would rather avoid the moment where my daughters have to say goodbye.
  • Lodge Tents are safari tents, which are available at one Center Parcs resort - Center Parcs Port Zelande in the Netherlands. These are ideal if you like a cool breeze up your trouser leg.

Hotels and apartments at Center Parcs Europe

Some Center Parcs in Europe have blocks of accommodation as well as individual cottages, so you can book hotels and apartments. Options include:
  • Apartments come in various grades at five of the Center Parcs in Europe. The grading system is the same as the grades for Cottages, so you can book Comfort Apartments (£), Premium Apartments (££), VIP Apartments (£££) and Water Front VIP Apartments (££££). You can find apartments at resorts including Les Villages Nature Paris near Disneyland Paris, Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste in Germany and Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium.​​
Center Parcs Les Villages Nature Paris apartment
Les Villages Nature Paris near Disneyland Paris mostly has apartments instead of cottages

**What cooking facilities do you get with Comfort (£), Premium (££) and VIP (££) at Center Parcs Europe?

You may be surprised to hear that you don't get a proper, full-sized oven at Center Parcs Europe. However, self catering is perfectly possible with a bit of British can-do spirit. There are also various options for eating out or having takeaways.

Some Cottages have a 'microwave grill', others have a 'microwave oven with crisp function'. They vary in size and design depending on which resort you stay in, but they tend to be about the size of a top oven. I wouldn't attempt a Christmas dinner but they are fine for simple meals.

It's not really the case that you get better cooking facilities by upgrading from a Comfort Cottage(£), to a Premium Cottage (££) or VIP Cottage (£££). 

At Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands we found that in the Comfort Cottage New Design (£) and the VIP Cottage New Design (£££), they had a modestly-sized 'Microwave Oven' which looked capable of cooking a decent meal. If you're really interested, it was a Whirlpool AMW 9615/IX.

Besides the oven, you get standard sized hobs. Some are gas, some are electric. 

At three Center Parcs you can upgrade to an Exclusive Cottage (££££), which also come with a barbecue. These are Park Allgau in Germany, Les Trois Forêts in France and Terhills Resort in Belgium.
Kitchen at Center Parcs Het Meerdal
This Premium (££) Cottage at Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands has a Whirlpool 'microwave oven' and gas hobs

Conclusion: Which upgrades are worth paying for at Center Parcs Europe?

Now that's the big question! Some factors to consider:
  • If you plan to mostly self cater then the addition of a dishwasher may make your holiday a bit more of a holiday and less of a slog. Dishwashers don't usually come with Comfort Cottages (£) or Premium Cottages (££) but they do come with VIP Cottages (£££). I've seen a few Premium Cottages (££) with dishwashers, but there aren't many.

  • If you are driving and have plenty of space in the car then you can save yourself some money by bringing your own duvets and towels. Duvets and towels aren't provided as standard with Comfort Cottages (£). Premium Cottages (££) come with duvets but not with towels. You can pay extra to add these separately, but that will gobble up a lot of your saving. If you plan to fly then you will need to either go for a VIP Cottage (£££) or pay extra for towels and bedding. 

  • My children consider fast Wifi to be more important than heating and eating. You only get this as standard with a VIP Cottage (£££) or some of the more unusual types of property. You can upgrade the Wifi speed in cheaper cottages, but it's another expense that will gobble away at the money you've saved by going for the cheaper grade of cottage.

  • The time of year you visit Center Parcs Europe is a big factor. As we saw above, the cost of upgrading is much smaller off peak than it is on peak. At off peak times, upgrading seems like a no-brainer as it works out as only a few pounds a day per person.
    ​
  • I would also prioritise upgrading from an older cottage to one that is 'renewed' or 'new design'. I prefer a newly refurbished property and consider it more of an upgrade than a fancy shower or an extra TV.

  • I reckon there is a big variation in how excited people get about saunas, whirlpool baths and rain showers that come with the VIP Cottages. A whirlpool bath is nowhere near as appealing as a hot tub in my opinion, and I would probably only use a sauna if I was visiting in winter. If you are hoping for a hot tub at a Center Parcs resort in Europe then you will need to look at the Wellness Cottages (£££££) at Center Parcs Park Allgau in Germany or Center Parcs De Kempervennen/Center Parcs De Eemhof in the Netherlands.

​*Is Center Parcs Europe really half the price of Center Parcs UK?

This claim (made at the start of this guide) is based on price comparisons we did for holidays in August 2024. Prices started at £2128 for a family holiday at Center Parcs in the UK. Meanwhile, on the CenterParcs.fr site we found a week at Center Parcs Les Ardennes in Belgium from £1072, which is almost exactly half price. Of course, you need to add on travel costs (the Eurotunnel starts from about £300 return in August). We also suggest looking at our comparison of Center Parcs Europe.
​
​Some resorts are on a par with UK resorts based on reviews, but other are lagging behind. Make sure you book through CenterParcs.fr. For some reason it is usually more expensive to book through CenterParcs.eu. Finally, we should point out that exchange rates mean that the price of Center Parcs in Europe vary throughout the year. We searched in November 2023 and didn't include tourist levies (these vary from place to place, so it's very complicated to include them!).

Other guides from the Holiday Park Guru

Holiday-Park-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer: All the information on this page is accurate, as far as we know. However, facilities at holiday parks change so please check with the park before booking.