Haven Holidays 2022 – 5 Big Changes You Need To Know About!

10/3/2022

Haven has added more activities at some parks for 2022

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If you’ve been to a Haven holiday park before, you’ll have a fair idea of what to expect. You’ll get a good location near to beach, activities for the children and a swimming pool and other facilities to fill some time. There are also restaurants so you don't need to cook all week.

However, there have been some changes at Haven over the last few months which will affect 2022 holidays:

1. Haven Stay is now called Haven Hideaway

Back in 2021 you were asked to choose between Haven Stay or Haven Stay + Play. A Haven Stay holiday meant you got accommodation and access to the restaurants. However, you couldn’t use the swimming pool, watch the entertainment or sign up for the paid-for activities (minigolf, climbing walls etc).

Haven Stay + Play meant you could do anything you wanted, although you still paid for some activities.

For 2022, Haven Stay has been renamed as Haven Hideaway. Meanwhile, Haven Stay + Play is now just called a ‘Haven holiday’.

The big question is whether it is worth upgrading from a Haven Hideaway to a Haven holiday. We've written a whole blog post on this, but the summary is that:

the difference in price between Haven Hideaway and a Haven holiday is much bigger in school holidays that outside of school holidays. A family of four staying at Hafan y Mor would pay an extra £80 in October 2022 or £320 in August 2022.
if you're visiting off-peak then I would go for a full-fat Haven holiday, even if you are only a light user of the facilities. You might only pay £20 per person for a whole week, which won't go far off site.
if you're visiting on-peak then I would look at what is available locally. Would you rather have a few days out at nearby theme parks and just swim at the local beach? Also
ask your children what they are really looking forward to. If they've been preparing for the high ropes course for the whole year then you might have a problem when they find out they can't use it...

If you want to use the swimming pool - such as this one at Greenacres - then you need to book a Haven holiday rather than Haven Hideaway

2. You no longer need to book swimming (although you probably should...)

In 2021, you had to book a swimming session in advance at Haven holiday parks. Some people loved this as it spread out the visitor numbers and reduced queues. Other people were less keen and wanted to be more flexible.

In 2022, it isn't essential to book but most people should do anyway.

The new setup is that you can:

Swim after 6pm in indoor pools without booking
Swim in outside pools at any time without booking
Book a 60 minute slot for indoor swimming sessions before 6pm

So, if you want to swim indoors with younger children then you will want to book. My children would not cope well with an evening swimming session!

You can book 28 days before your holiday arrival date - stick it in the diary and get in early! The link for booking is the Haven Experiences page.

3. The caravan grading system has changed

For the 2021 season you were asked to choose a Haven caravan in the following categories:

Standard (cheapest)
Deluxe
Prestige
Platinum
Platinum Plus (most expensive)

For 2022 holidays at Haven, the caravans are graded as:

Saver (cheapest)
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Signature (most expensive)

Personally, I find the new system easier to understand. You wouldn't automatically know that 'deluxe' isn't as good as 'prestige' whereas 'bronze' and 'silver' is more straightforward.

It's not as simple as saying that Standard has become Saver or that Prestige has become Silver.

We've written a blog post comparing the different grades and explaining what you get for your money.

The difference in price between grades can be huge - a saver caravan for four people at Perran Sands is £1769 for a week in August 2022 (at the time of writing). A top-grade Signature Caravan is £4059 - that's £2290 more expensive. Gulp!

However, a brief summary is that:

Saver Haven caravans are narrow and they don't have central heating or double glazing. You don't get towels or a dishwasher and you only get a fridge.
Bronze Haven caravans are a bit wider and they have central heating and double glazing. However, you still don't get towels or a dishwasher. A big advantage for some people is that you get a fold out bed in the lounge, so you can cram in another two people and make it a cheaper holiday.
Silver Haven caravans are the same width as bronze caravans but you get towels provided and an extra TV in a bedroom. You get a fridge/freezer and a bit of outdoor space, which is a big plus in summer. However, you don't get a pull out bed in the lounge so the cost per person is higher.
Gold Haven caravans are the widest caravans, which might reduce sibling tension. The other notable upgrades from silver are that you get a full size fridge freezer and a dishwasher.
Signature Haven caravans aren't actually as wide as Gold caravans but you get a sea view or lake view. You also get the other upgrades, including a dishwasher, outside space and full size fridge/freezer.

4. Three Haven parks are getting big upgrades

Each year, Haven spends a good chunk of money on big upgrades to some of its parks. For 2022 that includes:

Thorpe Park in Lincolnshire is getting an Adventure Village in Summer 2022. When it's finished it will be the biggest Haven Adventure Village in the country. There'll be an Aerial Adventure for older children and a mini Aerial Adventure for younger ones, as well as improved minigolf and karts.
Kiln Park in South Wales is getting a new Marina Bar and Stage in Spring 2022. It'll be used for shows as well as live sports on big screens.
Allhallows in Kent is getting an Aerial Adventure, 'Jump' and Bungee Trampolines in Summer 2022 as part of an Adventure Village. That's good news if you live in London, as Allhallows is the most convenient Haven resort to visit. It's also getting a Bark Yard which is an area designed for dogs. In Autumn 2022, Allhallows is getting a Marina Bar and Stage and a Papa Johns - but that won't affect a lot of visitors until 2023.

Haven Allhallows has an indoor swimming pool and other things to do but it will soon have a lot more for a family holiday

5. You don't need to book for live entertainment any more

Haven previously asked you to book for live shows in the evening. That's now been scrapped for 2022, so you can just turn up.

Meanwhile, if you want to dine at a restaurant then you only need to book if you want an inside table. Outside tables aren't reserved. For indoor seating, you can book from home up to 28 days in advance. Alternatively, you can book when you arrive.

Here's the link for booking a restaurant.

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