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Which Is Better – Parkdean Resorts or Haven? 2025 Guide
Haven and Parkdean are probably the biggest names in the UK caravan park market. Between them they've got more than 100 holiday parks, mostly in glorious coastal locations.
Which is best? Our summary is that:
All details are correct at the time of writing, but things do change all the time. Here's our summary grid before we move onto more details:
Which is best? Our summary is that:
- Haven tends to get better reviews overall than Parkdean Resorts but Haven is slightly more expensive than Parkdean Resorts.
- Parkdean and Haven both have some small sites with just a few caravans as well as some huge resorts with lots of activities.
- The biggest onsite waterparks are at Haven's holiday parks, but Parkdean Resorts has some great swimming pools too.
- Parkdean has a lot more lodges and hot tubs than Haven and has a lot more locations around the UK
- About 20 Parkdean Resorts have direct beach access whilst about 10 Haven holiday parks have direct beach access.
- Haven and Parkdean have caravan parks in most of the popular holiday counties (Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Yorkshire etc). However, if you want a holiday on the Isle of Wight then you'll have to pick Parkdean. If you want a Somerset holiday then you'll have to choose Haven.
All details are correct at the time of writing, but things do change all the time. Here's our summary grid before we move onto more details:
Things to consider |
Parkdean Resorts |
Haven |
Type of accommodation |
Mostly caravans, lodges at 57 parks, glamping at 9 parks, camping and touring at 24 sites |
Mostly caravans, lodges at 11 parks, glamping at 3 parks, touring at 18 parks, camping at 8 parks |
Choice of locations |
66 in 15 English counties, plus Scotland and Wales |
38 in 13 English counties, plus Scotland and Wales |
Evening and kids entertainment |
Entertainment at most resorts |
Entertainment at all resorts |
Dining options |
Nearly all resorts have at least one place to eat but choice varies |
Somewhere to eat onsite at every park |
Reviews |
Slightly lower than Haven. Range from 3/5 to 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor |
Slightly better than Parkdean overall. Range from 3.5/5 to 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor |
Swimming pools |
Varies - some have good size indoor pools, some have outdoor pools, some don't have a swimming pool |
Varies - some large waterparks, some smaller pools |
Number of guests |
About 150 caravans (Church Farm) up to 2000+ caravans (Trecco Bay) |
About 250 - 1600 caravans (Devon Cliffs) |
Hot tubs |
Yes, at 15 resorts |
|
Near beaches? |
19 parks with direct beach access, others require a drive or walk |
10 holiday parks with direct beach access, plus 3 or more which are walking distance |
Facilities and activities |
Huge variation. Some sites have lots of sports, activities and facilities - some have none. |
Big variation. Some former Butlins sites have big adventure villages, some have very little onsite |
Opening months |
Varies by park - some are open 12 months, some are open 8 months |
Mostly closed in winter |
Parking |
Usually next to your caravan |
Usually next to your caravan |
Fishing lakes |
Yes, at 7 holiday parks |
Yes, at 9 holiday parks |
Popular counties where they don't have parks |
Somerset |
Isle of Wight |
Camping and touring |
At 24 locations (about a third of the total) |
|
Glamping |
Yes, at 2 Haven holiday parks |
|
Dog friendly |
Yes, all parks. Plus dog agility courses at 7 parks. |
Yes, except for Riviere Sands (Cornwall) and Burnham on Sea (Somerset). Dog agility courses (Bark Yards) at 5 parks |
Wheelchair accessible |
||
Cost |
Generally a bit cheaper than Haven (see price comparison below) |
Generally a bit more expensive than Parkdean (see our price comparison below) |
Which? Score* |
69% |
Right, let's carry on to the detail! This is one of our longest guides so brace yourself!
Haven v Parkdean Resorts - which gets the best reviews?
Views like this may explain why Haven's Lydstep Beach Holiday Park gets such good reviews
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Parkdean Resorts Limefitt Holiday Park is another winner with customers
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Before I started researching this guide, my general impression was that Haven holiday parks get slightly better reviews than Parkdean Resorts.
However, that was just a hunch based on looking at a lot of holiday parks over the years. In reality, it depends which park you visit.
The highest rated Parkdean Resorts holiday park (Limefitt Holiday Park in the Lake District) scores 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.6/5 on Google Reviews - that's a total of 91%
The highest rated Haven holiday park scores 90% in total (Lydstep Beach Holiday Park in Wales).
Meanwhile, the lowest rated Parkdean Resorts holiday park scores 71% (Parkdean Resorts Sandylands Holiday Park) and the lowest rated Haven holiday parks score 76% (there are four parks tied on the same score).
To really get a better idea, we added together review scores for every single Haven and Parkdean Resorts site and ranked them. It took a long time but here's the list! Haven is in italics.
We've converted the final score into a percentage to make it slightly easier to compare!
However, that was just a hunch based on looking at a lot of holiday parks over the years. In reality, it depends which park you visit.
The highest rated Parkdean Resorts holiday park (Limefitt Holiday Park in the Lake District) scores 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.6/5 on Google Reviews - that's a total of 91%
The highest rated Haven holiday park scores 90% in total (Lydstep Beach Holiday Park in Wales).
Meanwhile, the lowest rated Parkdean Resorts holiday park scores 71% (Parkdean Resorts Sandylands Holiday Park) and the lowest rated Haven holiday parks score 76% (there are four parks tied on the same score).
To really get a better idea, we added together review scores for every single Haven and Parkdean Resorts site and ranked them. It took a long time but here's the list! Haven is in italics.
We've converted the final score into a percentage to make it slightly easier to compare!
- Parkdean Resorts Limefitt Holiday Park, Lake District. 4.5/5 + 4.6/5 = 91%
- Haven Lydstep Beach Holiday Park, South Wales. 4.5/5 + 4.5/5 = 90%
- Parkdean Resorts Crantock Beach Holiday Park, Cornwall. 4.5/5 + 4.5/5 = 90%
- Parkdean Resorts Fallbarrow Holiday Park, Lake District. 4.5/5 + 4.5/5 = 90%
- Haven Wild Duck Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4.5/5 + 4.5/5 = 90%
- Parkdean Resorts Sea Acres Holiday Park, Cornwall. 4.5/5 + 4.4/5 = 89%
- Parkdean Resorts Warmwell Holiday Park, Dorset. 4.5/5 + 4.4/5 = 89%
- Parkdean Resorts Eyemouth Holiday Park, Scotland. 4.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 88%
- Parkdean Resorts Weeley Bridge Holiday Park, Essex. 4.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 86%
- Parkdean Resorts Todber Valley Holiday Park, Lancashire. 4.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 86%
- Haven Thornwick Bay Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 4/5 + 4.5/5 = 85%
- Haven Hopton Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.5/5 = 85%
- Haven Caister-on-sea Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.5/5 = 85%
- Parkdean Resorts Church Point Holiday Park, Northumberland. 4/5 + 4.5/5 = 85%
- Haven Berwick Holiday Park, Northumberland. 4/5 + 4.5/5 = 85%
- Parkdean Resorts Gatebeck Holiday Park, Lake District. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%*
- Haven Quay West Holiday Park, South Wales. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Skegness, Lincolnshire. 4/5 +4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Penally Court Holiday Park, South Wales. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, North Wales. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Greenacres Holiday Park, North Wales. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Seashore Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Devon. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Riviere Sands Holiday Park, Cornwall. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park, Somerset. 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Parkdean Resorts Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park, Scotland. = 84%
- Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Park, Somerset. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Haven Reighton Sands Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Haven Church Farm Holiday Park, Sussex. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Haven Seton Sands Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Cherry Tree Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point Holiday Park, Isle of Wight. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Holywell Bay Holiday Park, Cornwall. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Haven Weymouth Bay Holiday Park, Dorset. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Haven Littlesea Holiday Park, Dorset. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, Devon. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde Holiday Park, Isle of Wight. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts White Cross Bay Holiday Park, Lake District. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Barmston Beach Holiday, Yorkshire. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park, Blackpool, Lancashire. = 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Haven Seaview Holiday Park, Dorset. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Kessingland Beach Holiday Park, Suffolk. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts St Minver Holiday Park, Cornwall. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Heacham Beach Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Tummel Valley Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts California Cliffs Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Whitley Bay Holiday Park, Northumberland. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Ruda Holiday Park, Devon. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Grannie’s Heilan’ Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.2/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Breydon Water Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Southerness Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Southview Holiday Park, Lincolnshire. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Wemyss Bay Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Manor Park Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Ocean Edge Holiday Park, Lancashire. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Landguard Holiday Park, Isle of Wight. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts St Margarets Bay Holiday Park, Kent. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts West Bay Holiday Park, Dorset. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Romney Sands Holiday Park, Kent. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Summerfields Holiday Park, Norfolk. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Sundrum Castle Holiday Park, Scotland. 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Cresswell Towers Holiday Park, Northumberland. 4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Withernsea Sands Holiday Park, Yorkshire.4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Coopers Beach Holiday Park, Essex. 4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Bideford Bay Holiday Park, Devon. 4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Naze Marine Holiday Park, Essex. 4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park, Wales. 4/5 + 4/5 = 80%
- Parkdean Resorts Regent Bay Holiday Park, Lancashire. 4/5 + 3.9/5 = 79%
- Parkdean Resorts Sandy Bay Holiday Park, Northumberland. 4/5 + 3.9/5 = 79%
- Parkdean Resorts Crimdon Dene Holiday Park, County Durham. 4/5 + 3.9/5 = 79%
- Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park, Lincolnshire. 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Haven Perran Sands Holiday Park, Cornwall. 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay Holiday Park, Wales. 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Haven Kiln Park Holiday Park, South Wales. 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Haven Primrose Valley Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Haven Lakeland Holiday Park, Lake District. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
- Haven Presthaven Holiday Park, North Wales. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
- Haven Rockley Park Holiday Park, Dorset. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
- Haven Cleethorpes Beach Holiday Park, Lincolnshire. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77% (previously called Haven Thorpe Park)
- Haven Combe Haven Holiday Park, Sussex. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
- Haven Blue Dolphin Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
- Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park, Kent. 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77% (previously called Haven Allhallows)
- Haven Craig Tara Holiday Park, Scotland. 3.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 76%
- Haven Haggerston Castle Holiday Park, Northumberland. 3.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 76%
- Parkdean Resorts White Acres Holiday Park, Cornwall. 3.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 76%
- Haven The Orchards Holiday Park, Essex. 3.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 76%
- Parkdean Resorts Pendine Sands Holiday Park, Wales. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 76%
- Haven Marton Mere Holiday Park, Blackpool, Lancashire. 3.5/5 + 4.1/5 = 76%
- Parkdean Resorts Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park, Wales. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Newquay Holiday Park, Cornwall. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Looe Bay Holiday Park, Cornwall. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Sandford Holiday Park, Dorset. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Vauxhall Holiday Park, Norfolk. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Skipsea Sands Holiday Park, Yorkshire. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Brynowen Holiday Park, Wales. 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 75%
- Parkdean Resorts Valley Farm Holiday Park, Essex. 3.5/5 + 3.9/5 = 74%
- Parkdean Resorts Thorness Bay Holiday Park, Isle of Wight. 3.5/5 + 3.9/5 = 74%
- Parkdean Resorts Torquay Holiday Park, Devon. 3.5/5 + 3.9/5 = 74%
- Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands Holiday Park, Sussex. 3.5/5 + 3.8/5 = 73%
- Parkdean Resorts Highfield Grange Holiday Park, Essex. 3.5/5 + 3.8/5 = 73%
- Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point Holiday Park, Cornwall. 3.5/5 + 3.8/5 = 73%
- Parkdean Resorts Sunnydale Holiday Park, Lincolnshire. 3.5/5 + 3.7/5 = 72%
- Parkdean Resorts Sandylands Holiday Park, Scotland. 3.5/5 + 3.6/5 = 71%
This cascade of numbers take a little bit of time to get your head around.
Parkdean Resorts make up three of the top five holiday parks, which is a big win for them.
However, of the 25 holiday parks which score 84% or higher, 14 are Haven holiday parks and just 11 are Parkdean Resorts holiday parks. You would expect it to be the other way round, as there are lots more Parkdean Resorts holiday parks than there are Haven holiday parks.
If we look at the lower half of the table, the 15 holiday parks that score 75% or lower are all Parkdean Resorts.
In terms of consistency of review scores, Haven is better. The range between the highest rated and lowest rated parks is less severe (14% for Haven versus 20% for Parkdean).
In other words, Haven holiday parks are more consistent in customer review scores than Parkdean Resorts.
Review scores checked September 2024.
Parkdean Resorts make up three of the top five holiday parks, which is a big win for them.
However, of the 25 holiday parks which score 84% or higher, 14 are Haven holiday parks and just 11 are Parkdean Resorts holiday parks. You would expect it to be the other way round, as there are lots more Parkdean Resorts holiday parks than there are Haven holiday parks.
If we look at the lower half of the table, the 15 holiday parks that score 75% or lower are all Parkdean Resorts.
In terms of consistency of review scores, Haven is better. The range between the highest rated and lowest rated parks is less severe (14% for Haven versus 20% for Parkdean).
In other words, Haven holiday parks are more consistent in customer review scores than Parkdean Resorts.
Review scores checked September 2024.
Which is in the best location? Parkdean Resorts or Haven?
How do Haven and Parkdean Resorts compare on convenience for a holiday and for easy beach access?
There are nearly twice as many Parkdean Resorts as Haven holiday parks. So, there is more chance of there being a Parkdean Resorts near to you than a Haven resort.
It doesn't always work out that way though. From central London, the nearest Parkdean Resorts is Coopers Beach Holiday Park which is two hours drive. The nearest Haven to London is Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park, which is less than 90 minutes in the car. It was previously called Allhallows.
Both Parkdean Resorts and Haven have some holiday parks right by the beach and others that require you to get in the car.
There are nearly twice as many Parkdean Resorts as Haven holiday parks. So, there is more chance of there being a Parkdean Resorts near to you than a Haven resort.
It doesn't always work out that way though. From central London, the nearest Parkdean Resorts is Coopers Beach Holiday Park which is two hours drive. The nearest Haven to London is Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park, which is less than 90 minutes in the car. It was previously called Allhallows.
Both Parkdean Resorts and Haven have some holiday parks right by the beach and others that require you to get in the car.
Parkdean Resorts holiday parks with direct beach access
Parkdean Resorts' West Bay Holiday Park is one of their 19 resorts with direct beach access
About a third of Parkdean Resorts have direct beach access, including these holiday parks:
Here's our guide to the five Parkdean Resorts next to the best beaches.
- Challaborough Bay Holiday Park and Ruda Holiday Park in Devon
- West Bay Holiday Park in Dorset
- California Cliffs, Heachem Beach and Kessingland Beach in Norfolk/Suffolk
- Coopers Beach in Essex
- Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales
- Nodes Point Holiday Park and Thorness Bay Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight
- Camber Sands Holiday Park and Romney Sands Holiday Park in Sussex/Kent
- Sandy Bay Holiday Park in Northumberland and Barmston Beach Holiday Park and Withernsea Sands Holiday Park in Yorkshire
- Grannies Heilan' Hame Holiday Park, Southerness Holiday Park and Camarthen Bay in Scotland
Here's our guide to the five Parkdean Resorts next to the best beaches.
Haven holiday parks with direct beach access
Haven Reighton Sands is one of (at least) 10 Haven resorts with direct beach access
Haven's website lists 10 holiday parks with direct beach access, plus another three which are within walking distance. Again, that's about a third of the total number. If you want a Haven holiday park with direct beach access, go for:
We've also written a more detailed guide called 'which Haven has the best beach?'
The three Haven parks that are considered within walking distance to the beach are Seaview Holiday Park and Weymouth Bay Holiday Park in Dorset and Primrose Valley Holiday Park in Yorkshire.
However, there are other Haven holiday parks which are exceedingly close to beaches that aren't included in that guide. For example, Haven Greenacres Holiday Park in Wales is only about 10 minutes from the beach (it depends a lot on which part of the site you are staying in). Rockley Park in Dorset is also pretty close to a small bit of beach and Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire is pretty close to the coast.
Another factor to consider on location is that Haven doesn't have any holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, whilst Parkdean Resorts doesn't have any holiday parks in Somerset. They are both popular spots.
Overall, I am giving this one to Haven as the proportion of their holiday parks near the beach is marginally better. However, it's borderline so I wouldn't say it's a dealbreaker.
- Caister on Sea Holiday Park and Seashore Holiday Park in Norfolk
- Devon Cliffs in Devon
- Lydstep Beach Holiday Park, Presthaven Holiday Park and Quay West Holiday Park in Wales
- Perran Sands Holiday Park and Riviere Sands Holiday Park in Cornwall
- Reighton Sands Holiday Park in Yorkshire
- Cleethorpes Beach Holiday Park in Lincolnshire (previously called Haven Thorpe Park)
We've also written a more detailed guide called 'which Haven has the best beach?'
The three Haven parks that are considered within walking distance to the beach are Seaview Holiday Park and Weymouth Bay Holiday Park in Dorset and Primrose Valley Holiday Park in Yorkshire.
However, there are other Haven holiday parks which are exceedingly close to beaches that aren't included in that guide. For example, Haven Greenacres Holiday Park in Wales is only about 10 minutes from the beach (it depends a lot on which part of the site you are staying in). Rockley Park in Dorset is also pretty close to a small bit of beach and Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire is pretty close to the coast.
Another factor to consider on location is that Haven doesn't have any holiday parks on the Isle of Wight, whilst Parkdean Resorts doesn't have any holiday parks in Somerset. They are both popular spots.
Overall, I am giving this one to Haven as the proportion of their holiday parks near the beach is marginally better. However, it's borderline so I wouldn't say it's a dealbreaker.
Which has the biggest holiday parks? Haven or Parkdean?
Parkdean Resorts' Trecco Bay in Wales is sometimes called the biggest holiday park in Europe
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Haven's Devon Cliffs Holiday Park is a huge site with well over 1000 caravans as well as these lodges
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Again, this very much depends on which resort you visit.
The biggest Parkdean Resorts holiday park is Trecco Bay in South Wales. Some reports call it the biggest holiday park in Europe.
Trecco Bay has a whopping 2079 caravans at the time of writing. (I counted them on a map because there wasn't an authoritative number online. Yes, it took ages!).
The other big Parkdean Resorts are described as their Action Packed Parks - you can read our guide to them all here.
The biggest Haven resorts, as far as I can tell, are:
Those numbers might be slightly off as we counted them ourselves for our guide to the five biggest Haven holiday parks in the UK.
However, Parkdean Resorts and Haven both have some very small caravan sites.
Parkdean's Church Point Holiday Park in Northumberland has just 150 holiday homes and caravans. Haven's Seaview Holiday Park in Dorset has about 260 caravans and other holiday homes.
In summary, both Haven and Parkdean have got a mix of very large and relatively small holiday parks - and plenty in between.
Don't assume there is consistency but try and figure out the size of a resort before you book by looking at the range of facilities or looking at a map. I like to view holiday parks from above on Google Maps with the satellite mode turned on, but that's just me!
The biggest Parkdean Resorts holiday park is Trecco Bay in South Wales. Some reports call it the biggest holiday park in Europe.
Trecco Bay has a whopping 2079 caravans at the time of writing. (I counted them on a map because there wasn't an authoritative number online. Yes, it took ages!).
The other big Parkdean Resorts are described as their Action Packed Parks - you can read our guide to them all here.
The biggest Haven resorts, as far as I can tell, are:
- Haven Devon Cliffs (1641 caravans and lodges)
- Haven Craig Tara in Scotland (1583 caravans and lodges)
- Haven Primrose Valley in Yorkshire (1470 caravans and lodges)
- Haven Hafan y Mor in Wales (1290 caravans and lodges).
- Haven Greenacres in Wales (999 caravans and lodges)
Those numbers might be slightly off as we counted them ourselves for our guide to the five biggest Haven holiday parks in the UK.
However, Parkdean Resorts and Haven both have some very small caravan sites.
Parkdean's Church Point Holiday Park in Northumberland has just 150 holiday homes and caravans. Haven's Seaview Holiday Park in Dorset has about 260 caravans and other holiday homes.
In summary, both Haven and Parkdean have got a mix of very large and relatively small holiday parks - and plenty in between.
Don't assume there is consistency but try and figure out the size of a resort before you book by looking at the range of facilities or looking at a map. I like to view holiday parks from above on Google Maps with the satellite mode turned on, but that's just me!
Does Haven or Parkdean Resorts have the best entertainment?
Will you choose entertainment from Parkdean's Starland Krew...
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...or will go for the entertainment from Haven's Seaside Squad?
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The scale and variety of entertainment at Haven and Parkdean depends on the size of the park.
Some Parkdean Resorts holiday parks are described as 'headliners' because they have bigger scale entertainment. At the time of writing, there are about 20 of these parks (you can find the list on this page of the Parkdean website).
Most Parkdean Resorts offer bingo that is linked up with other holiday parks. They also run things like talent shows, comedians, circus style acts and activities that you get stuck into yourself such as pilates, crafts and karaoke.
For children, there are kids' clubs for different ages at Parkdean Resorts including pre-school groups, 5-10 year old clubs and teenage clubs. If this sort of thing is important to you then I would head for one of the bigger Parkdean Resorts. They also have people dressed up as animals and that sort of thing.
It's worth mentioning that Parkdean don't offer the sort of kids' clubs where you drop off your kids and disappear down the pub. According to the Parkdean website, 'children under 8 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult (16 or over) during our children's club activities. Our kids' clubs are designed for entertainment and do not offer a creche facility.'
The busiest entertainment programmes for Parkdean Resorts are usually found at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in South Wales, Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset, Camber Sands Holiday Park in Sussex or Cayton Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, Haven runs a similar sort of in house entertainment programme.
For children, there are things like tots singalongs, sports days and a 'Seaside Squad' which provide entertainment.
Bigger Haven resorts such as Devon Cliffs and Haggerston Holiday Park in Northumberland put on special shows including circus acts. These things are run seasonally so do a bit of digging if that's a dealbreaker for you.
These are intended to be family activities rather than a creche where you can drop off the children and then disappear for a few hours.
For grown ups, Haven have quizzes, bingo and 'West End style productions'. Again, head for the bigger Haven resorts if this is a priority for you.
It changes each year but here's the latest Haven entertainment lineup.
Some Parkdean Resorts holiday parks are described as 'headliners' because they have bigger scale entertainment. At the time of writing, there are about 20 of these parks (you can find the list on this page of the Parkdean website).
Most Parkdean Resorts offer bingo that is linked up with other holiday parks. They also run things like talent shows, comedians, circus style acts and activities that you get stuck into yourself such as pilates, crafts and karaoke.
For children, there are kids' clubs for different ages at Parkdean Resorts including pre-school groups, 5-10 year old clubs and teenage clubs. If this sort of thing is important to you then I would head for one of the bigger Parkdean Resorts. They also have people dressed up as animals and that sort of thing.
It's worth mentioning that Parkdean don't offer the sort of kids' clubs where you drop off your kids and disappear down the pub. According to the Parkdean website, 'children under 8 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult (16 or over) during our children's club activities. Our kids' clubs are designed for entertainment and do not offer a creche facility.'
The busiest entertainment programmes for Parkdean Resorts are usually found at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in South Wales, Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset, Camber Sands Holiday Park in Sussex or Cayton Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, Haven runs a similar sort of in house entertainment programme.
For children, there are things like tots singalongs, sports days and a 'Seaside Squad' which provide entertainment.
Bigger Haven resorts such as Devon Cliffs and Haggerston Holiday Park in Northumberland put on special shows including circus acts. These things are run seasonally so do a bit of digging if that's a dealbreaker for you.
These are intended to be family activities rather than a creche where you can drop off the children and then disappear for a few hours.
For grown ups, Haven have quizzes, bingo and 'West End style productions'. Again, head for the bigger Haven resorts if this is a priority for you.
It changes each year but here's the latest Haven entertainment lineup.
Does Haven or Parkdean Resorts have the best facilities?
As you may have gathered by now, the range of facilities and activities varies massively at both Haven and Parkdean Resorts. Some resorts have almost zero facilities (e.g. Parkdean Resorts Church Point) whilst others have enough to keep you busy for a week.
I wouldn't say that you can definitively say that Haven or Parkdean has a bigger range of facilities and activities.
However, let's take a look at the resorts which have the most onsite activities and then do a side by side comparison of Haven and Parkdean activities at a couple of the most popular caravan parks.
I wouldn't say that you can definitively say that Haven or Parkdean has a bigger range of facilities and activities.
However, let's take a look at the resorts which have the most onsite activities and then do a side by side comparison of Haven and Parkdean activities at a couple of the most popular caravan parks.
Parkdean Resorts with the most facilities
Parkdean Resorts' Warmwell Holiday Park in Dorset even has a ski slope!
There are 10 Parkdean Resorts called Action Packed Parks which the company highlights as being locations which offer 'activities for full-on fun'. The 10 Parkdean Resorts with the most onsite activities are:
(Ranked in order of customer reviews, correct as of September 2024)
If you pick one of these resorts you can expect activities such as high ropes, bungee trampolines, bike hire, a sports dome which has archery and other sports, virtual reality experiences, minigolf and arts and crafts. You will also find that the bigger swimming pools tend to be at the bigger resorts, although that's not a definite rule. You won't get all these activities at the 10 parks listed above, but it's good started.
- Warmwell Holiday Park in Dorset - 89%
- Southview Holiday Park in Lincolnshire - 81%
- Cayton Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire - 83%
- Ty Mawr Holiday Park in North West Wales - 80%
- Naze Marine Holiday Park in Essex - 80%
- Trecco Bay Holiday Park in South Wales - 78%
- Newquay Holiday Park in Cornwall - 75%
- Sandford Holiday Park in Dorset - 75%
- Camber Sands Holiday Park in Sussex - 73%
- Lizard Point Holiday Park in Cornwall - 73%
(Ranked in order of customer reviews, correct as of September 2024)
If you pick one of these resorts you can expect activities such as high ropes, bungee trampolines, bike hire, a sports dome which has archery and other sports, virtual reality experiences, minigolf and arts and crafts. You will also find that the bigger swimming pools tend to be at the bigger resorts, although that's not a definite rule. You won't get all these activities at the 10 parks listed above, but it's good started.
Haven Resorts with the most facilities
Devon Cliffs is one of Haven's biggest and best equipped holiday parks
Haven doesn't provide a definitive list of which of its parks have the most facilities and activities. However, in my opinion, the six Haven holiday parks with the most things to do are:
(We've ranked them in order of average customer reviews, as of September 2024)
- Hafan y Mor Holiday Park in Wales - 84%
- Devon Cliffs Holiday Park in Devon - 84%
- Primrose Valley Holiday Park in Yorkshire - 78%
- Cleethorpes Beach Holiday Park in Lincolnshire (previously called Haven Thorpe Park, which presumably led to people turning up expecting rollercoasters) - 77%
- Craig Tara Holiday Park in Scotland - 76%
- Haggerston Castle Holiday Park in Northumberland - 76%
(We've ranked them in order of average customer reviews, as of September 2024)
Side by side comparisons of facilities are a bit tricky. We're going to compare the highest rated Parkdean Resorts holiday park on the list above (Warmwell Holiday Park in Dorset) with one of the highest rated and bigger Haven holiday parks (Hafan y Mor in Wales):
Facility/activity |
Parkdean Resorts Warmwell Holiday Park |
Haven Hafan y Mor Holiday Park |
Places to eat/takeaways |
4 food and drink outlets |
9 food and drink outlets |
Bowling |
Mini 10 pin bowling |
No |
Arcade |
Yes |
Yes |
High ropes course |
Yes |
Yes ('aerial adventures') |
Fishing |
Yes |
No |
Playground |
Yes |
Yes, 9 playgrounds |
Bungee trampolines |
Yes and interactive trampolining |
Yes |
Arts and crafts |
Yes |
Yes |
Mini off road cars |
No |
Yes |
Mini golf |
Yes, Jurassic Crazy Golf |
Yes |
Segways |
No |
Yes |
Evening entertainment |
Yes |
Yes, 2 venues |
Dog agility course |
Yes, called 'woof parks' |
Yes, called 'bark yards' |
Swimming pool |
Indoor pool with flume and waves |
Large indoor waterpark with multi lane slides and other features |
Ski slope |
Yes |
No |
Nature trails |
Yes |
Yes |
Soft play |
Yes, with big slide |
Yes |
Boating lake |
No |
Yes, with pedalos |
Climbing wall |
Yes |
Yes |
Pool tables |
No |
Yes |
Sports court |
Yes, indoor sports dome |
Yes, multi sports court |
Bike hire |
Yes |
Yes |
Roller rink |
Yes |
No |
Shop |
Yes |
Yes |
We've done our best to make the list above accurate but things change and go out of date (and we may have made the odd mistake). Please do your own digging if you are particularly keen to do one activity.
As you can see, Hafan y Mor and Warmwell both offer a lot of activities - but they don't have the same list. For example, Warmwell has a ski slope but Hafan y Mor has a boating lake and a more impressive swimming pool.
As you can see, Hafan y Mor and Warmwell both offer a lot of activities - but they don't have the same list. For example, Warmwell has a ski slope but Hafan y Mor has a boating lake and a more impressive swimming pool.
Which has the best swimming pools? Haven or Parkdean?
Another factor to consider is the swimming pools offered at different resorts.
For some people, a good swimming pool is the main reason to stay at a holiday park rather than a self catering cottage. See our guide to the best swimming pools at holiday parks if that's a priority for you.
Again, it's a question of each resort being different. Some Haven and Parkdean Resorts just have an outdoor pool or a basic indoor pool which is just a rectangle full of water. Some Parkdean Resorts don't have as swimming pool at all, although that's quite unusual.
Other Parkdean and Haven holiday parks have an impressive waterpark with slides and other entertainment.
Overall, I would say that the very best waterparks are at Haven holiday parks but it's not as simple as that. We've picked out some of the best swimming pools at Parkdean and Haven caravan parks:
For some people, a good swimming pool is the main reason to stay at a holiday park rather than a self catering cottage. See our guide to the best swimming pools at holiday parks if that's a priority for you.
Again, it's a question of each resort being different. Some Haven and Parkdean Resorts just have an outdoor pool or a basic indoor pool which is just a rectangle full of water. Some Parkdean Resorts don't have as swimming pool at all, although that's quite unusual.
Other Parkdean and Haven holiday parks have an impressive waterpark with slides and other entertainment.
Overall, I would say that the very best waterparks are at Haven holiday parks but it's not as simple as that. We've picked out some of the best swimming pools at Parkdean and Haven caravan parks:
Parkdean Resorts with the best swimming pools
At Parkdean Resorts, the resorts with the biggest and best swimming pools include these four:
- Splashland at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales has waterslides and other features
- Vauxhall Holiday Park in Norfolk has a tropical themed swimming pool
- Ruda Holiday Park in Devon has an indoor swimming pool with flumes
- Holywell Bay Holiday Park in Cornwall has an outdoor pool with a very long waterslide
One of Parkdean Resort's best swimming pools is at Vauxhall Holiday Park in Norfolk
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Parkdean's Holywell Holiday Park in Cornwall has a really long waterslide
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Haven holiday parks with the best swimming pools
The three Haven holiday parks with the best waterparks are:
- Splashaway Bay at Craig Tara in Scotland had a refurbishment in 2015. It has a three lane slide for racing as well as flumes and a lazy river.
- Splashaway Bay at Hafan y Môr in Wales had a £3m refurbishment in 2017. There's a four line slide for racing as well as swimming lanes.
- The Shore Waterpark at Seashore Holiday Park in Norfolk opened in 2019 at a cost of £6.5m. It's got flumes, a tipping bucket and swimming lanes.
Haven Hafan y Mor has one of the best holiday park swimming pools in the country
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Craig Tara Holiday Park has had millions spent on its swimming pool
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Is Haven or Parkdean Resorts cheaper?
My hunch - before writing this guide - was that Parkdean Resorts is generally cheaper than Haven holiday parks.
Of course, it depends on the grade of accommodation you choose and the dates you pick.
To do a price comparison, we looked at the price of a week's holiday for a family of four in August 2024. We included 10 Haven resorts and 10 Parkdean Resorts. The parks we picked are those that appear in our Top 10 guides to Parkdean and Haven, which include a range of locations around the UK. This seemed like a fair comparison as Westcountry holidays tend to be more expensive than those in the north of England or Scotland.
Of course, it depends on the grade of accommodation you choose and the dates you pick.
To do a price comparison, we looked at the price of a week's holiday for a family of four in August 2024. We included 10 Haven resorts and 10 Parkdean Resorts. The parks we picked are those that appear in our Top 10 guides to Parkdean and Haven, which include a range of locations around the UK. This seemed like a fair comparison as Westcountry holidays tend to be more expensive than those in the north of England or Scotland.
Parkdean v Haven price comparison
Prices at 10 of the best Haven resorts for a week in August 2025
Average price: £950
Prices at 10 of the best Parkdean Resorts for a week in August 2025
Average price: £746
So, based on this limited price comparison, Parkdean Resorts is about £200 cheaper than Haven for a week's holiday in August. That works out as about 20% cheaper. Of course, this is just one set of dates and was for the cheapest accommodation available. You might get different results for different dates or group sizes.
Also note that Haven was actually cheaper for some locations including Norfolk and the Lake District.
(Notes and caveats. This is the price for a Haven holiday which includes use of the swimming pool and other activities. You can just pay for a Haven Hideaway and save yourself about £100 - £200 but it's not a fair comparison as Parkdean Resorts includes access to the swimming pool in all its holidays. You pay extra for a lot of activities.).
- Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park in Somerset - £669
- Haven Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire - £685
- Haven Hopton Holiday Village in Norfolk - £809
- Haven Lakeland Leisure Park in The Lake District, Cumbria - £835
- Haven Seton Sands Holiday Park in Scotland - £869
- Haven Rockley Park Holiday Park in Dorset - £895
- Haven Lydstep Beach Holiday Park in South Wales - £915
- Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park in Devon - £1135
- Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park in North Wales - £1075
- Haven Perran Sands in Cornwall - £1235
Average price: £950
Prices at 10 of the best Parkdean Resorts for a week in August 2025
- Parkdean Resorts Todber Valley Holiday Park in Yorkshire - £529
- Parkdean Resorts Ocean Edge Holiday Park in Lancashire - £539
- Parkdean Resorts Eyemouth Holiday Park in Scotland - £639
- Parkdean Resorts Skipsea Sands Holiday Park in Yorkshire - £679
- Parkdean Resorts Weeley Bridge Holiday Park in Essex - £699
- Parkdean Resorts Sandy Bay Holiday Park in Northumberland - £729
- Parkdean Resorts St Margaret’s Bay Holiday Park in Dover - £789
- Parkdean Resorts California Cliffs Holiday Park in Norfolk - £809
- Parkdean Resorts White Cross Bay Holiday Park in the Lake District - £1009
- Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point on the Isle of Wight - £1049
Average price: £746
So, based on this limited price comparison, Parkdean Resorts is about £200 cheaper than Haven for a week's holiday in August. That works out as about 20% cheaper. Of course, this is just one set of dates and was for the cheapest accommodation available. You might get different results for different dates or group sizes.
Also note that Haven was actually cheaper for some locations including Norfolk and the Lake District.
(Notes and caveats. This is the price for a Haven holiday which includes use of the swimming pool and other activities. You can just pay for a Haven Hideaway and save yourself about £100 - £200 but it's not a fair comparison as Parkdean Resorts includes access to the swimming pool in all its holidays. You pay extra for a lot of activities.).
Haven's Thornwick Bay in Yorkshire was a cheap holiday park in our price comparison
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Parkdean Resorts' Sandy Bay Holiday Park in Northumberland is good value
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Which has the best accommodation? Parkdean Resorts or Haven?
Both Parkdean Resorts and Haven offer an impressive range of types of accommodation. It's easy to find it overwhelming!
Let's split our comparison into caravans, lodges, glamping and camping/touring.
Let's split our comparison into caravans, lodges, glamping and camping/touring.
Caravans at Parkdean and Haven
Most of the accommodation at both Haven and Parkdean is caravans, which are somewhere between 10 and 14 foot wide. Most sleep 4-6 people.
Haven has a clearer grading system for its caravans than Parkdean Resorts.
With Haven, there are five grades of caravan accommodation which goes Saver - Bronze - Silver - Gold - Signature. Read our blog about what the difference is.
Some Parkdean Resorts have three grades of accommodation which goes Standard - Superior - Premium. However, this isn't adopted across all 66 Parkdean Resorts. You need to use a bit of detective work to figure out the differences between caravans (or read our blog about it). For example, it's possible to see which Parkdean Resorts caravans are new this year, which is a really useful piece of information.
Haven has a clearer grading system for its caravans than Parkdean Resorts.
With Haven, there are five grades of caravan accommodation which goes Saver - Bronze - Silver - Gold - Signature. Read our blog about what the difference is.
Some Parkdean Resorts have three grades of accommodation which goes Standard - Superior - Premium. However, this isn't adopted across all 66 Parkdean Resorts. You need to use a bit of detective work to figure out the differences between caravans (or read our blog about it). For example, it's possible to see which Parkdean Resorts caravans are new this year, which is a really useful piece of information.
Haven has a five level grading system for caravans. This one is bronze.
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Parkdean's grading is more complex. Look for newer caravans, such as this 2022 Hartfield model at Camber Sands
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Lodges and hot tubs at Parkdean and Haven
If you want to upgrade from a caravan then you can go for a lodge. Lodges can be twice as wide as the narrowest and cheapest caravans. However, you're more likely to find a lodge at Parkdean Resorts than Haven.
By my count, only 11 Haven holiday parks have lodges whilst 57 Parkdean Resorts have lodges.
One big difference is that Parkdean Resorts has lodges with hot tubs at 15 of its holiday parks, whereas Haven just has a small number of hot tubs at two resorts (Perran Sands in Cornwall and Golden Sands in Lincolnshire).
If you want a hot tub holiday with Parkdean Resorts then your choice includes:
You can see more details of each of the Parkdean Resorts holiday parks with hot tubs here or read our guide to hot tubs at Parkdean.
By my count, only 11 Haven holiday parks have lodges whilst 57 Parkdean Resorts have lodges.
One big difference is that Parkdean Resorts has lodges with hot tubs at 15 of its holiday parks, whereas Haven just has a small number of hot tubs at two resorts (Perran Sands in Cornwall and Golden Sands in Lincolnshire).
If you want a hot tub holiday with Parkdean Resorts then your choice includes:
- Fallbarrow Holiday Park and White Cross Bay Holiday Park in the Lake District.
- Ruda Holiday Park in Devon
- Sandford Holiday Park and Warmwell Holiday Park in Dorset
- Tummel Valley Holiday Park in Scotland
- Landguard Holiday Park, Lower Hyde Holiday Park, Nodes Point Holiday Park and Thorness Bay Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight
- Carmathen Bay Holiday Park in Wales
- Cayton Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire
- Coopers Beach Holiday Park in Essex
- Southview Holiday Park in Lincolnshire
- Cherry Tree Holiday Park in Norfolk
You can see more details of each of the Parkdean Resorts holiday parks with hot tubs here or read our guide to hot tubs at Parkdean.
Parkdean Resorts have hot tub accommodation at 15 sites - including this one in the Lake District
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Haven only has hot tubs at a couple of its holiday parks. This is Golden Sands in Lincolnshire
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Camping and glamping at Haven and Parkdean
Both Parkdean and Haven offer glamping, but only at some resorts.
With Haven, you can choose from Yurts, Safari Tents, Geodomes and Supertents. The two Haven resorts with glamping are Perran Sands Holiday Park in Cornwall and Seaview Holiday Park in Dorset. At one stage, Burnham on Sea had glamping but they aren't currently available.
Parkdean Resorts currently has glamping at nine different holiday parks in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Norfolk and on the Isle of Wight.
Touring is available at 18 different Haven resorts. Camping is available at 8 resorts. We've got a separate guide to camping and touring with Haven. Parkdean Resorts has 24 holiday parks with camping and touring. Whilst that's a similar number to Haven, it is a smaller proportion of the total number of parks. Here's our guide to the Parkdean sites with camping and touring.
With Haven, you can choose from Yurts, Safari Tents, Geodomes and Supertents. The two Haven resorts with glamping are Perran Sands Holiday Park in Cornwall and Seaview Holiday Park in Dorset. At one stage, Burnham on Sea had glamping but they aren't currently available.
Parkdean Resorts currently has glamping at nine different holiday parks in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Norfolk and on the Isle of Wight.
Touring is available at 18 different Haven resorts. Camping is available at 8 resorts. We've got a separate guide to camping and touring with Haven. Parkdean Resorts has 24 holiday parks with camping and touring. Whilst that's a similar number to Haven, it is a smaller proportion of the total number of parks. Here's our guide to the Parkdean sites with camping and touring.
Haven (pictured) has camping and touring at about two thirds of its holiday parks, whilst it is more like one third for Parkdean Resorts
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Parkdean has a bigger choice of resorts with glamping (this is Nodes Point on the Isle of Wight)
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Which is more dog friendly? Haven or Parkdean?
Haven and Parkdean Resorts both make a good effort to be dog friendly - but some parks are more dog friendly than others.
Dogs are allowed at all of the Haven holiday parks, except for Haven Riviere Sands Holiday Park in Cornwall and at Burnham on Sea Holiday Park in Somerset. Of course, if you don't like dogs (or perhaps a family member has a fear of dogs) then these two are good choices.
Haven also have five holiday parks with 'Bark Parks', which are dog agility courses. These are:
Meanwhile, Parkdean Resorts allows dogs at all its parks but it has dog agility parks (called 'Woof Parks') at seven resorts. You'll find Woof Parks at
These are generally the bigger Parkdean Resorts holiday parks.
Both parks have some restrictions around certain breeds of dog in their parks. Parkdean Resorts says in its terms and conditions that 'Some breeds of dog, including those listed in the Dangerous Dog Act are not allowed'. Haven has a similar policy ('We don't accept dogs listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act which are: Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa')
Dogs are allowed at all of the Haven holiday parks, except for Haven Riviere Sands Holiday Park in Cornwall and at Burnham on Sea Holiday Park in Somerset. Of course, if you don't like dogs (or perhaps a family member has a fear of dogs) then these two are good choices.
Haven also have five holiday parks with 'Bark Parks', which are dog agility courses. These are:
- Golden Sands Holiday Park and Cleethorpes Beach Holiday Centre in Lincolnshire (previously called Haven Thorpe Park)
- Hafan y Mor Holiday Park in Wales
- Caister on Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk
- Kent Coast Holiday Park (previously called Allhallows).
Meanwhile, Parkdean Resorts allows dogs at all its parks but it has dog agility parks (called 'Woof Parks') at seven resorts. You'll find Woof Parks at
- Newquay Holiday Park and Lizard Point Holiday Park in Cornwall,
- Cayton Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire,
- Sandford Holiday Park and Warmwell Holiday Park in Dorset,
- Camber Sands Holiday Park in Sussex and Ty Mawr Holiday Park in Wales.
These are generally the bigger Parkdean Resorts holiday parks.
Both parks have some restrictions around certain breeds of dog in their parks. Parkdean Resorts says in its terms and conditions that 'Some breeds of dog, including those listed in the Dangerous Dog Act are not allowed'. Haven has a similar policy ('We don't accept dogs listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act which are: Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa')
Parkdean Resorts has these Woof Parks at several of its holiday parks...
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...whilst Haven has very similar Bark Yards are five of its larger holiday parks
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Other notable differences
Haven gives you the choice to get a cheaper holiday without any facilities or activities included. They call this a Haven Hideaway and it means that you get access to the restaurants but you can't use the swimming pool and you can't sign up for the paid-for activities. It is about £100-£200 for a week during peak season, or much less for a short break on a quieter time of year.
If you just want accommodation then you might find Haven is cheaper than Parkdean Resorts, which includes entertainment and facilities for anyone who books directly with them.
If you just want accommodation then you might find Haven is cheaper than Parkdean Resorts, which includes entertainment and facilities for anyone who books directly with them.
Conclusions - should I go for Parkdean Resorts or Haven?
Overall, Haven scores better than Parkdean Resorts on customer reviews. But keep in mind that there are several Parkdean Resorts that score better than a lot of Haven parks.
The overall range in reviews is bigger for Parkdean Resorts than for Haven. It may be relevant that Parkdean Resorts merged with Park Resorts a few years ago. When two big companies come together you can end up with quite a big range in what the sites are like in terms of size, facilities and quality.
As a comparison, Center Parcs in the UK gets very consistent reviews across its sites as they were all built under the Center Parcs brand, whereas the range of review scores for Center Parcs in Europe is quite wide as some of them were Sunparks which were rebranded.
On price, Parkdean Resorts appears to be the winner. Overall, Parkdean Resorts is 25% cheaper than Haven in our price comparison but we found several examples where it was the other way round. We only looked at one set of dates so don't read too much into it. Haven also has an accommodation only option (Haven Hideaway) that makes it a very similar price.
On location, Haven and Parkdean Resorts are neck-and-neck in terms of the proportion of their holiday parks that are right by the beach. Parkdean wins on numbers, but not on percentages.
On swimming pools, Haven has a few 'flagship' pools at Hafan y Mor, Seashore and Craig Tara that I would say are better than any swimming pools offered by Parkdean Resorts.
Accommodation is an interesting comparison. Both companies have invested a lot in recent years. Parkdean Resorts has far more resorts with lodges and hot tubs for those who want to upgrade. However, I find Haven's caravan grading system much easier to understand.
Parkdean has more glamping sites but the two companies are basically head to head on touring and camping.
The overall range in reviews is bigger for Parkdean Resorts than for Haven. It may be relevant that Parkdean Resorts merged with Park Resorts a few years ago. When two big companies come together you can end up with quite a big range in what the sites are like in terms of size, facilities and quality.
As a comparison, Center Parcs in the UK gets very consistent reviews across its sites as they were all built under the Center Parcs brand, whereas the range of review scores for Center Parcs in Europe is quite wide as some of them were Sunparks which were rebranded.
On price, Parkdean Resorts appears to be the winner. Overall, Parkdean Resorts is 25% cheaper than Haven in our price comparison but we found several examples where it was the other way round. We only looked at one set of dates so don't read too much into it. Haven also has an accommodation only option (Haven Hideaway) that makes it a very similar price.
On location, Haven and Parkdean Resorts are neck-and-neck in terms of the proportion of their holiday parks that are right by the beach. Parkdean wins on numbers, but not on percentages.
On swimming pools, Haven has a few 'flagship' pools at Hafan y Mor, Seashore and Craig Tara that I would say are better than any swimming pools offered by Parkdean Resorts.
Accommodation is an interesting comparison. Both companies have invested a lot in recent years. Parkdean Resorts has far more resorts with lodges and hot tubs for those who want to upgrade. However, I find Haven's caravan grading system much easier to understand.
Parkdean has more glamping sites but the two companies are basically head to head on touring and camping.
Images are from Haven and Parkdean Resorts. Review scores, prices and facilities are correct at the time of writing - as far as we know! We did most of this research in September 2024 with price comparisons from November 2023.
