Guests often describe accommodation as dirty, unsafe, or poorly maintained, and several say it ended their holiday early. Many report late or missing updates about cancellations, refunds, and closed facilities. At the same time, reviewers frequently praise reception teams and individual park staff for quick, hands-on help. Recurring booking and payment issues also shape views of value.
Examples from available reviews (Aug 2017 – Mar 2026).
Unsafe and faulty caravans led to shortened holiday and poor complaint handling.
“dangerously soft floor which was later confirmed by maintenance as unsafe.”
Caravan was dirty with a urine stain, mould and heating problems.
“i had pulled back the sheets to find a damp large urine stain.”
Friendly staff and tasty takeaway food enhanced our holiday.
“Zoe on reception was always helpful”
Booking cancelled two days before holiday with no suitable alternative offered.
“cancel it 2 days before we were due to go.”
Many reviews applaud front-line staff and park managers for fast, practical support and speedy maintenance at specific sites. Against that, several guests describe an unfriendly manager and say promised refunds never arrived. Positive staff feedback appears across multiple parks and often mentions named employees or long-standing local teams.
Several guests mention unexpected price changes during booking or at checkout, along with complaints about extra call or booking fees. Some paid for upgrades but found the accommodation smaller or not worth the extra cost. A few reviews mention clean caravans at acceptable prices, though these are less common.
Guests say closures of entertainment and leisure facilities disrupted family plans and short breaks. Reviews mention venues shutting early, missing children’s clubs, and noisy or threatening groups that made some families feel unsafe. Many say these problems clearly reduced enjoyment of the holiday.
Most feedback focuses on accommodation problems: repeated reports of poor cleaning, mould, urine stains, rodents, broken showers, and heating faults. Several guests point to clear safety risks, including dangerously soft floors and repairs left unfinished. A minority mention refreshed caravans or spotless units, suggesting housekeeping can be strong at times.
Many customers describe weak communication, including last-minute cancellations, no warning about facility closures, unanswered emails, and slow refunds. Some also report deposits taken for holidays that were not available and disagreements over how lost items were handled. Only a few reviews mention smooth booking communication.
Reviews split sharply between high scores praising helpful staff and many low scores describing dirty, unsafe accommodation and broken promises. Several guests shortened their stay or left straight away because of hygiene, repair, or safety problems. A smaller group report trouble-free breaks where staff support and site condition matched expectations.
For each review, the core experience based on original source reviews.
Sources: Trustpilot (27) · Reviews (19) · Reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: March 2026
Extremely unclean chalet caused immediate departure and poor subsequent communication.
“cups were all coffee stained cutlery not been washed up had dried food on them”
Chalet was dirty and smelt strongly of bleach; cleaning shortages noted.
“I physically felt sick, was crying and felt anxious the smell in the carpets and curtains”
Filthy chalet and unfulfilled refund promise amid staff shortages and poor hygiene.
“If you like the smell of bleach and dog poo and the smell of smoke that's in the curtains and floor”
I was excited about going on my first ever holiday abroad, so I decided to book with a UK company called John Fowler Holidays. I thought that because they were in the same country as me, they would be reliable and friendly. However, the customer service was very poor when it came to replying to my queries. The only reply I got was an automated message telling me to check my spam folder. I have never felt so bad after flying all the way to Gran Canaria. The flight there was terrible and no one had even helped me with my luggage or anything. I don’t recommend them!
Caller charged a £2.01 fee for a four minute booking line call.
“I was charged £2.01 for a 4 minute call!”
Deposit taken for a holiday that did not exist and refund delays followed.
“promptly took the deposit even though the holiday didn't exist.”
Facilities broken and unrepaired; entertainment poor and nothing for children.
“Broken curtain rails broken cooker and no one ever arrives for repairs, entertainment is pants”
This page combines submitted experiences with public reviews from platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, etc. Recurring points are summarised without changing the content of reviews.
John Fowler Holidays runs UK holiday parks and self-catering stays, offering caravan and lodge hire for short breaks and week-long visits. Guests can book online or by phone, with stated terms, deposits, and customer support. Many parks have on-site facilities such as pools, restaurants, takeaways, and entertainment areas. Visitors can choose unit types and add extras through the website or the reservations team.