A fascinating comparison of Woodland Lodges, Forest Lodges, Exclusive Lodges and Treehouses at Center Parcs UKThere are four main types of lodge at Center Parcs in the UK - Woodland (£), Forest (££), Exclusive (£££) and Treehouses (££££). We will use £ symbols throughout this guide to help you get your head round the options. Forest (££) was previously called Executive. Presumably someone decided it sounded too much like somewhere you would stay on a work away day rather than a holiday with the kids. You can also choose whether you want to upgrade to 'newer' versions of each lodge and there are some other options (which we'll discuss later). A big factor in helping you decide is the size of your group. If you are a family of three or four then you are really only choosing between Woodland (£) and Forest (££) - unless you've recently had a lottery win. This is because the Exclusive (£££) and Treehouse lodges (££££) have four bedrooms, so you'll be paying a huge amount per head if you only use a couple of the bedrooms. Let's start with a rather massive table of what you get with each type of Center Parcs lodge and then I'll move on to a summary of the main differences.
*The ideal group size means that you'll get best value for money if you have this number of people. Of course, a family of four could hire a treehouse but they all have four bedrooms so you'll be paying a huge amount per person. Key differences between the four main types of lodge at Center Parcs1. Center Parcs Woodland Lodge (£)Woodland Lodges are the cheapest accommodation at Center Parcs. You get kitchen facilities, a lounge with a TV, bedrooms, a patio area, a log burner and towels provided. You don't get any frills or fancy features but it's still in a nice woodland setting. The best thing about them is that they are available in loads of different sizes - including Woodland Lodges for two people or for a party of 12.  Woodland Lodges are the cheapest option at Center Parcs  They are perfectly decent and come in the biggest range of sizes It's worth mentioning here that Center Parcs uses an entirely different grading system for its parks in in Europe. The Woodland Lodges are quite similar to Comfort Cottages at Center Parcs Europe whilst Forest Lodges (previously called Executive Lodges) in the UK are comparable to a VIP Cottage in Europe. Read our full guide to Center Parcs Europe accommodation grades, if you're planning to visit one of the resorts in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark or Belgium. 2. Center Parcs Forest Lodges (££)Forest Lodges are only a modest upgrade from Woodland Lodges but you don't tend to pay a huge amount more. They were known as Executive Lodges before a rebrand in 2025. You get the same facilities as a Woodland Lodge but you also get ensuite bathrooms including a whirlpool bath/jacuzzi/hydrobath. That's certainly not quite as fancy as a hot tub, but it's still a nice addition. You also get TVs in the bedrooms, a coffee machine and a wine cooler. Some of the the bigger Forest Lodges have games rooms and hot tubs, but you don't get that with the standard sized ones with two bedrooms. So, the differences are not mind blowing. When we checked prices for a week at Whinfell Forest in August 2025, it was £200 to upgrade from a New Style Woodland Lodge to New Style Executive Lodge. I'd say that is good value and is probably worth it.  Center Parcs Forest Lodges are similar to Woodland Lodges...  ...but you get an ensuite, a whirlpool bath, a coffee machine and an extra TV 3. Center Parcs Exclusive Lodges (£££)There's a big jump up in price to a Center Parcs Exclusive Lodge. You can expect to pay about 50% extra per person per night, or perhaps even twice the price (based on the price comparisons we did below). Exclusive Lodges have four bedrooms, so they are prohibitively expensive per person unless there are seven or eight of you to spread the price out. The most significant upgrades are that you get a games room, a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub. That makes a big difference if you plan to spend a lot of time socialising with your own party rather than doing non-stop activities. My opinion is that if it's a family reunion then it may be worth paying the extra. If you plan to swim every day, go for a bike ride, slide down a zip wire and then eat out for most meals then it's probably not worth the money. You also get allocated parking in the car park, which is a small bonus in my opinion. The outside space you get is slightly better as well.  Center Parcs Exclusive Lodges are for bigger groups and they have a games room...  ...as well as a hot tub, sauna and steam room. However, they cost a lot more per person. 4. Center Parcs Treehouses (££££)Finally, there's the option of upgrading to a Center Parcs Treehouse. You mostly get the same things as you get with an Exclusive Lodge, but you also get a host, a balcony, more space and a somewhat cooler building. You get a hot tub and sauna, but you don't get a steam room. You also get a maid service, which will appeal to some people. Honestly, I think it's hard to justify a Treehouse for the facilities alone. However, the design is pretty cool so it's no surprise that they often sell out first. If you are flushed and want a more memorable holiday then I would be tempted. Take a look at our guide to the 6 Best Holiday Parks With Treehouses for some cheaper alternatives.  Center Parcs Treehouses are very expensive, but the design is really excellent...  ...and you get facilities such as a hot tub Is it worth upgrading accommodation at Center Parcs?The short answer is that: a) upgrading at Center Parcs is cheaper off peak than on peak. b) upgrading from a Woodland Lodge (£) to a Forest Lodge (££) is quite cheap and is probably worth it. However, upgrading to an Exclusive Lodge or Treehouse is very expensive so is only really worth considering if you plan to spend a lot of time in the lodge. How much will upgrading accommodation at Center Parcs cost me?Let's start with the cost of a family holiday in August for 2026 for four people at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest. We were quoted:
That's only £30 extra to upgrade, which is a no-brainer. We then had various options to upgrade to two storey versions or the Grand Forest Lodge, which is more spacious and are a bit newer inside. However, to jump up to an Exclusive lodge added on about £5000 as it's designed for a bigger group. What about buddying up with another family to save money at Center Parcs?Another option at Center Parcs is to join up with another family and book a larger property to share. For a rough price comparison, we looked at the scenario of two families of four people wanting to visit Center Parcs Sherwood Forest together for a week in August 2026. Let's call them the Smiths and the Jones. We will round the numbers to keep it simple.
Now let's see what the Smiths and Jones would pay for a similar holiday at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest in mid September 2026, during term time.
So, upgrading from a Woodland Lodge to a Treehouse during peak times costs about £2200 more than it does off peak. However, upgrading from a Woodland Lodge to a Forest Lodge is only £2 per person, per night whether you visit on peak or off peak. I'd say that's money well spent. What other types of accommodation are at Center Parcs?The two other types of Center Parcs accommodation to choose from are: 1. Center Parcs Hotels and ApartmentsThese are one bedroom 'Forest Hotel Rooms' and 'Forest Apartments' which were previously called 'Executive Hotel Rooms' and 'Executive Apartments' before the 2025 reband. They are aimed at couples or a parent with one child. You can stay in an apartment at any of the UK Center Parcs, but the hotel is only at Center Parcs Woburn Forest. With a Forest Apartment you get a small kitchen, en-suite facilities and a balcony or terrace. The main upgrade available is a 'Penthouse Apartment', which has a larger kitchen and more spacious living area. You also get an infrared sauna. To give you a rough idea, we looked at the price of an Forest Apartment at Woburn Forest for a couple in mid September 2026 and found it cost £998. The Center Parcs Hotel Rooms are currently only available at Woburn Forest. You don't get food provided, but you are near to the Plaza where they are places to eat. Bear in mind that eating out at Center Parcs isn't especially cheap!  The Penthouse Apartments have an infra-red sauna 2. Center Parcs Waterside LodgesFinally, a brief mention for the Waterside Lodges. There are only three of them, which are at Elveden Forest so we've not included them in our comparisons. They sleep six people.  These lovely waterside lodges at only at Center Parcs Elveden Forest Related guides:*Our 'half price' claim is based on our price comparisons for Easter 2026. We found a week's holiday at Center Parcs UK (Whinfell Forest) for a family of four in early April 2026 was £2348 for the cheapest accommodation available. A similar search at CenterParcs.fr found a week at Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste in Germany for £936. There are a few caveats to this. Firstly, you need to add on travel costs - don't drive across Europe if it will only save you a tenner. Secondly, take a look at our comparison of Center Parcs Europe, as some resorts are better than others. Thirdly, you need to book through CenterParcs.fr for this price - it usually costs more to book through CenterParcs.eu. Fourthly, exchange rates mean that the price of Center Parcs in Europe vary throughout the year. We searched in December 2025.
2 Comments
Steve lynch
18/9/2023 08:37:02 pm
Just enquiring how much it would be to buy 4 bed lodge in center parcs ireland?
Holiday Park Guru
9/9/2024 03:50:09 pm
Hi Steve Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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