There is a building in the Plaza that has been discreetly constructed from the inside out in the heart of a 400-acre woodland in Wiltshire, along a walk that passes some of the tallest Giant Redwoods in England. The old bowling alley, which most UK vacation resorts have amassed throughout the years, is no longer there. An eight-lane Leisure Bowl with Brunswick lanes, interactive scoring, arcade bowling formats, soft play for younger kids, and a special dining area next to Huck’s American Bar & Grill have taken its place. Compared to the previous version, it is noticeably nicer.
In the UK family vacation market, Center Parcs Longleat Forest has long held a particular place. The idea—a woodland resort where visitors travel by foot or bicycle between lodges and activity centers, automobiles are parked upon arrival, and kids run around more or less freely—works in a way that is challenging to duplicate and immediately compete with. Families that come back year after year are genuinely loyal to the model, partly because it offers a more convenient and consistently delightful form of outdoor family life than trying to plan something similar on your own.
From a corporate standpoint, that loyalty carries the risk of complacency. It’s a plus that returning visitors know exactly what to expect—until their expectations start to feel out of date in compared to what they could get elsewhere. By most accounts, the bowling alley had begun to show signs of aging. This is explicitly addressed by the Leisure Bowl update, which replaces the outdated but functional format with something that appears to be a real leisure destination rather than an afterthought.
The addition of Adventure Golf is a slightly different kind of investment. The 18-hole course, which is divided into two nine-hole layouts, Woodland Way and Forest Track, is intended to blend in with the surroundings rather than be forced onto them. It offers families an activity that is suitable for all ages and doesn’t require any specific athletic ability. It is nature-themed and winds around the existing landscape. For a resort where visitors range in age from toddlers to grandparents, that adaptability is crucial.
One of Longleat Forest’s greatest selling qualities has always been its wider range of activities. Adventure nets, indoor curling, and laser shock tag are just a few of the possibilities that provide families with real choice in a variety of weather and activity levels. The resort’s activity offering still revolves around the subtropical swimming paradise, but the Plaza enhancements provide visitors more options for activities outside of the pool.
Having a newly renovated bowling alley and an 18-hole golf course accessible without having to leave the resort is just the kind of backup plan that keeps guests happy and lessens the possibility that anyone will want to shorten their week on a rainy afternoon in Wiltshire, which happens frequently.
For families with little children or elderly visitors, the land train’s ability to navigate the steep 400-acre landscape is one of those seemingly insignificant things. The free shuttle between the lodging areas and the Plaza keeps the resort seeming approachable rather than exhausting, and the site’s geography is not flat. It’s the kind of operational attention that frequently appears in reviews from users who were appreciative of it but seldom appears in the marketing brochure.
