Center Parcs Bostalsee — Hotel in Nohfelden

The rooms were relatively clean, but not deep-cleaned. There is no air conditioning, so summer days are infernal in the bungalows. We were lucky we took our own fan from home at least.

We were assured before entering the premises, that COVID-19 prevention measures were in place. But we were met with double standards instead.

We booked our trip with dinner buffet. But because of COVID-19, we had a normal "food of the day" every night, and we were not even compensated for the change. That on its own, we considered a necessary sacrifice, only if the measures were thorough. But that wasn't the case. To get a drink, we had to stay in a long, packed queue (with no distancing), which was ridiculous. Masks were required on the floor, but none of the staff members said anything to people who didn't wear them at all, even in the drink queue. Even some of the waiters didn't wear their own masks properly (e.g. they didn't cover their nose).

The food was a disaster--and I'm really easy-going with food. Most of the time, there was absolutely no flavor. The last night we received a fish dish, and the only way I can describe it is... imagine you come back late from work and don't have time to cook, so you just put something quick together. Then imagine you leave the food outside overnight and warm it up the next day. What you'll get then tastes three times better than the food in the canteen at Center Parcs, and we paid the price of a dinner buffet for THAT.

And the cherry on top: We received dirty dishes twice in three days. The last day, the dessert came with a spoon that was smeared with chocolate from previous use. My girlfriend unknowingly ate one spoon of the ice cream with that disgusting thing before she noticed it. And we were both horrified. When we took it to them, they assured us that everything was washed in a dishwasher with hot water so there were no bacteria to be afraid of. And I assured them they'd receive this review.

Now, the bathrooms. Half of the wash basins were disabled for social distancing. Good, right? Wrong. In one of the bathrooms, out of the two wash basins, the only one with the automatic IR tap was closed, and the one that was usable had a button that you had to press for water to come out. And as soon as you lifted your hand from the button, the water just stopped. Great choice, Center Parcs!

The swimming pool was also not that protected for COVID-19, and the population they allowed in there at the same time was too big for my comfort. We ended up only going early in the morning when there was no one, and left when the swimming pool reached its "COVID-19 limit" which was twice our acceptable limit.

On a less COVID-related topic, Wi-Fi speed depends highly on the occupancy in your section of the premises. On our first day, it was paralyzingly slow in our bungalow, but we managed to stream on the following days. Moreover, the Wi-Fi is open, so I'm not 100% sure how secure it is. To be safe, do not log in to your bank etc. on the Wi-Fi.

The last point is about the general behavior of the staff. If you're not used to German social norms, the staff might come off as a little rude and unfriendly. But that would be the same everywhere you go in Germany, and it doesn't mean they're necessarily rude. Just a...

My family and I spent 3 nights in Center Parcs. A part of our stay has been ruined by Kirsten, a lifeguard of Aquamundo. She was rude, impolite and RACIST.

We first got to Aquamundo on August 18th, Kirsten has forbidden my 16-year-old brother to access a part of the pool without giving any reason. After that, she keeps following us to the pool and even sat behind us like we were gangsters. (I have a picture.) Indeed, the cottage 103 client's warned me since my family arrived in Aquamundo the lady behaviour changed and that was obvious she was racist. She notified that Kirsten has been following and treating us differently. She does not speak English or French, so I required help to translate in case there was a misunderstanding (we never know...). The receptionist Mohamed (Thank to him for his help.) informed me that she refused the access to my brother because he cannot swim. (HOW COULD SHE KNOW?) We are not foolish people, what would be the reason of lying ?! Why going to the end of the pool if he can't swim? Therefore, I asked him to swim to prove he could. So he did and she said it was not perfect and that was not swimming for her. So, do we have to be Olympic swimming champion to swim in this Aquamundo ? Moreover, why were we the ONLY family that has to do that ??!! If he had struggled or showed any difficulties did not, she will have jumped and help him? What she did not have to do, so that was a stupid excuse. After that, she pointed her finger at me very rudely and Mohamed told me she wanted to know if I could swim too. I AM 26 YEARS OLD!!!! She wanted me to prove it to, HOW DISRESPECTFUL!!! At the end, as there was no manager available which was very disappointing. She threatened us, saying she won't look after us anymore, and we are going to pay for her clothes if something happens and will not have access to the pool anymore... Isn't it her job? It is a shame to have such a horrible lady to work in your company. I know Mohamed could not translate all the horrible things that this awful lady said. Indeed, her body language said a lot. We all really feel so humiliated. This story is silly, has no sense,which is why we knew the problem was our color. The story is longer but I could not give all details in one comment.

Hopefully, all the staff is not like that. We had some snacks and dinner two times at the Bistrot restaurant. The staff was very professional and kind. A special thanks to Mohamed, Mustafa, and the lady (forgot the name sorry) with a gorgeous smile who started working there recently, they were adorable.

I could talk to the duty manager Franck Reihardt only on Monday morning before going home. The front desk staff is not responsible enough which is also disappointing. Do we have to shout and be rude to make them react quickly? I asked the manager if he could explain Kirsten’s behavior, obviously he could not. He has no word and was as shocked as us. Indeed, I sent him a picture of Kirsten when she was behind us so he could see we were not lying. No compensation has been given to us which is a shame. I wish I won’t have to do a scandal on social media to make this situation be taking care of very...

I was here for four nights with my two kids, aged 9 and 12. ||It’s a very impressive set up. ||The good:||Our chalet (more like a 2 up, 2 down) was comfortable, had good crockery, glasses, pots and pans etc to enable me to cook when we didn’t eat in the main building. Wi-Fi in there was good. I brought a firestick and the Wi-Fi powered it perfectly. ||The paid activities were excellent. My children did scuba, which they loved particularly, and also pony care and riding and archery. They can’t speak German, but was not an issue. ||The buffet dinner is worth doing if you have kids. As well as a themed meal, ice cream machine annd chocolate fountain for the kids, all beer and wine is included. ||Aqua Mundo is great fun. It was a cold but sunny day and to sit in the heated pool under the sun made it feel like the middle of summer. The water slides are very good, some without a traffic light which makes the queue go more quickly. There are many lifeguards throughout Aqua Mundo, more than is typical for a German water attraction. ||The staff are excellent. The girl behind the desk who rearranged my daughter’s “Mein Pony” when she was sick, the guy who retrieved her lost t-shirt and the lady at breakfast who would make our dinner reservation were all great. ||The bad:||Our chalet was at the very other end of the car free site, maybe 1.5km up a steep hill. It was not within walking distance on a regular basis for a 9 year old. So we would park in car park 2 and drive to the main car park each time. Which kind of defeats the car free concept. I think a shuttle bus, like at Tropical Islands, would be a better idea. ||And while beer and wine is included in the buffet, I had to drive back to the other car park each night so couldn’t drink it.||At Aqua Mundo, several of the attractions are either not working or else working on a reduced basis. There are four wave machines and only one generates waves. There’s a whirlpool and a large jacuzzi seat in the outdoor pool which never turn on. I’m not sure if this is for saving energy or else if they’re broken. Either way, it detracts from the experience.||Those things aside, one fundamental issue and one maintenance issue, I recommend CP Bostalsee. Just pay the extra money and choose your...