Pontins no longer runs family holiday parks. On 30 October 2026 the Pontins website sent visitors straight to Sand Bay Holiday Village near Weston-super-Mare, an adults-only village run by the same company. Here’s what happened to the parks, what Sand Bay offers and costs, and where families can go instead.
What happened to Pontins
Pontins started in 1946. In January 2011 Britannia Hotels bought it out of administration with five parks, the BBC reported. Britannia later added Sand Bay, which had been a Pontins park until 1999. Since then the other five parks have closed to holidaymakers (Pakefield had been adults only since 2020), and only Sand Bay still trades:
| Park | What happened | When |
|---|---|---|
| Brean Sands, Somerset | Closed to holidaymakers to house Hinkley Point C workers, first reported as lasting to November 2025. In August 2026 EDF said it was still using the park to house workers, and in October 2026 it was reported still closed to holidaymakers. | January 2023 |
| Camber Sands, East Sussex | Closed with immediate effect; Pontins said affected guests would be refunded. | November 2023 |
| Prestatyn Sands, North Wales | Closed with immediate effect, alongside Camber Sands. | November 2023 |
| Southport, Merseyside | Shut after Storm Henk flooding, then closed for good after Pontins reviewed whether the park was viable. | January 2024 |
| Pakefield, Suffolk | Closed to the public to house about 500 Sizewell C workers. | January 2025 |
| Sand Bay, Somerset | Open, for adults only. | Trading on 30 October 2026 |
In April 2026 Britannia said it was surveying its three empty sites (Prestatyn, Southport and Camber Sands) to decide their future, and in July 2026 that pre-application proposals for all three had gone to the local councils’ planning officers. In September 2025 it said it wanted a family holiday park at Prestatyn, but no opening date has been announced.
Who owns Pontins now
Britannia Hotels, since 2011, as the BBC and the Guardian report. Sand Bay’s booking terms name the company you book with as Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, which Companies House lists as a registered overseas entity (OE022443). The terms still call the business Pontins.
The equality watchdog’s findings
In February 2024 the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) served Pontins with an unlawful act notice. It found 11 unlawful acts of race discrimination against Irish Travellers between 2013 and 2018, including a list of common Irish surnames labelled “undesirable guests” that staff were told to block. The EHRC had ended an earlier agreement with Pontins in 2022 because it wasn’t satisfied the company was keeping to it. On 2 September 2024 Pontins apologised and began a one-year action plan monitored by the EHRC. The apology is still on the Sand Bay website.
Sand Bay Holiday Village: what you get
Sand Bay Holiday Village is about four miles north of Weston-super-Mare, near Kewstoke and a short walk from Sand Bay beach. It’s adults only: the booking terms say it won’t take a booking that includes anyone under 18, and staff may ask for proof of age from anyone who looks under 25.
Stays are sold as breaks with meals. The village says all bookings are half board (breakfast and an evening meal); the Christmas, Twixmas and New Year breaks are full board. Most breaks have a theme, from 60s music to line dancing or West End songs. There’s live entertainment every evening, included in the price, and the Bluecoats run bingo, quizzes and games by day.
Listed as free: a heated indoor pool with sauna and spa pool (closed Mondays and Fridays), table tennis, darts, snooker, crazy golf, pitch and putt and an outdoor gym. There are three bars and a café open 8am to 4pm. The restaurant serves breakfast from 8am to 10am and dinner from 5pm to 7pm, and the village’s FAQ says there’s no lighter food option in the evening.
The three apartment types
| Type | Check-in | What the village lists |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | 4pm | Private bathroom, TV with limited channels, electricity, beds made, towels for the stay (not changed), tea and coffee |
| Club | 2pm | Walk-in shower, Freeview, a bottle of wine, a daily newspaper; shown as an upgrade “from £20”, without saying per night or per stay |
| Holiday | 2pm | En-suite, Freeview, wine, a daily newspaper, the best positions on site, parking away from the main car park |
One thing to check: the apartment pages say beds are made and electricity is included, but the break pages’ small print says prices don’t include linen, and the general terms say linen, towels and electricity are extra unless your booking includes them. Make sure your quote covers what you need.
Who Sand Bay suits, and who it doesn’t
It suits couples, friends and solo travellers aged 18 and over who like themed music and shows, want breakfast and dinner included, or are bringing a dog.
It doesn’t suit:
- families with children, who can’t stay, or anyone hoping for a Pontins family park, as none is open;
- self-caterers: the apartment pages list tea and coffee facilities, not a kitchen;
- anyone who might need to cancel, since offer rates are non-refundable;
- motorhome and caravan owners: the terms don’t allow motorhomes, caravans, trailers or commercial vehicles on site.
What a cheap stay costs
Sand Bay’s booking system runs only in a web browser, so instead of running our own searches we used the “from” prices per person printed on its break pages on 30 October 2026. The pages don’t say which apartment type or how many sharing each price assumes, so treat them as the lowest you might pay.
| Break | Arrival | Nights | Meals | From, per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey & Tinsel | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | 3 | Breakfast and 3-course dinner | £143 |
| Turkey & Tinsel | Mon 16 Nov 2026 | 4 | Breakfast and 3-course dinner | £155 |
| Turkey & Tinsel | Fri 20 Nov 2026 | 3 | Breakfast and 3-course dinner | £155 |
| Country Music | Fri 29 Jan 2027 | 3 | Half board | £125 |
| Twixmas | 27 Dec 2026 | 3 | Full board | £198 |
| New Year | 30 Dec 2026 | 3 | Full board | £324 |
| Christmas | 23 Dec 2026 | 4 | Full board | £378 |
At the lowest example, £125 each for the Country Music break from Friday 29 January 2027, two people would pay £250 for three nights with breakfast and dinner: about £83 a night for the pair.
Check the dated price, not the headline: on the offers list, Country Music was listed from £109, but its dated breaks started at £125 and £159; West End from £114, but its dated breaks started at £160 and £194.
What costs extra
- Drinks, which aren’t included with meals, and lunch from the café.
- Dogs: from £10 per dog per night, paid on arrival, plus a possible damage deposit.
- A guaranteed ground-floor apartment: a small extra charge.
- Changes: the terms allow a £20 charge for each one.
- Day passes for friends visiting you, and a few activities: small charges.
- Spare bedrooms: in an apartment bigger than you need, unused bedrooms may be locked, and opening them may cost £15 per stay.
Booking, deposits, cancellation and protection
You can book online, by phone or through an agent. The village asks for everyone’s name, address and date of birth, and your car registration. A quote holds its price for 30 minutes. At check-in the lead guest must show the card used to pay and may be asked for ID.
- Cancel 56 days or more before arrival: you lose the deposit, which the terms call a non-refundable booking fee.
- Cancel 55 days or fewer before: you pay the full cost.
- Internet and email offers are non-refundable, and the break pages say offer rates are prepaid.
- No refund if you go home early; miss the balance date and the booking is cancelled, and you can lose what you’ve paid.
We couldn’t find the deposit amount in the terms, so check it before you pay. If the village cancels, for example because the park closes or floods, the terms offer a full refund or a substitute holiday.
We found no mention on its website of ABTA, ATOL or any other scheme that protects your money if the company fails, and the terms say it is very important to be adequately insured. Citizens Advice explains that if something costs over £100 and up to £30,000 and you pay at least part by credit card, you can claim from the card provider under Section 75; with a debit card, ask your bank for a chargeback.
How to pay less
- Go in a quiet month: the Country Music break started at £125 in late January 2027 and £159 in late September 2027.
- Compare the price per night: the four-night Turkey & Tinsel break from Monday 16 November 2026 started at the same £155 as the three-night break from Friday 20 November, about £39 a night against £52.
- Choose Twixmas: three full-board nights from £198, against £324 for New Year and £378 for four nights at Christmas.
- Stay in a Classic apartment unless you want the extras.
- Join the village’s email list and watch its offers page for its own sales; the terms say prices change through the day.
- Groups of 10 rooms or more can ask for group rates.
Our guides to booking cheaper holidays, saving money on holiday and bargain holidays have more ideas.
Dogs, access and house rules
Sand Bay takes up to two dogs per party in dog-friendly rooms, added when you book. Dogs stay on a lead, can’t be left alone and aren’t allowed in the restaurant, bars, venues or leisure areas. Assistance dogs are free; no other pets are allowed. If anyone in your party has a disability, tell the village when you book; it will try to give you a ground-floor apartment free but can’t guarantee one.
The village is cashless apart from bingo and arcade machines, and there’s no smoking in the apartments or indoor public areas. Staff can refuse entry if you bring what they consider too much alcohol, and may search your car. Arrive between 12pm and 10pm; leave by 10am. Our guide to arriving at a holiday park covers what to check on the day.
Family alternatives to Pontins
For a family break, Sand Bay won’t work. Butlin’s still runs three resorts, at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness, and sells family breaks there. Our guides cover these options:
- Haven Holidays, Hoseasons, Park Holidays UK, Away Resorts and Shorefield Holidays: parks, prices and what’s included;
- UK holiday parks, our overview, and cheap UK holidays for families;
- cheap caravan holidays in the UK, in Cornwall, and camping holidays;
- Eurocamp holiday parks, if you’d consider a park abroad.
Adults wanting a different trip can try our cheap UK weekend breaks, 2-night breaks in the UK or, nearby, our Bristol guide. The village’s own website is sandbayholidayvillage.co.uk.
How we checked this: on 30 October 2026 we read Sand Bay Holiday Village’s website (accommodation, offers, booking terms, FAQs and apology), the EHRC’s published findings, Companies House, Citizens Advice, Butlin’s website, and reports from the BBC, the Guardian, the Bridgwater Mercury, the Lowestoft Journal, the Rhyl Journal and other local news. We haven’t stayed at Sand Bay or any Pontins park. Prices change daily, and the village’s terms call advertised prices a guide, so check the price and what’s included when you book.
Questions people ask
Only through Sand Bay Holiday Village near Weston-super-Mare, which is adults only. On 30 October 2026 the Pontins website redirected there, and no Pontins family park was taking bookings. If another website seems to offer a stay at a closed Pontins park, check with the company before you pay.
Brean Sands (to holidaymakers since January 2023, housing Hinkley Point C workers), Camber Sands and Prestatyn Sands (November 2023), Southport (January 2024, after flooding) and Pakefield (to the public since January 2025, housing Sizewell C workers).
No reopening dates have been announced. When Brean Sands closed, it was reported that it would return to holiday use once the workers left. In July 2026 Britannia said pre-application proposals for Prestatyn, Southport and Camber Sands were with the local councils’ planning officers; in September 2025 it said it wanted a family holiday park at Prestatyn.
No. Breaks are half board, and the Christmas, Twixmas and New Year breaks full board. Drinks are extra; evening shows and most activities are included.
