‘Misled’ glampers pay up to £2,000 for three nights at site ‘more Chernobyl than Champneys’

‘More Chernobyl than Champneys!’: ‘Misled’ glampers paying up to £2,000 for three nights say they were promised five-star luxury and cocktails but got overpriced beer and a fish and chip van instead

  • Cloud Nine glamping company owns three sites running over summer holidays 
  • It promises visitors luxury and claims to also ‘offer the ultimate family escape’ 
  • However, several customers have hit out and criticised their holiday experience 


Furious holidaymakers paying up to £2,000 for a three-night glamping holiday have slammed their experience as ‘more Chernobyl than Champneys’. 

Cloud Nine, a holiday company with three sites in Dorset, Norfolk and the Cotswolds that are running over the summer holidays, claims to offer the ‘ultimate family escape’ with five-star luxury.

However, visitors have slammed the company, with NHS worker Rob Knights, 42, saying he was left feeling ‘totally misled’ after he paid nearly £1,000 to stay at the Norfolk site for four nights with his wife and three kids.

He said: ‘They sold you a dream and it just didn’t come true. There are no bespoke cocktails. 

‘The food offerings consisted of a fish and chip van and overpriced mac and cheese stand.

‘It was £6.50 for a pint of beer — you wouldn’t pay that in a five-star hotel let alone a field.

‘There was no zip wire or fairground. And there was one sink for people to do their washing.’

Visitors have hit out at glamping company Cloud Nine, which runs three sites in the Cotswolds (pictured), Dorset and Norfolk

Simon Wilson, who owns a catering firm at the Cotswolds site, told the Sun: ‘We were told it would be a festival-type event. Five-star luxury with cocktails and champagne.

‘But the site is more like Chernobyl than Champneys. Some families are taking one look and seeing it isn’t anything like the website.’ 

Other visitors left scathing reviews on social media. 

One said: ‘Checked in today. It’s 9:30pm. I’m waiting in a tent with a dirty floor left by previous tenants. 

‘Asked housekeeping more than an hour ago to clean the sweets and crisps lying all over on the floor but no one has come yet – been to reception three times already. 

‘Children have to go to sleep soon. Seems like other tents have all types of issues too.’

Another wrote: ‘Think about hygiene, showers not cleaned all week. Reception staff clueless. Wouldn’t hurt to have at least 1 buggy for families who have small children (we struggled on a really hot day). 

One visitor who visited with his family said: 'They sold you a dream and it just didn't come true'

One visitor who visited with his family said: ‘They sold you a dream and it just didn’t come true’

Simon Wilson, who owns a catering firm at the Cotswolds site, also criticised Cloud Nine

Simon Wilson, who owns a catering firm at the Cotswolds site, also criticised Cloud Nine

‘Not having hot water for washing up is not cool.

‘Overall I enjoyed the camping my kids loved it but felt a bit like Fyre Festival. A bit of a money pit. I think personally the phone charging should be free. Did raise this with the site manger but now I’m gone doesn’t seem interested.’ 

Cloud Nine has been approached for comment.  

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