Center Parcs Elveden 2 Bed Woodland Lodge Review

We first visited Center Parcs Elveden back in October 2023, staying in a 3 bedroom lodge, and loved it enough that it was never really a question of if we’d go back – more a question of when. So when F went off on his school ski trip and we suddenly had a rare break with just four of us, we figured it was the perfect moment to go back. This time we went smaller: a 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge instead of the 3 bed, and honestly, I’ve got a lot to say.

The short version: the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge at Center Parcs Elveden is a well-designed, comfortable base for a family of four, with more storage than you’d expect and genuinely lovely forest views. Coming from our 3 bed last time, it felt like a slightly snugger fit – but for four people it worked perfectly. If you’re trying to decide whether to book one, this is the review I wish I’d had.

Why we chose the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge

We were travelling as four – me, my husband, S (13) and A (8). With F away, we went from five to four, and it opened up the option of a 2 bedroom lodge rather than the 3 bed we’d had on our first trip. One double, one twin. Simple – and a noticeably lower price point too.

The 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge sits in the middle of Center Parcs’ accommodation tier – above the Comfort Villas, below the Executive and Forest Lodges. It’s the most popular option for a reason: it’s practical, it sleeps four comfortably, and it gives you that proper self-catering set-up without paying for features you might not use. We were assigned Maple 818, and I’d request that area again in a heartbeat – more on that in a minute.

First impressions: the lodge exterior and location

The Woodland Lodges at Elveden look exactly as you’d hope – timber-clad, with a green door, tucked into the trees. There’s something about pulling up and seeing that forest stretching out behind the lodge that just immediately de-stresses you. Within about thirty seconds of arriving, A was already spotting squirrels and the super-cute muntjac deer.

Lodge 818 is in the Maple area, which I’d say is one of the better spots on the whole site. We were a short, flat walk from the village centre – close enough that we didn’t need bikes to pop to Starbucks or the ParcMarket, but far enough back from the main paths that it felt genuinely quiet and wooded. If you’re booking a 2 bed Woodland Lodge at Elveden and can request Maple, I would.

Outside the lodge there’s a paved patio with a round table and four chairs, plus a solid brick-built BBQ – proper brick and metal grill, not a flimsy portable thing. The forest opens up directly behind it, so you’re basically eating surrounded by trees. There’s nothing between you and the woodland.

Inside the lodge: the layout and living space

The front door opens into a small hallway with two rows of coat hooks – which sounds like a minor detail but genuinely matters when you’ve got four people’s waterproofs and cycling helmets to deal with. There’s a separate WC off the hallway too, which is small and fairly basic but incredibly useful when you’ve got a child who needs the loo at the same time as someone’s showering.

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living area takes up a good chunk of the lodge and it flows well. The living room has a large L-shaped corner sofa – proper, deep, comfortable sofa – in front of floor-to-ceiling sliding doors looking straight out into the forest. There’s a feature wall covered in a grey woodland photograph print that gives it an actual design feel rather than just generic holiday rental. There’s a fireplace too, though I’ll be honest, we never worked out if it was decorative or functional.

One of the most cleverly thought-out details: the main TV in the living area is built into the kitchen island unit, facing the living room. So the kitchen and living space share it. It means you can actually see it from the kitchen while you’re cooking, which sounds small but was genuinely useful.

The dining table seats four and sits next to the front patio doors – more floor-to-ceiling glass, more trees. On arrival, there was a chalkboard on the wall with “Welcome to Elveden Forest – Have an excellent stay! 818” written on it, which was a lovely touch. A was delighted.

The kitchen: properly equipped, with a few caveats

The kitchen has white gloss units with black worktops, a gas hob, oven, microwave, Nespresso-style coffee machine and toaster. There’s a full-size fridge, a dishwasher, and a decent amount of cupboard space for food and crockery. Plates, bowls, glasses, wine glasses, mugs – it’s all there, and it’s all clean and in good condition.

We did most of our breakfasts and a few dinners in the lodge, and it coped fine. The hob worked well once we’d worked out the ignition (there’s a knack to it – you need to hold the ignition button longer than feels right). The oven, though, took us a frustrating amount of fiddling on the first evening to get going. The instructions in the lodge weren’t entirely clear, and we ended up googling the oven model to work it out. Not a huge deal, but worth knowing – have a look at the oven make and model when you arrive and give yourself time before you actually need dinner.

Similar story with the heating. The lodge was perfectly warm, but the thermostat controls weren’t immediately obvious and we spent a bit of time on the first night being slightly too cold before someone (not me) finally cracked the instructions. Again, not a dealbreaker, just one of those minor niggles that could easily be avoided if you have a quick look round when you first arrive rather than assuming everything is self-explanatory.

The bedrooms: what you actually get

The master bedroom has a proper double bed – comfortable, fresh white linen, brown cushions, the same oak-and-green built-in wardrobe unit as the rest of the lodge. There’s a floor-to-ceiling window looking into the forest. Waking up to trees is not a bad thing. The wardrobe unit has a TV inside it too, which the kids decided was extremely cool.

The twin room has two single beds (they’re separate, with a bedside unit between them, though you can push them together if needed), good storage including a full wardrobe with dressing table and mirror, and its own built-in shelving. S and A had one night of low-level bickering about who got which bed, as is tradition, and then everything was fine.

Storage-wise, both bedrooms have a decent amount of hanging and shelf space. I always slightly dread the “where does everything go” scramble at a holiday rental, and it genuinely wasn’t an issue here.

The bathrooms

There’s one main bathroom (bath with shower over, WC, sink) and a separate WC off the hallway. The bath panel is painted in the same forest green as appears throughout the lodge, which ties it together nicely. The shower over the bath was properly powerful – one of those things you don’t expect to be impressed by in a self-catering rental, but here we are.

The separate WC is small and a bit dated-feeling compared to the rest of the lodge, but having that extra toilet when you’ve got a family of four is absolutely worth it. Nobody queues, nobody argues, everyone gets where they need to be.

Does the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge work for older kids?

Almost every Center Parcs review I found before we went was written from the perspective of families with toddlers or young children. Which makes sense – Center Parcs has always marketed heavily to that age group. But S’s 13 and A’s 8, and I want to be honest about how it works for that slightly older crowd.

For A, it was brilliant. He’s right in the sweet spot – old enough to tackle a decent range of activities, young enough to think the whole forest-and-wildlife thing is genuinely magical. He spotted a deer near our lodge on the second morning and I thought he was going to combust with excitement.

For S, it’s a little more nuanced. She had a good time, but she’s at the age where she’s started wondering whether holidays are cool enough to mention to her friends. (She did keep taking photos of the forest view, so I think we got away with it.) There’s actually more for older kids and teens at Center Parcs than the marketing sometimes suggests – the zip wire at Elveden is the longest of all the UK sites, and anything in the Active Forest or Action Challenge range will keep a thirteen-year-old engaged. Just make sure you book activities early, because the popular ones go fast.

The lodge itself worked fine for four of us. It didn’t feel cramped. Having two separate bedrooms means the adults and kids have their own space, which I can’t overstate the value of by the end of day three.

The Maple area: why location matters at Elveden

Elveden is the second smallest of the UK Center Parcs sites, which I actually think works in its favour – nothing feels too far away, and you don’t spend half the break cycling to get anywhere. But location within the site still makes a difference, and Maple hit the sweet spot for us.

We were close to the village (where the pool, restaurants and shops are) without being right on top of it, and the trees around lodge 818 felt genuinely dense and quiet. I’ve seen reviews mentioning lodges near the construction areas or on the outer edges feeling more exposed. Maple, and specifically the 800s in Maple, felt properly tucked in.

You get to Elveden from the A11 – it’s in rural Suffolk, about an hour from Cambridge and under two hours from South East London if the A11 is behaving itself. We drove down on a Friday afternoon and it was fine, though I’d avoid school holiday arrival times if you can.

Practical things I’d tell anyone booking the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge at Elveden

• Book your activities well before you go. Not weeks – months. The Aerial Adventure, Zip Wire and Segway all fill up fast, especially in school holidays.
• Bring basics from home – washing-up liquid, bin bags, extra dishwasher tablets. The lodge comes with a starter set but you’ll run out.
• The ParcMarket on site sells everything you need but at a premium. We did a big Ocado order to the lodge before we arrived, which saved us a fortune.
• Spend five minutes when you arrive figuring out the oven, hob ignition and heating controls before you need them. Just trust me on this one.
• The wristbands open your lodge door and your pool locker – don’t leave the lodge without yours, especially if you use the patio sliding doors (they lock automatically).
• The BBQ on the patio requires charcoal – you can buy it at the ParcMarket. Worth it for an evening outside in the forest.

Would we go back?

Yes. And I say that as someone who was fairly sceptical about the whole Center Parcs concept going in. It’s not cheap, and it’s worth being clear-eyed about that – once you factor in activities on top of the lodge cost, you’re spending proper money. But what you get in return is a few days where the car stays in the car park, nobody’s glued to their phone (limited TV channels do genuinely help with this), and the whole family is actually doing things together.

The 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge was specifically well thought through for a family of four. It’s not a luxury stay – if you want hot tubs, en-suites saunas or underfloor heating, look at the Executive or Forest Lodges – but the space is good, the storage is better than expected, the forest location is lovely and the shower is excellent. For what it costs compared to the higher tiers, it does its job really well.

Would I go back to Maple 818 specifically? Absolutely. We love the location within the park.

A note on price

I’ll be honest, it’s not a cheap break. A 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge at Elveden typically runs into the hundreds per night during school holidays, considerably less off-peak or midweek. We booked off-peak and the difference was significant. My advice: book as early as possible, go midweek if you can, and check the Center Parcs website directly for current pricing – it fluctuates a lot. What I will say is that once you’re there, the lodge itself is included and the pool is free. It’s the activities and food on top that push the cost up, so going in with a rough budget for those makes a real difference.

Center Parcs Elveden 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge: FAQs

How many people does the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge sleep?

The 2 bedroom Woodland Lodge sleeps four people – one double bedroom and one twin bedroom. It’s designed for up to two adults and two children, though you could book it for four adults. If you need to sleep a fifth person, you’d need to look at the 3 bedroom option or request a sofa bed, though availability will vary.

Do the 2 bedroom Woodland Lodges at Elveden have a dishwasher?

Yes, the Woodland Lodges at Elveden have a dishwasher, microwave, gas hob and oven, plus a Nespresso-style coffee machine and toaster. The kitchen is properly equipped for self-catering – you won’t need to bring much beyond food and basic supplies like washing-up liquid.

Is the Maple area a good location at Elveden Forest?

Maple is generally considered one of the more central areas at Elveden, which means you’re a short walk or cycle from the village, pool and restaurants. The lodges in Maple still feel surrounded by trees and quiet. If you’re hoping for maximum forest immersion and don’t mind a slightly longer walk to the facilities, the outer areas like Oak give you more privacy. But for ease of access with kids, Maple is a great balance.

What’s included in a Center Parcs Woodland Lodge?

The lodge comes with all bed linen and towels, a fully equipped kitchen, a private patio with outdoor furniture and a brick-built BBQ, a 40-inch flat screen TV in the living area and TVs in the bedrooms, plus central heating. Toiletries and cleaning products are provided as a starter supply only – bring extras. 

Is Center Parcs Elveden suitable for teenagers?

It’s better for teens than the marketing might suggest. Elveden has the longest zip wire of all the UK Center Parcs sites, plus Aerial Adventure, Segway, archery, tennis, cycling and the pool complex with rides suitable for older kids. It won’t replace a city break for a fifteen-year-old who wants Instagram content, but for a 10-13 year old who still has some enthusiasm for family activities, it works well. Book activity slots in advance. 

 

See more of my family travel posts here as well as other UK Adventures!

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