Butlin's Bognor Regis: Masked Singer, shows, archery and smiling teenagers - there’s so much included in a Butlin’s break

After Lockdown scuppered our Butlin’s holiday plans a few years ago, we were pleased to finally reschedule our long-awaited stay.

Our kids are a little older and, now both teenagers, are certainly rather more difficult to please, nonetheless Butlin’s continues to offer plenty of variety to satisfy all ages, including mums and dads.

It’s wonderfully reassuring that, as we mature, Butlin’s keeps evolving to suit our tastes, as brilliantly epitomised by the Splash Waterworld and forthcoming £15m indoor activity centre Playxperience.

Throw in the wide range of evening shows, including the Allen family favourite of wrestling, and our 16 and 13-year-olds remain as entertained by holidays to the Bognor resort as they were when toddlers dressing up as the Skyline Gang.

The Wave Hotel hosted us for the four-night stay, with Butlin’s understanding that guests have different requirements, offering a wide variety of accommodation to suit all budgets and party sizes; from luxury hotel suites with sea views to simple comfortable rooms. As well as three hotels to choose from, there are also a range of self-catering apartments, if you prefer more space and your own kitchen.

Once unpacked, we headed to the funfair which remains a faithful friend and reassuringly largely unchanged since the early days of Butlin’s. In fact, Billy Butlin was the first person to bring dodgems to the UK from the US in 1923 and the ride is still a hit today with excitable riders queuing round the block.

Another nostalgic feature of Butlin’s is the indoor pool – now known as Splash Waterworld. Since opened in 2019, it offers a significant upgrade on previously impressive water facilities at Bognor. With flumes, waterslides, a lazy river and a designated area for younger children, there are so many activities that you could easily spend a whole day in the tropical heat.

But Butlin’s isn’t all about nostalgia, having cleverly tapped into current trends demonstrating they aren’t afraid to move with the times. One such example was one of our highlights of the week – The Masked Singer Live. The popular ITV show is one of our favourite TV programmes and we were excited to see it brought to life in the Centre Stage auditorium.

I won’t ruin the surprise and reveal the celebrities behind the mask, but it was a thoroughly entertaining and energetic show, superbly brought to the stage. However, we didn’t come close to guessing correctly!

Inevitably, The Masked Singer is a popular draw and seats fill up fast, but there are three performances during the day so everyone gets the opportunity to see it. Buying Early Access VIP passes cannot be recommended enough, guaranteeing a front row seat for all shows and beating the queues. Well worth the added cost.

Another investment Butlin’s is making for the future is the new state-of-the-art Playxperience. Scheduled to open in September 2024, the £15m indoor activity centre is spread over two floors and will feature nine experiences including themed escape rooms, high-tech mini golf, laser tag and the latest VR gaming. One for adults as well as kids, I suspect.

If you prefer to experience the outdoors, there’s a whole range of activities to take part in – come rain or shine. We tried archery, go-karting, pool and trampolining. All great fun to do as a family, although the kids were harshly unimpressed that dad managed three bullseyes in four arrows.

All this non-stop activity certainly builds a hunger and we looked forward each evening to the wide selection of food available in our premium dining plan. From traditional roast dinners to themed nights including Indian, Thai and Italian, there were plenty of options for everyone, even overly-fussy children.

The dining plan also included a buffet-style breakfast. However, if you are self-catering, then there’s a wide range of dining options available from Costa Coffee to Papa Johns to Burger King as well as a well-stocked supermarket onsite.

These days with so many modern distractions and gadgets, it’s a struggle as a family to eat together, to sit and watch things together, to spend quality time together, and to talk together. Thank you Butlin’s for reminding us of the importance of being a family.

Now altogether now: Take it off, take it off, take it off.

Four-night Showtime Midweek Term-time breaks start from £49. That’s based on four sharing a two-bedroom Silver Room in Bognor starting 11 November. Price includes accommodation, access to all live shows, free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, soft play, activities and playgrounds.

Three-night Summer Holiday breaks featuring The Masked Singer Live are priced from £386. Based on four sharing a Silver Room in Bognor starting August 30. Price includes accommodation, access to all live shows, free flow access to the pool, unlimited fairground rides, soft play, activities and playgrounds.

To find out more or to book go to butlins.com.