Holidays & Travel

A first look at the new Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE with Jeff and Freddy Brazier

The Celebrity Race Against The World father and son duo test out the new £15 million play centre, claiming to be the best in Britain.

Father and son Jeff and Freddy Brazier open the new Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE
Father and son Jeff and Freddy Brazier open the new Butlin's PLAYEXPERIENCE (Butlins/PA) Father and son Jeff and Freddy Brazier open the new Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE

A firm favourite for budget family holidays, Butlin’s has pulled out all the stops with an extravagant £15 million spend on their new indoor activity centre PLAYXPERIENCE.

Open to the public from today (October 7), the new addition to the Home of Entertainment’s Bognor Regis resort promises state-of-the-art game play across two floors.

The nine experiences on offer include the first fully immersive and interactive built-in Neo Games arenas in the UK, immersive Laser Tag, 27 TechPutt golf holes across three courses, a VR-cade featuring the latest VR experiences, and four different Escape Rooms suitable for younger audiences.

“There’s nothing else like it in the holiday market,” claims Jon Hendry Pickup, CEO at Butlin’s. “PLAYXPERIENCE was designed with something for everyone in mind – whether visiting with family, a partner or a group of friends on a Big Weekender. No matter what break you’re on, everyone loves a bit of friendly competition while having fun in the process!”

Healthy competition between friends and family lies at the core of the centre’s design. According to research by Butlin’s, more than three quarters of Brits (78%) admit to being competitive with both their family and friends and more than one in five (21%) of UK adults try their hardest to win.

Putting the new centre through its paces, Celebrity Race Across The World stars, Jeff and Freddy Brazier, attended the launch.

“I love a bit of friendly competition with my son,” said Jeff, who singled out the Shuffleboard experience as his favourite game. “It’s really lovely to just play and to interact. It’s not about the winner, it’s just about spending time and making memories.”

But the father of two admitted he can be a competitive dad.

Jeff and Freddy Brazier play Shuffleboard at the new Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE
Jeff and Freddy Brazier play Shuffleboard at the new Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE

“In the past, I have let Freddie win at things, probably at that moment where I feel like he’s about to throw the racket in the air. But nowadays, I don’t let any of my children win at anything… It’s gotten to the point where they just beat me!”

The PLAYEXPERIENCE is open to guests staying at the Bognor Regis resort. Access to each activity is with Activity Tokens, a new form of digital currency purchasable either online or at the resort. Visit butlins.com for more information.