Inside the £87 million Center Parcs transformation – with two-storey treehouses and an exhilarating new attraction

Center Parcs Longford Forest in Ireland is undergoing a €100 million (£87 million) expansion, featuring 83 new lodges, facility upgrades, and a thrilling new zipline experience. 

The major transformation will boost the site’s total capacity to approximately 3,500 guests, bringing significant value to Irish tourism. 

Longford Forest is Ireland’s first Center Parcs village, nestled in 400 acres of stunning forest approximately five kilometres from the town of Ballymahon. 

The site has welcomed more than one million visitors since opening in 2019. 

For the first time, the resort is adding its iconic two-storey treehouse lodges to the Irish site, each featuring personal hot tubs, saunas and in-room gaming dens. 

All lodges, some of which can sleep up to six people, will run on an air-source heat pump network and be installed with high-efficiency LED lighting.

In addition, guests will be able to zoom through the treetops on an exhilarating new aerial zipline, named ‘Forest Glider’, which is described as a ‘continuous-loop, gravity-fed ride’ and is expected to open in autumn 2026. 

As for dining, a new lakeside restaurant, which was previously announced in August 2025, is set to elevate the resort’s food and beverage offering. 

Ireland's Center Parcs Longford Forest site (pictured) is set to undergo a €100 million (£87 million) expansion, bringing dozens of brand new lodges and a zipline experience

Luxury treehouse lodges will be introduced for the first time at the Irish resort, each with personal hot tubs and saunas

From autumn 2026, guests staying at the resort will be able to take on an exhilarating new ariel zipline named 'Forest Glider'

A number of facilities across the site will also undergo major upgrades, including Ireland’s largest indoor water park, Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and the Aqua Sana Spa. 

The expansion has created some 300 jobs during the construction phase, with 250 permanent roles expected upon completion, according to the Irish Independent

Bookings for select new lodges are already open for stays between December 2026 and April 2027.

It comes after Center Parcs was recently granted planning permission for a new village, set to be the company’s seventh in the UK and Ireland.

The new village – to be named Center Parcs Scottish Borders – will be located in the south of Scotland between the towns of Hawick and Selkirk.

Center Parcs aims for work at the site to begin in spring 2026 – and it is hoped the new village will open in summer 2029.

The village will feature up to 700 lodges and apartments, the iconic Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a Village Centre with shops and restaurants, and the Aqua Sana Forest Spa – a tranquil retreat nestled in a natural setting.

Center Parcs Scottish Borders will see the company plant a forest for the first time, selecting species to create a thriving woodland.

Facilities such as Subtropical Swimming Paradise (pictured) and the Aqua Sana Spa will also undergo major upgrades

Other key features of the proposal include two newly created lochs designed for water sports and recreation.

There is set to be a combined Nature and Heritage Centre with wildflower meadows, nature trails, and wetlands to promote biodiversity.

In true Center Parcs style, there will also be a wide range of outdoor activities integrated into the landscape.

It will be Center Parcs’ first new village since the opening of Longford Forest in Ireland in 2019.