Hoseasons awards

DARWIN ESCAPES RESORTS

Posted on February 11, 2025

With a portfolio of 26 leading holiday resorts and three golf courses across the UK, Darwin Escapes is one of the trailblazers transforming the UK holiday park industry. Darwin Escapes offers holiday breaks, holiday home ownership and golf breaks with the widest range of holiday accommodation at its resorts, from romantic boutique escapes to luxury lodge retreats and traditional family-focused holiday parks.

With such variety on offer, there is sure to be something to appeal to everyone. “No two Darwin Escapes resorts are the same,” explains Drew Campbell, Director of Operations, “But every resort in our portfolio shares a common aim - to provide the best possible holiday experience for holidaymakers and holiday homeowners.”

“With this in mind, we have created brand new resorts in stunning locations with accommodation and facilities that rival those of 5-star hotels, and lovingly updated our existing sites across the UK.” One resort that is a flagship for the company in terms of the facilities on offer is Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa.

This multi-award-winning park recently scooped the Diamond Award for East of England large park for the third time in the prestigious Hoseasons Awards in November 2024. Norfolk Woods, established in 2019, is situated close to the market town of Kings Lynn in an ideal location for holidaymakers wishing to take advantage of Norfolk’s breath taking countryside and coastal scenery.

DARWIN ESCAPES RESORTS aim to provide the best possible holiday experience for holidaymakers and holiday homeowners

Guests at Norfolk Woods can choose from a selection of stylish and contemporary accommodation including premium lodges with outdoor hot tubs. Open plan in design, the lodges boast the latest entertainment features and kitchen facilities for a luxurious stay.

There is an abundance of on-site amenities and activities on offer at the park including an indoor swimming pool, stylish bar and bistro, outdoor children’s splash park, as well as a superbly equipped spa for adult relaxation. Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa may be fairly new, but it has a rich heritage in the region.

The original site was known as Pentney Holiday Park, a resort designed for touring caravans and camping holidaymakers, which was the home of decades of happy holiday memories. “We wanted to keep our resort as the home for more of those amazing holiday memories for decades to come, but with a new, contemporary and fresh feel,” explains Anne Foulkes, Regional & General Manager of Norfolk Woods.

“Our aim was to retain the gorgeous natural scenery and preserve the site as a true destination, whilst creating Norfolk’s best luxury lodge park.” Luxury lodges are also on offer at Darwin Escapes newest premium development: Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat. Partnering with historic Blenheim Palace, the company has created a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom lodges in the grounds of the stunning Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire.

NORFOLK WOODS RESORT & Spa boasts great leisure facilities for all ages

The self-catering holiday lodges, which opened in August 2023, feature high-end furnishings and facilities including luxury open-plan dining and living areas, walk-in wardrobes and ensuite bathrooms. Working together with the team at Blenheim Palace, Darwin Escapes were keen to respect both the prestige of the existing site and the local area’s environmental factors.

Each lodge is fully electric and fitted with air-source heat pumps and personal car charging stations to help to reduce impact on the environment. “We’ve ensured our lodge accommodation fits seamlessly into the surrounding landscape near Blenheim Palace,” explains Drew Campbell, Director of Operations.

“We’ve also honoured the heritage with the naming of our lodges – Winston, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh and Marlborough. This, along with our interior decoration, is a nod to the rich history of the area that awaits guests in their Blenheim lodge accommodation.” Some of the design features of the Blenheim lodges might also be familiar to viewers of the BBC television series Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr.

In the final episode of the 2024 series, the two finalists took on the challenge to design the interior and outdoor space of two of the lodges at the Retreat. Holidaymakers can now choose to stay in one of the two lodges that the finalists designed. Unique accommodation is a feature of many of the Darwin Escapes resorts.

DARWIN ESCAPES RESORTS are available at 26 stunning locations throughout the UK. Pictured, Wareham Forest Lodge Retreat in Poole, Dorset

Amongst the most innovative and desirable are the treehouses available at Rivendale Lodge Retreat in the Peak District, and Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat on the Isle of Wight. These one-bedroom treehouses are designed with couples in mind and feature stylish copper furnishings, fully equipped kitchens with wine coolers and dishwashers, and multi-decked outdoor areas with luxurious sunken hot tubs.

The Darwin Escapes portfolio is managed by a 900-strong team of staff. The head office is based at the Talacre Beach Resort in North Wales, which is one of the company’s leading parks for holiday home ownership. Across the portfolio of 26 resorts, 15 offer holidays only, 3 offer holiday home ownership only, and 8 offer a mix of holiday home ownership and holidays such as at Talacre.

For those looking to buy a holiday home, Darwin Escapes offers a wide range of homes for sale, from static caravans to luxury lodges, to suit all budgets and requirements. Lodge and caravan holidays, meanwhile, are booked through their trusted booking partner Hoseasons, who handle all resort holiday bookings excluding those at Dundonald Links Resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, and Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat, which are booked directly with the resorts.

The team behind Darwin Escapes is constantly on the lookout for exciting solutions to increase their market share and the profile of their resorts amongst prospective buyers and holidaymakers. “Whilst UK holidays have been swept up in the staycation boom, one of the challenges over recent years has been the smaller marketplace for the sales community, with signs of a slight downtrend in holiday home ownership,” explains Shaun Roberts, Group Head of Sales.

THE BISTRO at Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa

“One of the ways we have responded to this is by branching out with new marketing adventures. Our appearance on Interior Design Masters is one example, alongside a Win a Caravan competition, increasing our out of home digital screen advertising across the country with particular interest in the North West, and attending more events throughout the year.”

Darwin Escapes are corporate partners with many of the UK’s top business and visitor attractions such as Chester Zoo, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham Hippodrome, Derby Book Festival and Venue Cymru. These partnerships offer their guests unique opportunities and help to ensure the very best holiday experience when they stay at a Darwin Escapes Resort.

The partnerships also involve giving back to the partner organisations with sponsorship of events and other collaborations. Each resort also chooses their own local charities to fund raise for throughout the year. It’s an innovative plan that’s clearly working in terms of both customer and industry recognition.

INTERIOR OF ONE of the lodges featured on television series Interior Design Masters

Since 2015, the Darwin Escapes resorts have collected a vast range of accolades from Best in Britain to 5-star ratings and regional award titles too. Most resorts have been assigned the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence and several are also rated 5 Black Pennant by AA Hotel and Hospitality Services.

All the North Wales holiday resorts have been awarded a 5-star status by Visit Wales, and in England, all resorts have either been given 5-star status by Visit England, or also boast Visit England Gold Awards.

“We are so proud of our award-winning resorts and these achievements are a credit to all of our hard-working teams across the UK, who strive to set the standard in the holiday resort industry,” says Drew Campbell, Director of Operations.

Darwin Escapes
0800 717707
www.darwinescapes.co.uk

MIND-BENDING CHALLENGES

Posted on March 12, 2024

MIND-BENDING CHALLENGES

Reporting from the Hoseasons Owners Conference & Awards...

THE ANNUAL HOSEASONS awards were presented at a glittering Gala Awards ceremony.

Hoseasons, one of the UK’s leading self-catering accommodation specialists, with more than 30,000 British destinations in coastal and countryside settings, gathered for its much-anticipated annual conference and awards event recently. From lodges and parks, to boats, cottages and apartments, the Hoseasons brand offers the widest available range of self-catering holidays in the UK accommodating 2.1 million holidaymakers and more than 170,000 pets every year and is part of Awaze - Europe’s leading managed vacation rentals and holiday resorts business.

More than 600 delegates gathered at the prestigious Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, in November and were rewarded with a packed conference programme and supportive trade exhibition. Many of the conference presenters were from the Awaze in-house team with an impressive injection of expert business and motivational speakers - all topped-off by a star appearance from comedian Tom Allen who co-hosted the Awards presentations.

Lead presenter, Daisy McAndrew, talked about the ‘mind-bending’ challenges holiday park operators had faced in the past ten years following Brexit, the pandemic, war in Ukraine, or five Prime Ministers and the cost-of-living crisis. She set the stage with Hoseason’s Simon Altham. Catherine Smith and Kris Penny gave an insightful talk on revenue management emphasising the importance of effective revenue management strategies for maximising revenue.

SPECIALLY SELECTED TRADE suppliers at the Hoseasons conference including Compass Insurance.

Andrew Goward and Luke Hansford shared key insights and industry trends that are shaping the industry’s future. Daniel Hulme (PhD), an AI and tech expert, shared mind-blowing insights into the future of AI technology before Martin Rovsing and Blake Carroll Fulford-Brown showcased innovative product designs and future technology that will enhance customer experiences. John Crosby’s presentation on Hoseasons’ marketing achievements highlighted the impactful campaigns and strategies Hoseasons have implemented.

Guest presenter, Tori James took delegates on an incredible journey of resilience and determination. Her storytelling was captivating and reminded us of the power of perseverance. Jamaine Campbell from Elite Dynamics, the Headline Sponsor, shared valuable insights on how the company’s partnership has truly elevated holiday park experiences. Adam Boulton, a renowned political broadcaster, discussed the impact of politics on the tourism industry.

His analysis shed light on the challenges and opportunities we may face. Rupa Patel, Laura Smith, and Dan Taylor provided an update on regulatory changes affecting our industry. Their work shapes the new rules to benefit our owners. The business development team discussed innovation and industry trends. They highlighted the importance of collaborating with Hoseasons for new developments.

THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Panel is a popular part of the annual Hoseasons Conference programme.

Jason Fox inspired delegates with his session on resilience and overcoming challenges. He reminded us that the right mindset can conquer any obstacle before the impressive day-long programme was round-up by Hoseasons CEO, Henrik Kjellberg. Delegates included Gregg Mumford, Chief Executive of Richardsons Group that offers varied accommodation at its Hemsby Beach Holiday Park as well as holidays afloat on a fleet of over 200 boats on the Norfolk Broads.

Greg said they offer a combination of direct bookings and bookings through Hoseasons with slightly more coming through Hoseasons for the dry holidays and 60 per cent booking directly for boats. He confirmed “One of the main things you get working with Hoseasons is that you get the overall picture of the domestic tourism market including insights, such as which accommodation types are booking and how well they will yield,” Greg shared when he talked to Holiday Park SCENE magazine.

“The Conference enables everybody to come together and share your insights individually and there is always a great line up of presenters.” Hemsby Beach Holiday Park will offer close to 400 units this year following the addition of pet-friendly lodges with hot tubs. The resort also offers a popular Clubhouse, a show bar that seats 420 people, restaurant and family entertainment centre. The Hemsby team also work with Hoseason’s Go Active scheme offering climbing walls, and high ropes.

DAISY MCANDREW set the stage with Hoseason’s Simon Altham.

“One of our biggest challenges is predicting the market year on year and Hoseasons are great with statistics and advice on this,” Greg adds. “The external speakers are very good but it is equally important to hear from the Hoseasons team and I value the panel discussion they have.” Sarah and Jeremy Barber, now working alongside son-in-law Richard Broome, began diversifying their 357 acres of rolling farm land in 2016 adding just three holiday lodges and evolving up to a current stock of 16 holiday lodges with hot tubs.

“We have only booked through Hoseasons right from the start,” said Jeremy. “Although they book through Hoseasons, we like to offer the personal touch and make an effort to give each lodge plenty of space and a friendly greeting on arrival,” he continued. “We did not come to the conference at first because we did not release how much was on offer,” he said. “We have really appreciated the Hoseasons involvement and the return on holiday lodge investment has been colossal,” he added.

Love2Stay owner, Mark Debb, of Salop Leisure was an enthusiastic supporter: “The Hoseasons reach is phenomenal,” says Mark who says the stand-out resort still manages to retain its individuality while benefitting from the multi-million Hoseason reach. “We want as much return as possible to reinvest as much as feasible,” says Mark who says with raw materials increases it is now taking two and a half years to see a return on investment of a £45k lodge compared with 12 months pre-pandemic.

DELEGATES MINGLED with a host of selected trade suppliers for a complimentary exhibition.

BEST IN BRITAIN
A prestigious roll of honour at the evening awards presentations heard Henlle Hall Woodland Lodges, near Oswestry, had scooped the Best in Britain Award for the Small Park category for the second year in a row. The park was also named Best Small Lodge Escape destination in the Heart of England.

Commenting on the park’s success, Cosmo Lloyd and Keeta Thomas, Joint Owners of Henlle Hall Woodland Lodges, said: “We were really pleased to be recognised with the regional award, but being named Best in Britain for the second-year running has really blown us away! In the end it all comes down to the hard work the team puts into looking after our guests. They do a fantastic job when it comes to providing excellent holiday experiences and that’s why we have so many happy customers.”

Henlle Hall Woodland Lodges is part of Hoseasons’ Magnificent collection – encompassing six locations across the UK featuring the highest level of luxury accommodation, service and innovation. Another hat-trick winner was Selsey Holiday Park, named Best in Britain for the quality of its food by staycation specialist Hoseasons. The park also won the Customer Choice Food Award for Family Fun Destinations as well as the award for the Best Family Fun Destination in the South of England.

HOSEASONS SURPRISED party-goers as top comedian Tom Allen co-hosted the recent awards.

Andrew Sheerin, Sales & Marketing Director at Cove UK, the parent company of Seal Bay, said: “Winning three awards in one night, including one for being the Best in Britain, has really blown us away! In the end it all comes down to the hard work and dedication the team puts into looking after our guests. They do a fantastic job and that’s why we have so many happy customers.”

Speaking after presenting the awards in front of more than 600 operators, industry suppliers and members of the Hoseasons team, Luke Hansford, Senior Vice President - Supply at Hoseasons, said: “It takes something special to be named Best of Britain at these awards, particularly when you consider the quality of the competition.