Luxury Lodges

MINISTER VISITS DRUMMOHR CAMPING & GLAMPING

Posted on February 13, 2025

Scotland’s Tourism Minister Richard Lochhead visited Drummohr Camping and Glamping Site in East Lothian last Autumn, celebrating its success as a leader in quality and sustainability within the tourism industry.

Drummohr, located on the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh, was recently named UK Campsite of the Year by Camping magazine and Best Park in Scotland by Pitchup.com. Minister Lochhead toured the 11-acre park, known for its eco-friendly practices and top-tier accommodations, including luxury lodges, glamping pods, and en suite bothies.

Site Manager Angie Purves showcased initiatives such as solar energy generation, EV charging points, and support for local transport links. Biodiversity projects include wildflower gardens, bug hotels, and native flora protection, making the park a haven for wildlife.

During the visit, the Minister planted a cherry blossom tree to commemorate the park’s AA five-star award and honoured a long-standing seasonal guest who recently passed away. Lochhead also met staff, including site wardens and the gardener, who contribute to the park’s environmental goals.

The Minister praised Drummohr’s commitment to sustainability and its role in boosting Scotland’s economy. “Businesses like Drummohr are crucial to Scotland’s high-value tourism sector, contributing to a thriving, sustainable future,” he said.

Angie Purves highlighted the park’s community impact, from supporting local businesses to sourcing products from nearby suppliers. Drummohr, part of the WCF employee-owned group, employs 13 staff and continues to invest in guest satisfaction and sustainability.

Drummohr Camping & Glamping Site
01316 656867
www.drummohr.co.uk

PINELOG’S LUXURY ACCESSIBLE LODGES FOR PARKS

Posted on February 12, 2025

Pinelog specialises in crafting luxury timber lodges tailored to the unique requirements of holiday parks, making them an excellent choice for facilities that need high-quality, accessible accommodations for less mobile guests and wheelchair users.

Dovestone Holiday Park has been a valued client of Pinelog for the past decade, benefiting from their luxury lodges. Nestled in the picturesque village of Greenfield in Saddleworth, the park enjoys a prime location adjacent to the stunning Peak District National Park.

Thanks to its luxurious lodgings and exceptional guest experiences, Dovestone Holiday Park proudly holds a five-star rating on TripAdvisor. “At Dovestone Park, we take pride in our customer service and aim to provide all our guests with a worry-free experience.

This commitment aligns with our mission to create a safe haven for those with accessibility needs,” said Sally Buckley, General Manager of Dovestone Holiday Park. With limited accessible accommodation options in the area, Dovestone is dedicated to providing an outstanding experience for all guests.

In 2023, they approached Pinelog to create their first two-bedroom accessible lodge. With guests already lined up for the inaugural stay, the urgency was clear in designing and delivering this much-anticipated accessible lodge for Dovestone Holiday Park.

Pinelog
01246 942842
www.pinelog.co.uk

THE PET POUND

Posted on May 17, 2024

Longstanding Hoseasons partner Hemsby Beach Holiday Park has always been pet-friendly, but owners Richardsons Leisure Limited started to understand the real value of investing in the pet pound in 2018. It was at that point that Chief Executive, Greg Munford, took the conscious decision to increase the number of pet-friendly units at the park from 24 to 44.

Since then and boosted by significant increase in pet ownership during Covid, Hemsby Beach has steadily increased its pet-friendly offering, so that today a total of 116, or 31%, of the park’s 391 luxury holiday homes and lodges welcome guests’ four-legged friends. But it’s not just the number of pet-friendly units that have increased - the quality of those units has markedly improved too, so much so that they are now some of the best the park has to offer, with nearly half featuring a hot tub.

GIVING PEOPLE the chance to be with their pets on holiday obviously comes with a financial benefit.

BOOKINGS UPLIFT
It’s not a surprising strategy when you consider recent Hoseasons stats showing that owners who take a pet see an average 46% uplift in booking volume vs locations that don’t accept a pet. But Greg says gone are the days when pet-friendly meant sectioning off a few shabby chalets on one corner of the park and expecting people to embrace the experience.

“Our purpose is to create an environment where customers can holiday with family and friends and create memories that last a lifetime. For an increasing number of people that means having their pets with them, and that shouldn’t mean having to compromise on the quality of their holiday experience – quite the opposite in fact, which is why we’ve made the changes and investments we have and why we take our approach to looking after pets and their owners so seriously.”

One example of this is the £10k Richardsons Leisure recently spent on decking gates for its pet-friendly lodges and luxury holiday homes – something that was requested by pet owners keen to maximise security for their pets and in turn enhance their own holiday experience. The park also provides dog-friendly areas in its restaurant and entertainment venues and shares information with guests about the best dog walks in the area, as well as a list of useful contacts including local vets, pet shops and other services.

RICHARDSONS LEISURE recently spent £10k on decking gates for its pet-friendly lodges.

PAYING DIVIDENDS
It’s an approach that is clearly paying dividends in terms of bookings, with Hoseasons data showing that the park saw a 24% increase in pet bookings last year compared to the year before, and a massive 106% increase compared to 2 0 1 9. Greg says being pet-friendly also leads to wider benefits for the park beyond the bottom line.

“Giving people the chance to be with their pets on holiday obviously comes with a financial benefit, but it also really adds to the happy, relaxed atmosphere on park too.” Hemsby Beach Holiday Park is part of Hoseasons’ Go Active Breaks+ Collection and sits just 350 yards from the golden sands and rolling dunes of Hemsby Beach. Greg says the national market insight he gets from his long partnership with the brand has been invaluable in making investment choices.

“Obviously Hoseasons provide us a good number of bookings, but the true added value comes from their sector expertise and commercial acumen, both of which make all the difference when considering large-scale investment in specific accommodation types and the right accommodation mix,” says Greg. “The scale they operate at means their data is second to none when it comes to spotting trends and advising owners accordingly.”

GREG MUNFORD, TOOK the conscious decision to increase the number of pet-friendly units at the park from 24 to 44

PRAISE HEAPED ON WATERSIDE RESORT

Posted on October 25, 2023

PRAISE HEAPED ON WATERSIDE RESORT

WATERSIDE’S BOWLEAZE COVE Holiday Park & Spa is seeing returns on significant investment.

Consumer champion, Which? has named Waterside one of the UK’s best value holiday park providers for the second year in a row. The company, which operates three holiday parks in Dorset and one in Cornwall, scored 87 per cent in a survey of more 1,355 participants – a close second next to the top spot at 88 per cent.

Waterside achieved a full house of five out of five stars in every category, including quality of accommodation, customer service, and value for money. The company was praised for its luxury offering, with acknowledgement for its ‘top end stays in beautiful coastal locations’.

Waterside has continued its significant investment into its parks over the past year. The brand recently unveiled two new, exclusive holiday home developments - The Stables, situated at Bowleaze Cove Holiday Park & Spa in Weymouth, and Samphire Cove at Tregoad Holiday Park near Looe.

Both feature a private collection of bespoke, luxury lodges with open plan living, deluxe bathrooms, king-sized bedrooms, hot tubs, and full wrapped decking. Dave Bennett, CEO of Waterside commented: “It’s fantastic to triumph in a renowned nationwide survey for two consecutive years, with a consistent score that reflects all our parks’ exceptional standards delivered by our dedicated team!

“As a family-owned business with knowledge that’s been passed down in generations for the past 60 years, we’re proud to offer a holiday experience that goes the extra mile for our guests. Each of our parks offers something different and we’re continually investing in each site to uphold our quality promise. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without our team, and our consistent recognition by Which? is testament to their fantastic work year after year.”

NEW £1M STAFFS HOLIDAY DEVELOPMENT

Posted on August 2, 2023

NEW £1M STAFFS HOLIDAY DEVELOPMENT

ADAM BREAKSPEARE has decided to pitch the Oakland Holiday Park lodges at the top end of the market

Rising demand for holiday homes in rural Staffordshire has prompted a local family to create a new £1 million development on its long-established holiday park. Oakland Holiday Park, near the village of Brewood and close to the Shropshire border, says that sales enquiries have been booming since the end of pandemic.

Now the park is getting ready to open up a new phase of luxury lodges which are all located on the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal which runs through the grounds. Adam Breakspeare, whose family has owned the park for 35 years, says that although the investment is substantial, he is confident the demand will be there: “Many people took a holiday in Britain for the first time during the pandemic years, and clearly enjoyed the experience,” he says.

“Now many are looking to own a holiday home in tranquil countryside which they can enjoy throughout the year, both for short breaks and longer stays. “We have decided to pitch our new development at the top end of the market, and all of our new holiday lodges are fully equipped and furnished to the highest standard,” said Adam.

Starting at around £145,000, the lodges are for a limited period being offered with a free hot tub in which owners can unwind. Each also has its own exterior decking for al-fresco dining. Owners will have full use of Oakland’s extensive guest facilities which include an indoor pool and sauna, fitness suite, fishing pool, and friendly park bar serving snacks and meals.

The park is a previous overall winner of the Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism Awards in the parks category, thanks to its first-class standards and welcoming atmosphere. The wildlife-rich nine-acre grounds of Oakland, says Adam, are a haven for wildlife which the family encourages with a raft of conservation initiatives.

Rainfall is harvested for irrigating the many shrubs and flowers planted throughout the park, a lot of which have high nectar-bearing blooms which draw butterflies and honey bees. In addition, the family has installed many bird, bat and owl boxes, and provides heating for its pool with a highly efficient solar energy system.

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

Posted on February 15, 2023

FAMILY PARK TAKES TOP HONOURS

GARETH ROWLAND and his daughter Kelly, centre, plus members of the park team receive their top park award

The family owners of Holivans, a holiday park near Mablethorpe, in Lincolnshire, are celebrating after being crowned as the county’s leading provider of park holidays happily coinciding with their 70th anniversary celebrations. The long-established business scooped the top gold accolade at the Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Awards in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year 2022 category.

Today it provides more than 172 pitches including luxury lodges with private gardens and hot tubs, holiday caravans to rent and own, glamping units, and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes. Facilities include indoor and outdoor activities for youngsters, plus the park’s popular Tow Bar where families can relax over drinks and enjoy evening entertainment.

“We are immensely proud to have achieved this gold award from Lincolnshire Tourism, not least because we were up against so many other superb parks in the region,” said managing director Gareth Rowland “It is especially important to us as judges were looking not just at the quality of what is provided, but also the standards of service and hospitality on offer to guests. “Delivering this is in the hands of our friendly and hard-working staff team who always go the extra mile for customers, so they must also take a big share of the credit.”

WORK ON LUXURY WELSH PARK UNDERWAY

Posted on October 27, 2022

WORK ON LUXURY WELSH PARK UNDERWAY

 

OAK VIEW WILL PROVIDE luxurious all-year round occupancy in an outstanding Welsh setting.

 

Work has started on a £2.2m Oak View Lodge Park in Denbighshire, North Wales, a development which will see 89 luxury lodges in landscaped surroundings. With sweeping views across the tranquil Vale of Clwyd, the 18-acre park is being created in the grounds of a former hotel which closed in January 2009.

Twenty lodges are being released in the first phase of the development, with prices starting from £225,000. Purchasers will be offered a choice of two and three-bedroom architect- designed lodges, selected from leading UK lodge manufacturers and complete with central heating and high levels of insulation.

Facilities include private hot-tubs, luxury furnishings and fittings, high-speed fibre broadband, and many other pampering touches such as an on-site concierge service. Business owner Jamie Hughes, who has 25 years of experience in the holiday homes and lodge industry said: “Oak View provides a glorious rural setting with superb walking opportunities right on the doorstep and is within easy reach of Snowdonia National Park and the North Wales coast.

“Our high-speed fibre internet connection ensures that those who are able to work remotely can do so in a peaceful, picture-perfect environment and enjoy a wonderful work-life balance.” Owners will be able to have full use of their lodges throughout the four seasons as Oak View has a 12-month operating licence which allows stays throughout the year.

JOINED-UP THINKING

Posted on August 2, 2022

JOINED-UP THINKING

A complete park management and booking system...

Visitors to Folly Farm, Pembrokeshire’s award-winning tourist attraction of 30 years, often commented that you needed two days to do everything on offer. With 100 acres of land to the North of the attraction, the team listened to their visitors and set about creating their own Folly Farm Holiday Park. Offering a wide range of accommodation for the family market to suit all budgets, to date Folly Farm boasts a 43 pitch-touring park, a 20-pitch campsite, four Showman’s Wagons and six fairground themed luxury lodges with hot tubs. A further eight luxury lodges and six safari tents will open soon.

 

 

LOCKDOWN LAUNCH
“We were confident there would be huge interest in our accommodation offering from our strong and loyal customer base but then the pandemic hit and we found ourselves launching our touring park after the first lockdown in July 2020 with just three weeks’ notice,” explains Zoe Wright, Head of Marketing “We achieved a 76 per cent occupancy rate that first August and followed that in August 2021 with 94 per cent.” Ease-of-use was top of the list when Folly Farm was selecting a booking system so the team partnered with the highly recommended GemaPark . GemaPark has exceeded our expectations in terms of a booking system for our touring park and campsite,” confirms Zoe.

“In fact, we also import into GemaPark partner bookings for accommodation we don’t sell directly, because it provides top line booking, arrivals and performance information in a much more user- friendly way than our booking partners’ systems,” she adds. GemaPark is used by many members of the team at Folly Farm. Holiday park wardens use it to generate arrivals reports and to check if customers are returners so they can welcome them back. Office staff confirm all the bookings and chase payments while the marketing team can easily upload or change tariffs and run property performance reports and push any availability. The finance team can easily reconcile payments, run spend-per-head reports and financial forecasts.

EASE OF USE
“Every member of staff finds it easy to use and it’s one of the few software systems we use that the staff don’t moan about,” says Zoe. “Reporting was a key consideration as we’d little to no experience of running accommodation so to be able to easily query occupancy rates, property performance for our different accommodation options and check financial performance has been pivotal to the future development of the holiday park,”

Zoe continues. “CRM was also important as we were building an accommodation audience from scratch. “We would happily recommend GemaPark to anyone looking for a booking solution for their touring site or campsite and the fact they can easily integrate with leading booking partners is a bonus.”

Netguides/GemaPark
T: 01983 282420
W: www.netguides.co.uk
W: www.gemapark.co.uk

AWARD-WINNERS

Posted on August 2, 2022

AWARD-WINNERS

We visit Southwaite Green Mill in the Lake District...

EACH OF THE 60 PARK HOMES in-situ has its own private drive and garden

 

The Lake District’s award-winning residential park Southwaite Green Mill Country Park has an interesting backstory. Originally a Corn Mill which ceased production in the 1950s, Southwaite Green Mill was then owned by the Bardgett Family who ran a caravan site in its picturesque grounds on the outskirts of the market town of Penrith. Another local family, the Heaths, who were well-known in the caravan trade having run Lakeland Caravans for several generations, purchased Southwaite Green Mill in 1973. Jill Heath takes up the story: “My husband’s father John used to site and sell caravans in the local area and the Bardgett family was one of his clients,” explains Jill.

 

“After taking ownership of the park, our family continued to operate the site as a caravan holiday park, alongside developing a fish farming business that continued until the early 1990s.” In 1994, the Heaths purchased a plot of land from Lowther Estates that lies behind the original park and decided to develop Southwaite Green Mill as a residential park. “We had noticed that residential parks were starting to become more popular in the southern parts of the UK,” says Jill. “But there didn’t seem to be many developments in the north, so we set upon making our own.” At first, the Heaths thought that their new residential park would attract potential residents from elsewhere in the country who wished to retire in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District.

 

THE HEATH FAMILY work closely with their preferred supplier Stately. Pictured in the foreground, a Stately Carolina Lodge.

 

Southwaite Green Mill is superbly located alongside the scenic River Eamont, just a few minutes’ drive from England’s second largest lake, Ullswater. Instead, Jill explains, they were inundated with enquiries from local residents. “We were really surprised by the amount of local interest. Our aim was to create a nice, village-type environment for the over 50s with private homes and gardens that didn’t require too much upkeep. “We expected people who had perhaps visited the area on holiday to enquire but in the end, many of our residents are people who have lived in the Lakes for a number of years. It makes for a lovely atmosphere here, a real home from home.”

Southwaite Green Mill currently has 60 park homes in-situ. Each of the homes has its own private drive and garden. Most of the plots also have space for a garage subject to local planning. All of the homes have underground piped LPG, metered electric, and mains water services. Great emphasis has been placed on ensuring the residents’ security and peace of mind. The park has electronic entry gates, and its careful landscaping has, in part, led to the park being honoured with the David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award. Such is the success of the park that Jill and John Heath and their family are currently working on the second phase of Southwaite Green Mill, which will comprise an additional 40 homes when completed.

 

FLOWERS IN BLOOM at Southwaite Green Mill.

 

The new ‘Watersedge’ development will be phased in gradually over the next few years. The first row of plots, which offers the added attraction of lovely river views, is the first area under development. “The market is pretty buoyant at the moment and there’s been a lot of interest in the new homes,” says Jill. “Recently we had a unit sold on the park within just two weeks!” Timescales for completion are dependent not only on sales but on manufacturers’ ability to fulfil orders for residential homes.

 

 

Jill says that their close working relationship with preferred supplier Stately has ensured that Southwaite Green Mill is ahead of the game. “The industry has seen order dates being pushed back due to the pandemic,” explains Jill, “but we thought ahead and booked manufacturing slots in advance with Stately which has enabled us to be more responsive to customer orders. We work with a number of different manufacturers according to each home-owners wishes but we have always found Stately in particular to offer great quality building and furniture, as well as excellent after sales.”

 

GREAT EMPHASIS has been placed on ensuring the residents’ security and peace of mind.

 

Jill and John Heath have two sons and two daughters who are all involved in the running of Southwaite Green Mill, as well as its sister park, Hillcroft, in nearby Pooley Bridge. The family acquired Hillcroft Park in 2012 and have developed it into a multi award-winning holiday park, covering over 50 acres of land and including 200+ privately owned luxury lodges and holiday homes, as well as traditional camping pitches, pods, glamping, and two fully-equipped, self-catering cottages and a large house in the heart of the lakeside village.

 

THE NEW WATERSEDGE development will comprise an additional 40 homes and is situated next to the picturesque River Eamont.

 

There’s no doubt that Southwaite Green Mill and Hillcroft Park owe much of their success to having such a superb location in the heart of the Lakes, but personal service has a lot to say for their continued popularity. The fact that Southwaite Green Mill is a family owned and family run park is an added attraction to potential home owners and an asset to residents. Jill and John lived in the old Mill House on site for more than 20 years and like nothing more than stopping by to have a chat with their old neighbours. Such is their commitment to residents that Jill can even be found chipping in and driving their weekly private minibus service into Penrith on Mondays!