PEACE AND TRANQUILITY

PEACE AND TRANQUILITY

Seafield Caravan Park offers the ultimate getaway location…

Situated adjacent to the picturepostcard village of Seahouses on the Northumberland coastline, Seafield Caravan Park offers its guests the ultimate peaceful getaway and a five star holiday destination. What sets Seafield apart is its dramatic setting and breath-taking outlook. Most pitches on the newest development of the park offer fantastic views of the imposing and majestic Bamburgh Castle and many command panoramic views of the sea and the Farne Islands. In addition, nearly all holiday homes have west-facing doors, which means you can enjoy the sun for the entire day and, in the early evening, watch the sun set in a golden sky through front windows.
"The peace and tranquillity of the park is one of its greatest attractions, which is why we have resisted any temptation to build bars or evening entertainment centres on site,” explains Alison Thompson, park manager. “By far the most critical aspect to the success of the business is the team of people that work on the park, who constantly deliver exceptional customer service which in turn encourages our customers to return year after year.” Seafield is managed by Alison’s father, Ken Britton, along with several other members of the family who are involved in managing the daily running of the business. Part owned by the Britton family, and partly by the Earl of Moray, the park was established in 1960 as a small caravan site. By 1979, it had expanded to include 230 pitches, plus utilities and touring pitches.

THE EXTRA MILE

“Our mission statement of going far beyond expectations is achieved by giving a five star service in every aspect of our business. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance leaving no stone unturned however trivial it might be,” says Alison.
“Perhaps one of our biggest challenges is to always be one step ahead and thinking of ways to continually improve the facilities and service we offer to our guests.” Seafield boasts a string of accolades, including gold David Bellamy Conservation awards and gold Enjoy England status. Most recently, Seafield was named as VisitEngland’s Holiday Village of the Year and is a multiple gold winner in the North East Tourism Awards yearon- year.
Many of caravans on the site are privately owned, but the park also hires lodges, apartments and touring pitches. During the peak season, Seafield operates at an average occupancy rate of 92 per cent across its caravans and chalet lettings, of which 62 per cent are repeat bookings.
A post millennium construction of a £2.5 million private leisure club, The Ocean Club, consists of a 20m indoor swimming pool, a separate children’s pool, gymnasium and spa area – further extension work carried a budget of around £700k. The premier leisure club runs as a separate spa facility with membership and has twice been awarded Spa of The Year by the prestigious spa house Thalgo. There has also been significant investment in occupancy with 230 new pitches and a further £30,000 outlay to improve Wi-Fi facilities on the park.

All Seafield’s touring pitches are ‘Super Pitches’ – hard standing with electric, water, sewerage and drainage and including an electric light. Heated toilet and shower facilities are close to all pitches, along with laundry and dish washing facilities. For those families with small children, you’ll find a full size bath in the ladies toilet block along with a separate baby bath in the designated baby changing room. Alison comments: “Our typical customer base includes families with young children, activity groups such as golfers and walkers, plus over 50’s looking to rest and relax.
“We liaise with tourism partners to identify our target market and work closely with them as well as other tourism businesses in the community to conduct marketing and promotional campaigns to attract new and existing customers to stay with us.” The park operates a privilege card scheme, allowing its guests to enjoy discounts at some of the area’s top attractions, including Farne Islands, Alnwick and Bamburgh Castle. The park owners have also invested in a strategic social media marketing campaign, to communicate discounts, offers, latest news and availability, through Facebook, Twitter and e-newsletters via MailChimp.

Seafield Caravan Park
Tel. 01665 720628
www.seafieldpark.co.uk

Outstanding Service For Dog Owners

Outstanding Service For Dog Owners

Entries are now open for the 2015 VisitEngland Awards, including the new Dog Friendly Award. Pic: Old Oaks Touring Park.

Entries are now open for the 2015 VisitEngland Awards, including the new Dog Friendly Award. Pic: Old Oaks Touring Park.

Recognising the businesses that go the extra mile for dogs and their owners, the organisers of the VisitEngland Awards have introduced a new Dog Friendly Award for 2016. Now open for entries, applications are being invited from all types of accommodation businesses including holiday cottages, campsites, holiday parks and glamping operators that offer dog owners an outstanding service which exceeds their expectations and ensures repeat visits and bookings. Attracting 345 quality applications last year, the annual VisitEngland Awards For Excellence are recognised as high accolades in English tourism. The Holiday Park / Holiday Village of the Year category is always fiercely contested and last year the title was awarded to Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland. The application period for the 2016 awards will run until 30 November 2015 to enable assessment so the finalists can be announced at the beginning of February.

 

VisitEngland Awards
Tel. 01772 767767
www.visitenglandawards.org

Top Tourism Finalists

Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland took gold in the Holiday Park of the Year category in last year’s VisitEngland Awards and has been announced as a finalist in the 2015 competition.

Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland took gold in the Holiday Park of the Year category in last year’s VisitEngland Awards and has been announced as a finalist in the 2015 competition.

Top Tourism Finalists

Five holiday parks are among 75 finalists chosen from across the country in this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

On the shortlist in the Holiday Park or Holiday Village of the Year category is Cofton Country Holidays in Devon, Poston Mill Park in Herefordshire, Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland, Searles Leisure Resort in Norfolk and Trethem Mill Touring Park in Cornwall.

The Awards recognise businesses that incorporate best practice and demonstrate excellence in customer service throughout their operation.

Winners of each of the 17 categories will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Sage Gateshead conference centre on 11 May with each finalist guaranteed a gold, silver, bronze or highly commended in the category.

Accolade For Outstanding Parks

awards

The team from Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland were presented with a gold award at the VisitEngland Awards of Excellence.

Accolade For Outstanding Parks

Holiday parks from across the country have been recognised in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

The awards, which celebrate their silver jubilee this year, promote quality in England’s tourism industry and celebrate the very best the country has to offer.

Leading the pack was Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland, which scooped the gold award in the Holiday Park of the Year category. Located in the small fishing village of Seahouses, the family-run park offers a mix of touring pitches and holiday lodges to hire or buy.

Allison Thompson of Seafield Caravan Park said she was delighted to win gold - the second time the site has landed the top prize. She added: “It is testament to the continued investment in the park and most importantly to the dedicated and motivated team at Seafield, who continually strive to not only maintain but to improve the customer experience.”

The silver award for Holiday Park of the Year went to Gwel an Mor Resort in Portreath, Cornwall. Leaplish Waterside Park at Kielder Water in Northumberland and Waldegraves and Cosways Family Holiday Parks in Essex were awarded joint bronze in the category, and Hoburne Bashley came highly commended.

VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: “The VisitEngland Awards celebrate the very best in the tourism industry. It is the highest accolade in English tourism and recognises the true champions of our industry, and the top quality visitor experiences we are fortunate to have on offer in England.”

To read more on this story, please subscribe online.