THE UK's largest holiday park operator is set to invest a record £50m on accommodation, retail and leisure facilities across its UK parks in time for the 2017 season.

Parkdean Resorts will be investing £17m into a stunning range of new lodges, caravans and glamping facilities and £4m on refurbishments to existing caravans and lodges. Meanwhile, entertainment and leisure venues, and children's activity areas will also be refurbished at many of its 73 parks nationwide as part of a significant investment exceeding £5.5m.

Camber Sands on the South East coast will benefit from a £1.8m cash injection bringing brand new lodges for prospective holiday home owners as well as fully refurbishing its Boathouse Restaurant. This includes a new indoor soft play area which will lead out to an al fresco dining terrace, landscaped gardens, plus children's outdoor experience – complete with a fun splash zone, mini golf, adventure play area and a refurbished sports court.

A £1.6m lakeside lodge development at White Acres, near Newquay in Cornwall will involve the addition of 22 lodges with lake views, including new four bedroom lodges, all available for both holidaymakers and holiday homeowners. Other improvements around the UK include a £1.5m investment in 19 marina retreat lodges at Fallbarrow in the Lake District, where there will be a revamped bar and lounge on park, and £0.5m invested in six lodges at Warmwell in Dorset.

Sandy Bay in the North East is getting a £1.4m makeover which will result in a new development offering even more accommodation for holidaymakers and prospective owners, a fully refurbished Boathouse Restaurant with al fresco dining terraces plus a brand new bar and indoor play area. The amusement arcade is being extended and refurbished and there will be a new takeaway food outlet.

A total of £1m investment at Kessingland Beach in Suffolk coastal town Lowestoft will see The Boathouse Bar & Restaurant extended and refurbished, along with terrace areas for drinking and dining in the sun, and there will be a bigger shop alongside even more accommodation.

Cayton Bay in Yorkshire will see a £0.9m upgrade to extend and refurbish its Boathouse Restaurant with an incorporated soft play area and dining terrace. Holidaymakers will also be able to enjoy a new fish and chip takeaway at the park.

Over £0.8m alone will be put towards new caravans and lodges at Norfolk's Vauxhall Holiday Park, Parkdean Resort's most recent acquisition. Concentrating solely on holiday hire, it is the only five star park in Great Yarmouth, comprising 390 caravans and lodges, 48 suites, 5 glamping pods and 180 touring and camping pitches, set within 41 acres of land.

In the Scottish Borders at Berwickshire park Eyemouth, £0.55m will be spent on a full refurbishment of the entertainment complex with a new glazed extension to house the amusement arcade and Boathouse Restaurant with entertainment area.

The ambitious investment will mean that the new facilities will be completed ahead of the 2017 travel season, ensuring holidaymakers and holiday home owners find their time spent on park this year even more enjoyable. 

Parkdean Resorts chief executive John Waterworth said: “It is a truly exciting time for Parkdean Resorts as we gear up for the 2017 season where substantial investment will continue and for what we are confident will be our busiest year yet.

“We recently launched a new mobile-friendly website and brochure inspiring staycations and offering short breaks or longer stays at parks the length and breadth of the UK. We are looking forward to introducing these changes which will further enhance our park experience – allowing holidaymakers to create many more amazing memories with family and friends.”

For more information on Parkdean Resorts, visit www.parkdeanresorts.co.uk.

ENDS

Media contact: Kayleigh Hepburn / Rebecca Young at O PR 0191 2325690 – kayleigh@opr.co.uk / rebecca@opr.co.uk

For park and region-specific investment figures and imagery, please get in touch.

Notes to editors:

Parkdean Resorts formed in November 2015 following the merger of Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts. As a result the company is the largest holiday park operator in the UK with a combined total of 73 holiday parks stretching across the country. Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth was acquired by Parkdean Resorts as part of the first major acquisition since the company merged.

Holidaymakers have an unrivalled choice from one operator, of holidays and short breaks across the UK with parks in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Anglia and Lincolnshire, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex, Lake District, Lancashire, Northumberland and County Durham, Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales.

A varied range of accommodation options are available on a break with Parkdean Resorts, including static caravans, lodges and glamping, as well as taking a touring or camping pitch. There's also the option to own a caravan or lodge holiday home at 68 of the parks, meaning UK breaks can be enjoyed more frequently.

In December 2016, Parkdean Resorts was named Best UK Holiday Parks Operator, Best Camping & Mobile Holiday Company and Best Large Holiday Company for Customer Service at the British Travel Awards.

Extra information

Expansions and refits at restaurants, showbars and adventure play areas are all part of the planned roll-out of retail, dining and leisure revamps, concerning 11 Parkdean Resorts locations.

Amusement arcades will be extended and updated at seven parks in a £0.37m boost to key sites including Southerness, Looe Bay, West Bay and Regent Bay. Whitley Bay Holiday Park in the North East will have a new sports court added to the leisure facilities on offer, while Sandford and Lower Hyde are both having their sports courts refurbished.

20 new accessible holiday homes are also being added across Parkdean Resorts' parks.

Among the planned developments, five glamping tents will be introduced at Holywell Bay in Cornwall, while Nodes Point and Lower Hyde parks on the Isle of Wight will receive additional glamping accommodation.