Floating holiday homes add a new dimension to holiday parks
Leverage the most out of the Great British Staycation with Waterlodge floating apartments – luxury holiday homes on water at a competitive price. If your holiday park boasts a lake or waterway, the contemporary Waterlodges provide an innovative and unique solution both to increase capacity and offer the relaxed pleasure of a holiday on water. Staycations: here to stay There’s never been a better time to invest in next-level staycationing; Covid-19 has created a new appetite for holidaying at home. Research by the Office for National Statistics showed that turnover in the camping and caravan sites sector was up 22.7% in August 2020 compared to the same month in 2019, at a record £688m. But the evidence suggests this is more than a flash in the pandemic pan; 71% of British holiday makers say they’re planning a UK holiday in 2021, according to a survey by the Cumberland Building Society. Holiday homes on water: the experience staycationers are looking for Increased demand is a fantastic opportunity for park owners, and the key winners will be those who can provide new experiences for staycationers. Waterlodge floating apartments are the ideal solution – enabling you to offer all the existing benefits of your park life with the added dimension of the tranquillity of a marina experience. “Once the initial lockdown restrictions were eased, our phones began ringing off the hook from people looking for alternative, affordable holiday homes,” says Waterlodge UK’s co-director Andrew Hyland. “Waterlodges are obviously a much more affordable option than a bricks and mortar holiday home, with the added attraction of bringing people the calm they’re looking for in these challenging times by putting them onto the water, giving them the perfect escape from the town or city – and lockdown.” “Unlike traditional canal boats, Waterlodges are spacious, with full-height ceilings and space for proper beds – and unlike conventional boats, you don’t need a skipper’s licence or the specialist knowledge required to maintain them. So Waterlodges offer all the attractions of a marina lifestyle with none of the complications or the compromise on comfort. The enquiries we’ve had since May tell us it’s a winning combination for the staycationing British public,” adds Andrew’s business partner, Ian Watkins. An attractive investment for commercial and retail customers Waterlodge UK have refined their designs and build processes to make them an attractive investment both for commercial and retail customers. Rigorous quality control enables Waterlodge UK to offer guarantees of two years on the overall package, with a predicted minimum lifespan on the roof of over 25 years. There is no need for any maintenance or painting if the Waterlodge is used as a static home, and the central heating and hot-water systems are all Energy A+++ rating for low running costs. “Holiday and caravan park owners can maximise ROI by either re-selling the Waterlodges to end customers or offering them for rental, with the option of B2B rental financing plans,” explains Ian. “Holiday parks already have the service infrastructure necessary to support Waterlodges, so generally the only additional investment required is moorings for the Waterlodges, especially if you want to maximise how many berths you can offer. This makes them a uniquely cost-effective way of expanding capacity to take advantage of the uplift in Brits looking to holiday within the UK, as Waterlodges bypass the costly need to acquire new land,” adds Andrew. Intelligent design, quality finish The beautiful, intelligent design creates a luxury holiday home experience, optimising the use of space inside and out, with enriching features such as panoramic windows and timber decking being fitted as standard. Customers can choose from a range of finishes, including luxury bathrooms and contemporary kitchens. Optional extras include solar panels, underfloor heating and furniture packs for both the bedrooms and living room. Unique features such as the generous sun decks enhance the marina lifestyle and increase the appeal for the 53% of British staycationers who told the Cumberland they want accommodation with an outdoor space. “The same survey found that 57% of respondents considered a good view to be the most important staycation feature, while 74% said their top priority was relaxation – and what better, more relaxing view could there be than lying in bed or sitting on your private deck watching the water ripple gently in front of you?” comments Ian. Flexible floating holiday home solutions Waterlodges range from the compact Waterlodge One sleeping up to four with 17m2 of internal space and an optional roof terrace, up to the spacious Waterlodge Six for up to eight guests with 50m2 of living space and 55m2 of outside space. “Our Waterlodges come with a range of standard configuration options, but each one can be tailored to your exact requirements, with different combinations of bedrooms and bathrooms – or even a sauna! Holiday park owners know what is most popular with their visitors, so we can create whatever layout will be most attractive and flexible for their customers,” says Ian. Building on experience While Waterlodge UK is a relatively new venture, Andrew and Ian have a long history of relevant experience. “We’re both boat brokers by background – we know the boat industry inside out. We were the first people to take boat brokering online, setting up WhyBoats together in 2011 – effectively the Purple Bricks of the sector,” explains Andrew. “Waterlodge UK has grown from our background within the boating industry,” expands Ian. “Nearly everyone loves being on water, but many people nowadays don’t have the capacity – either the skills or the time – to maintain a boat themselves. We’ve developed Waterlodges as a way to make holidaying on water much more accessible. “We’ve put all our expertise into developing and refining the product to withstand the particular challenges of being on water, for example injecting closed-cell foam to prevent water ingress and using plastic that is UV stable and impervious to water. We’ve combined this with meticulous attention to detail to create the best of both worlds
New Victory Leisure Homes lodge has the wow factor
Victory Leisure Homes has launched a ‘game-changing’ holiday home designed to inject a wow factor into the marketplace. The Lakewood Lodge is the most innovative product in the company’s 10-year history, combining Victory’s renowned build quality with pioneering manufacturing techniques and higher quality materials. The holiday home’s innovative design and contemporary layout are the result of extensive consultation with Victory’s customers, to create a product with a more robust and domestic feel. The Lakewood Lodge, which was officially unveiled at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2020, has been designed to meet the changing needs of the holiday home and lodge market by placing a strong emphasis on comfort and luxury. Managing Director, Gary Corlyon, said the model features a range of new-to-market manufacturing techniques devised and perfected by Victory Leisure Homes. These include: Beadless internal wall system. The internal walls in the Lakewood Lodge feature the first truly beadless system to be developed for holiday homes, utilising flush-fitting panels butt joint wrapped wallboard. This produces a high-quality finish to the interior, unmatched by any other model presently on the market, and the thicker internal walls – 38mm – bring greater robustness and thermal efficiency. Virtual beadless ceiling The virtual beadless ceiling has been designed to match the walls, giving a much higher-quality interior finish. This has been achieved via tongue and groove jointing. Replacing chipboard flooring with a composite OSB board with high comprehensive strength insulation. This brings added strength to the flooring, as well as much greater thermal efficiency. Despite these market-leading construction improvements, Gary said the most noticeable difference in the Lakewood Lodge is the contemporary interior and layout, designed to attract a new type of customer discovering holiday home living for the first time. The model also has a striking glass front which produces an airy feel and allows spectacular views of the holiday home’s surroundings. Staycationers demand luxury living Gary said: “The trend for staycations is only going to increase, particularly as people are more conscious about the environmental impact of flying, so a new type of holidaymaker, eager to embrace the holiday home living, is starting to emerge. “These might be young families or professional couples who enjoy the outdoors and staying in off-the-beaten-track locations. “One thing they all have in common, however, is the expectation of high-quality accommodation, with comfort and luxury that surpasses their own home. “That is what we have created in the Lakewood Lodge. We have worked closely with our customers to design a product with real wow factor that will meet the changing demands of the marketplace. “We believe the Lakewood Lodge is a game-changer for the industry.” Gary added that with the new model, Victory Leisure Homes is pushing to become one of the most innovative manufacturers in the holiday home and lodge sector. To facilitate this, the company has appointed a new senior management team, new design team and overhauled its manufacturing processes. He said: “This model is a step-change for us; it heralds the future direction of Victory Leisure Homes. “But this is just the start. We’re going through a transformational process that will see us go from traditional and safe to contemporary, luxurious and innovative. “It is this step-change that will underpin future growth at Victory Leisure Homes.” Photos: Gary Corlyon, managing director of Victory Leisure Homes, and the new Lakewood Lodge holiday home.
The search for the ideal safari glamping tent is on!
Buying a glamping tent is a considerable investment. A smart investment, but absolutely one you only make after careful deliberation. Therefore we asked James, glamping advisor at safari tent supplier Outstanding: What aspects you need to pay attention to when buying a safari tent? Unique tent with return “In principle, all customers have the same goal in mind: buying a safari tent or lodge. But the search for the ideal glamping accommodation goes beyond purchasing just any tent”, says James. “And we owe it to our customers to help them find the perfect tent”. Every campsite owner wants to offer an unforgettable glamping experience and every camper is looking for a tent with the wow factor. However, according to James, when you’re buying a tent, you need to look beyond mere appearances. “First, you’ll want it to have a good price-to-quality ratio”, he explains. “Then, you’ll want your investment to be cost-effective. And, lastly, you’ll want to have no concerns about the tent after you’ve bought it.” Always a custom made tent According to James it’s not necessary to know right away how many people you’re planning to accommodate, because their Outstanding safari tents are available in various sizes. Furthermore, they can furnish them in such a way that they’re suitable for both bigger and smaller families. “Perhaps you’re looking for stylish group accommodation. If so, we can simply extend your favourite tent by a couple of metres. If it’s not possible to expand at ground level, maybe our lodge with an optional extra floor is the right solution for you. Or perhaps you can make optimal use of the space you have with our narrower and most compact tent”, says James. “Our wide range always offers a fitting solution!” A fitting interior for every tent With Outstanding, you can choose exactly what you want: big or small, a little luxury or a lot, with or without a slide, a bed box or an extra floor. They offer countless options and according to James that’s why it’s crucial that they offer customers their expert advice. “Naturally, we have a few basic formats that will enable you can make best use of your space, not to mention set you apart from your competitors. By adding a slide to your glamping tent for example”, he says. “Is buying a safari tent with a slide impractical? There’s nothing children like more than sleeping in a tent with their own slide, as you’d expect! However, we do think it’s important for the tent not to lose space unnecessarily. The solution? The design looks like our bed box, but in reverse: an adventurous sleeping space below and a spacious playpen above the slide. Distinctive and practical,” James concludes enthusiastically. So, what does your ideal safari tent look like? Visit www.outstandingtent.co.uk for more inspiration. Or contact glamping advisors James and Suzie at 0203 769 4999 to find out which safari tent suits you best.
Its time to get prepared for more first-time campers!
It’s become common knowledge that motorhoming is on the increase, the world over, and with an estimated 225,000 motorhomes in the UK, according to the National Office of Statistics, this figure is only set to rise. So, what does this mean for park and industry operators? Erwin Hymer Centre’s RentEasy manager, Stuart Phipps gives his perspective on how to best cater for millennials as they come of age and gear up to seize the lion’s share of the camping market’s growth. According to Curbed magazine, millennials are the largest set of campers, accounting for 41 percent overall, and by 2025, the number of 30 – 45-year-olds will have grown to 72 million people. It’s relevant data for everyone in the industry and particularly those who are considering their green credentials, hook up facilities and bandwidth capabilities. First-timers Significantly, this generation, across the globe, accounts for a growing number of first-time motorhomes and in 2018, 56% of first-time campers were millennials. We regularly speak to renters who are taking their motorhome to a campsite for their first time. Although they have often done their research when it comes to wi-fi availability at a site, they still have the expectation that they can use their high-energy equipment. For example, appliances like hair straighteners, kettles and microwaves will have adverse effects on low amperage campsite supplies. This could lead to nuisance tripping of the supply inside the motorhome. We always advise our first-time motorhome customers before they head off on their excursion, that most campsites will have 16-amp hook ups available, which is ample for their needs, but to check on the park operator’s website first. It’s also interesting that there is a growing number of people, not necessarily first-time campers, who want their motorhome holiday to be a more self-sufficient experience. This has led to a rise in the installation of leisure batteries and the use of solar panels, as more people hunt for secluded locations, to enhance their wild camping experience. All these trends are set to multiply and motorhome dealers and park operators alike, need to be ready to cater for this unique and diverse set of camping enthusiasts who are set to reign.
Willerby reveal three new models: The Rowan, Castleton and Forest Grove
Willerby were keen to show off three brand new models at the recent Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show – and CEO Peter Munk hailed the show a success. Peter said: “This has been a very exciting show for us as we have launched three new homes, including the Rowan from our bespoke range; this is a fantastic addition to our offering and visitors at the show were able to take a look first-hand at the unique and spacious design on offer. “Thousands of people visited the show across the six days, and we were thrilled to welcome visitors to our stand to explore the model first-hand. We’re looking forward to helping make holidays more relaxing for families across the UK.” The Rowan, a new bespoke lodge which is full of character but with a contemporary twist, will be revealed to caravan enthusiasts at the NEC for the first time since its preview at the Motorhome and Caravan Show in 2018. With a focus on the living and sleeping spaces, the Rowan is designed to accommodate both holidays and longer occupancies. A roof split and bespoke feature windows can be found throughout the lodge, bringing in daylight and adding modern style. First seen at Manchester’s Caravan and Motorhome Show in January, the Castleton is a new holiday home designed with practicality in mind to meet the demands of family life and young children. As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to using customer feedback to shape future designs, members of the Willerby Owners Club helped to choose the exterior of the model, ensuring its appeal to holiday goers throughout the UK. Completing the trio of new models is the luxurious Forest Grove lodge. Constantly innovating and developing its products, Willerby has created the model to offer customers more choice when it comes to distinctive, flexible space. The unique interior design allows for great spaces to suit every moment and event, such as quiet contemplation, romantic dining, downtime in front of the TV or an inside/outside social occasion, to suit every mood, choice and lifestyle. Alongside the new arrivals and classic holiday home and lodge options such as the Waverley and Clearwater, visitors at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show also viewed the Delamere, considered the most luxurious in the range of Park Homes by Willerby. Designed with character and distinction, the Delamere is a contemporary home with traditional touches that can be adapted to create your dream home. Kirsten Bolton, Willerby Marketing Director, commented: “It’s been an exciting start to the year for Willerby. “Alongside launching the three brand new models, we had a nostalgia theme running throughout the weekend. Our original 1956 Vogue model was at the show, where we had a photobooth and retro tuck shop for visitors to enjoy and relive their memories from youth.” To find out more about Willerby please visit the website
Holiday home manufacturer’s models are ‘better than houses’
Editor Victoria Galligan spoke to Willerby product managers Rob Lawrence and Phil Parks about the success of the company, and its new-for-2019 models… Based in Hull and employing more than 1,000 people, Willerby recently announced year-on-year sales growth of 12.7%. Here, the product managers explain what goes on behind-the-scenes at the firm’s innovation division, and why the brand is (after 70 years) the UK’s largest manufacturer of holiday homes and lodges. Willerby – the brand Phil works on bespoke models, park homes and modular holiday lodges which include luxury leisure versions. He worked on the “Hobbit Houses” which Willerby produced for Alton Towers’ Enchanted Village. So, what makes Willerby models such a hit with customers – is it all about offering the highest specifications? Rob, who comes from a background in the furniture industry before joining Willerby last autumn, says, “Willerby has always had a great reputation for providing quality holiday homes, and as the largest manufacturer of holiday homes in the UK the company has invested a lot in new technology in order to maintain our high standards. People recognise a quality product when they look at Willerby homes.” Phil added, “We don’t design purely on specifications – although we do like to match or beat our competitors on this where possible, instead, we aim to produce the most affordable homes for our customers. “We work out what to deliver to our customers by asking them via social media, speaking to dealers at trade shows and speaking to customers at shows and via the Willerby Owners Club who offer us fantastic feedback and insight. We ask them what they want and why they want it, before the design and production stages. “Of course we also look at market trends and visit housing associations, kitchen manufacturers and find out what the public want in a home.” Acting on feedback Some examples of Willerby acting on customer feedback include the pet-friendly “Simply Pawsome” package – which can be added on to holiday homes to provide a dog pen, stable door and outside tap – as well as the Oslo wall system in the Juniper Lodge which are durable enough to hold wallpaper and bear up to 40kg of load on a single hook all created due to customer demand. Phil adds, “This year we’ve revised the Clearwater model, which is our best-value and best-selling lodge, so it was a big deal for us to make changes to. “However, we’ve made a lot of improvements by listening to feedback, looking at trends, and enhancing the space, the price and the specs, making it arguably our best-value holiday home.” The Avonmore holiday home has also had an update this year, including an innovative new sofa with built in storage for iPads and phones – plus handy USB plugs. Rob says, “All of our models are TV ready and we’re looking at adding Smart TV fittings to more models.” Rob says customers are always on the lookout for more storage in their holiday homes, adding, “It’s a big thing; our new Linwood entry-level holiday home has extra hidden storage in the lounge, kitchen and wardrobes. It was a design challenge as we’re constrained by size but we have managed to find significantly more space by making a few small additions throughout. “We also surveyed customers to find out where they spend the most time in their holiday home and, not surprisingly, they said the lounge. But when we asked where they would rather invest the most money in, the kitchen was considered the most important room in the home. That’s why we’ve made the kitchen bigger and included branded kitchen appliances such as Hotpoint microwaves.” Excitingly, the new Waverley model is the first Willerby holiday home to feature a kitchen island. The Waverley, which launched at The Lawns show, offers luxury touches such as black light fittings, touches of copper and sky pink tones in the upholstery. Robs commented, “It’s very stylish, with a really nice seating area and a window seat in the bedroom which we hope are modern touches that will appeal to a modern day customer.” It’s all in the build Willerby is all about creating the home-from-home experience – and Rob says this has influenced the new Integritas Wall SystemTM which will feature on mid-range models like the Avonmore and upwards as part of Willerby’s Simply Better Build range. He explains, “We’re removing the knock-in beads, and replacing them with a bonded wall system. Not only does this look nicer, and remove the beams to give a smoother look, but it actually makes the walls stronger by 70%. “Since launching, the response to the Simply Better Build concept has been really positive as the changes that we have made aims to make our holiday homes look and feel as much like the customers’ own homes as possible.” Meanwhile, as Willerby launch their luxury lodges later this autumn – the Rowan and Acorn – Phil is confident that the design which has gone into the homes will ensure they prove popular. The Rowan is the latest addition to the premium Botanical range; tastefully designed and appointed with an abundance of natural light allowed through its feature windows. The Acorn represents the best value for money at its price point, featuring bi-fold doors and engineered flooring as standard. The luxury lodges are made as twin units, using Glulam (glue-laminated) beams, which fit together easily onsite after leaving the 90-acre Willerby headquarters. Phil adds, “The beams create a strong lodge, which is going to last a long time, something which we know is important to our customers, who want to be confident they have the highest quality holiday home on the market.” Changes in innovation Phil agrees that the face of the caravan park industry has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. He commented, “We have to move with the times: customers want the latest colours, specs and the best technology. They want Bluetooth connectivity and in some cases our homes are
A year in the making – the Victory Leisure Homes manufacturing process
Here, Nick Glaves explores the story behind Victory Leisure Homes’ new models and the cyclical process which incorporates trade shows, customer feedback, design and build… With new or updated models launched every year by major manufacturers, the holiday home and lodge industry is anything but static. Indeed, almost as soon as next year’s models have been launched, work gets underway on the following year’s, meaning the merry-go-round of product design, development and launch never ends. It is a cycle Peter Nevitt knows only too well. Peter is the managing director of Victory Leisure Homes and has more than 40 years’ experience in the industry, much of that time successfully heading up Cosalt Holiday Homes. He has dedicated his career to creating the best holiday homes and lodges he possibly can, which has led to Victory Leisure Homes forging a reputation for excellence. “Development of the new models starts almost immediately after the launch of current year’s models,” Peter said. “There is no break. So, for example, September 2017 we had the launch of our 2018 models, and after that the process starts again, planning our 2019 models.” The process starts with collecting rigorous feedback on the latest models at shows such as Cottingham in September and Beaulieu shortly after that. This is where the trade examine the models for the first time and make their initial assessments. Further feedback comes via Victory Leisure Homes’ sales team who speak to the company’s network of clients on a regular basis and collect more in-depth information about how the trade views the ranges. Collating these views is the first step in creating the new models. ‘Trade shows give us around 70% of our feedback’ “The summer and autumn shows at Hull, Beaulieu and West Point give us around 70% of the feedback we need to get the ball rolling,” Peter said. “But we can’t just focus on the next year’s models. At the same time we need to have an eye on what we’re doing for the mid-season launch. Do we have a gap in one of our ranges? Our customers will soon tell us if they think we have, and we need to fill it. “Of course, we’re in full production of the current models during this period to fulfil the orders we have on the books, so we’re really working on all fronts.” After extensive discussions assessing the feedback, Peter puts together a design brief for the new models. With nearly 40 different models across Victory’s ranges of holiday homes and lodges, this is no small task, particularly as most if not all are subject to some level of development every year. The brief is then passed on to Gary Woodifield, director of development and technical services at Victory Leisure Homes, who has 38 years’ experience in the industry. Gary heads up a caravan design team and a lodge design team, and together they create an ‘information package’ for each new model, which contains every nugget of information the production team will need to make it. He also works alongside the director of operations, Gary Corlyon, to ensure that it is possible to build the designs his teams will create. “I work to three key dates,” Gary says. “Pre-show, when some of our customers come to visit us at the factory to get the first glimpse of the development models. This usually takes place in the second week of June. Then there is the start of new model production, around the second week of July, and then the September show at Cottingham. It is absolutely essential all the models are perfected by then. “Once Peter hands me the brief, I can estimate how long the models will take to make and map out those dates from there. “We then decide on which models we need to prototype first, which gives us a sequence to work to. Then it is up to me and the design team to create the information packages that will eventually go to the production team.” As Victory Leisure Homes doesn’t have a dedicated prototyping facility, all development models must be slotted into the ongoing production schedule. ‘Sandra has a great eye for what is fashionable’ This means the designs Gary’s teams create must be as close to the end product as it is possible to get. The designers use AutoCAD for the holiday home or lodge design, and sophisticated 3D graphic design software to create visual representations of the furniture that will go into each model. As 90% of the furniture is made in-house, the software enables the team to design and piece together the whole interior long before the plans hit the factory floor. Next comes the task of liaising with suppliers, choosing colour schemes and ordering upholstery and soft furnishings. It is an area Peter and his wife Sandra come into their own, as Sandra works as the company’s interior designer. Peter said: “Sandra has a great eye for what is fashionable. She will go to show homes, read magazines and look at what is popular in the shops for inspiration. However, we need to be careful because we’re about three seasons behind household interior design and we need to reflect that. Our market can be conservative, so some of the ultra-modern designs wouldn’t work for us.” Peter added that themes and colour schemes will often come about after they have visited suppliers and seen what they have got. The carpet, particularly, is important in choosing a colour scheme. “We will often pick the carpet first and design around that,” he said. “This is because carpets are so difficult to retro-fit into a colour scheme and design theme. If you start from the bottom up, so to speak, you usually end up where you need to be. “Other times we might just see a colour or a fabric we really like and go from there. Inspiration can take many forms, but if you feel something is right, it probably is.” All this information – furniture design, colour schemes, soft
