£10m investment paying off for holiday park

One of Devon’s biggest independent holiday parks is enjoying a record-breaking start to the year, with bookings up nearly 50%.

Multi-award winning Ladram Bay Holiday Park, on the Jurassic coast overlooking its own bay and beach between Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, saw bookings rise by 46% in the first full week of January, and then by 52% the following week, compared with the same period in 2014.

Ahead of re-opening after the winter break on Friday March 13, work is well underway on phase two of a £10 million re-development at the family-run park, with the swimming pool complex and restaurant undergoing major upgrades.

Director Zoe House says the boost in bookings is thanks to a mixture of new and returning customers, whilst breaks outside the main school holidays are also proving popular.

She said: “It’s very busy and that’s great news for us and testament to the enduring appeal of the West Country and the work we are doing to continue to improve the Ladram Bay experience whether people are staying with us in holiday homes, apartments, lodges, motorhomes, caravans or camping. 2014 was very good for us but this year people seem to be making their decisions earlier, and not just for their main summer break.”

With expectations high for a busy year, a recruitment day is being held at Ladram Bay on Friday January 30, 10.00am-3.30pm. Various posts, some starting in March and some for the summer season, are on offer, including in hospitality, customer service and retail, with ground staff, activity staff, qualified lifeguards and chefs.

The recent investment programme has seen more state-of-the-art holiday homes and luxury lodges, with verandas and hot tubs, introduced. The revamped Pebbles Restaurant and larger swimming pool complex, with an interactive play area for toddlers, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, gym, poolside café and sun terrace, will be officially unveiled in time for the re-opening of the park in March.

Ladram Bay, which last week won a Trip Advisor 2015 Travellers’ Choice Award, has a mix of lodges, holiday homes, apartments, owners, fully serviced pitches for tourers and caravans and camping on the 55-acre site. Run by the same family since opening in 1943, the park recently secured the Hoseasons Family Fun Award for Devon, Dorset and Somerset, for the fourth consecutive year.

Claire Williams, General Manager, said: “We’re confident that the investment is paying off. We have an incredible location for coast and countryside, but people want different things and they definitely want more options than perhaps a few years ago, be that activities, entertainment or dining.

“Fishing, motor-boats, kayaks and paddleboards continue to grow in popularity, as does the demand for breaks at weekends throughout the year. The recruitment day will have on offer dozens of jobs across the whole park and the team is already looking ahead to an exciting year.”