Holidays to suit
For a stress free group holiday, all inclusive holiday centres and entertainment hotels are located throughout the UK, offering GTOs a much needed break whilst taking care of all their group’s needs. Luke Dodd finds out more.
Sometimes when organising a trip for your group, the pressure of arranging every small detail can become tiring. Therefore, the promise of a relaxed trip with all aspects of your holiday taken care of and located within one site seems very attractive. Holiday centres – some adults only – as well as entertainment hotels, offer more than your usual accommodation-provider with a range of on-site activities, food and leisure facilities all inclusive in the price.
Everyone welcome
Most all-inclusive holiday centres offer a wide range of activities and facilities for adults as well as diverse evening entertainment and accommodation facilities.
Starting with one of the largest providers of holiday centres, Bourne Leisure operates brands such as Haven UK and British Holidays and the famous Butlins. Haven UK and British Holidays offers 34 sites across the UK including Golden Sands in Lincolnshire and three sites in Weymouth; Littlesea, Seaview and Weymouth Bay. At the Golden Sands resort, situated on Lincolnshire’s coastline, groups can take advantage of the surrounding countryside to enjoy bird-watching and rambling. Meanwhile, the blue flag sandy Mablethorpe Beach here stretches for several miles and offers groups the chance to relax by the sea or, weather permitting, even go for a swim. The surrounding village of Mablethorpe has a wealth of attractions to visit ranging from the Seal Sanctuary, which is directly opposite the Park, to rural shops. Alternatively, for the thrill-seekers amongst your group, there is the Fantasy Island Theme Park and Pleasure Island Theme Park, also located in the area, featuring white knuckle rides. At all of the parks, you have a choice of lodgings including chalets, caravans, lodges and apartments, which are all graded bronze, silver or gold dependant on their quality. Groups can find a wealth of leisure facilities to enjoy at each park including tennis and golf as well as musical and cabaret shows during the daytime and the evening. Haven UK and British Holidays even offer a group specific website to help GTOs organise their breaks without having to struggle through non-relevant information. Groups of five or more enjoy a discount on accommodation, with a free apartment for every 10 booked.
Another company with a large portfolio of properties is Parkdean Holidays, which owns 20 all-inclusive holiday parks across the UK. Sites include Tecco Bay in Wales and Holywell Bay in Cornwall. Groups can enjoy a wide range of leisure and entertainment facilities at these centres such as indoor swimming pools and amusement arcades. Accommodation options include caravans, lodges, chalets, apartments and cottages. Group discounts are available at all parks.
Offering eight sites is Pontins, with locations situated in Blackpool, Southport, Prestatyn Sands in North Wales, Brean Sands in Somerset, Wall Park in Devon, Camber Sands in East Sussex, Pakefield in Suffolk and Hemsby in Norfolk. For groups wishing to enjoy the southern coast, the Camber Sands site is located within seven miles of Blue Flag beach and offers a variety of activities including games, quizzes and sports. Local attractions include the White Cliffs of Dover and the picturesque old port town of Rye. Additionally, at this resort, groups can take advantage of a free day trip to France, offered by Pontins in conjunction with the ferry operator SeaFrance. New activities for this year at all sites include Back to School Sports Days. All sites feature swimming pools and Blue Coats who are on-hand throughout the day to entertain guests and put on nightly shows including singing, dancing and acting. Eastenders fans can even enjoy a pint at a recreated Queen Vic pub at the Southport and Prestatyn sites. Groups of 20 or more are offered discounts and a free place. Also, for every ten apartments booked, you receive one free.
Meanwhile, New Horizon offers groups the choice of five different holiday villages in the UK including the Summerfields site in Norfolk. At Summerfields, groups can enjoy the Summerfields Show Bar, where there is line-up of entertainment from resident performers including live music, dancing, bingo and cabaret. Groups can also enjoy games, quizzes and competitions at the Show Bar as well as relax and play snooker in the adult bar. Meanwhile, at the Hemsby site in Norfolk, groups can also enjoy a variety of leisure facilities and entertainment. The other three sites, Southdowns, located in West Sussex and Seacroft and Mundesley, both in Norfolk, are specifically for the over 50s. Discounts are offered to groups of 10 or more.
Also offering a wide range of entertainment at its four sites is Center Parcs. Located in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, each has facilities within approximately 400 acres of natural woodland. The Center Parcs concept of creating a holiday resort within natural surroundings originated in Holland in 1967 and the company offers its guests short break stays over the weekend or midweek. Accommodation is varied at the sites and includes villas, apartments and hotels. For example, Elveden Forest offers villas arranged around the site’s lakes, whilst there is also the 84-bedroom Lakeview Hotel. Groups can enjoy outdoor activities such as horse riding, rowing and cycling and indoor activities include aerobics, racquet sports and swimming within the sites’ water parks. Recent developments include the unveiling of the transformed Romanesque Aqua Sana spa at Longleat Forest last November. New rooms within the spa include the Aqua Meditation Room, where water columns cascade with bubbles and light, the Balinese Steam Room, which will purify your groups bodies through the inhalation of Jasmine and Menthol and the Indian Blossom Steam Baths, where Eucamenthol essences ease the respiratory system. There are also new water beds, which aim to relax you before and after your treatments. Aqua Sana spas feature at all Center Parcs sites and offer other treatment and rooms including a Greek Herbal Bath, a heat treatment that infuses Camomille, Rosemary and Sage over hot coals to create a stress-relieving aroma, and a Japanese Salt Room, which offers a rose quartz fountain, individual heated recliners and a purifying mixture of steam, essentail oils and salt to cleanse and detoxify the body. Additionally, the company is currently seeking planning permission for a fifth village, which is due to be constructed in Warren Wood, Bedfordshire. Center Parcs offers a designated groups booking department as well as group discounts.
Also offering four sites, Weststar Holidays has parks located in Mullion and Looe Bay,
both in Cornwall, Sandford in Dorset and a new site in Hayling Island in Hampshire. These all feature leisure facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools. New entertainment shows at the parks for 2007 include ‘Route 66’, an American musical, and ‘Electric Avenue’, a music and magic show featuring songs from the 80s. Groups of 10 or more enjoy a discount on accommodation.
For another break that offers lively activities and a range of leisure facilities, why not try Butlins, also operated by Bourne Leisure. At its three resorts, you can enjoy entertainment from the famous ‘Red Coats’, which famous names such as Cliff Richard and Michael Barrymore were members of in the past. Groups visiting the Bognor Regis site on the West Sussex coast will find a Tikka Tikka Indian Takeaway restaurant, Gala Bingo and The Groove Room dancing venue. Meanwhile, the Minehead site is located on the Somerset coast and offers a Pizza Hut, Ex More Adventures Ropecourse and a Costa Coffee Café. Finally, the Skegness site boasts The Spa leisure club. At the sites groups can enjoy accommodation options such as caravans, chalets, lodges and the Shoreline Hotel at the Bognor Regis resort. Groups of 20 or more are offered discounts and receive one free place.
With a single site, Potters Leisure Resort is located on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk in Hopton-on-Sea. It offers groups a choice of accommodation including bungalows and hotel penthouse suites as well as leisure facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, weights room, cardio-vascular techno-gym, adventure golf, air rifle shooting, archery, badminton, basketball, clay pigeon shooting, five a side football, sauna, Jacuzzis and a variety of bowls including indoor, outdoor, short mat and carpet. Live entertainment is also available on site in the Atlas Theatre, which includes performances from visiting artistes and the Potters very own Theatre Company. Groups can also unwind in the Aprodite Beauty Studio, which offers many beauty and holistic treatments. Groups of 21 or more receive a free place and a dedicated Group Sales team is available to help you arrange your holiday.
Alternatively, St. Audries Bay Holiday Club is located on the Somerset coast. Groups can enjoy accommodation within luxury caravans and chalets as well as the option to sleep in tents. Facilities at the site include licensed bars, restaurants, shops and a hairdressing salon. Groups can also enjoy activities at the site including table tennis, an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and indoor and outdoor bowling. Excursions to neighbouring attractions such as the West Somerset Steam Railway and the Sea Life Centre in Weston-super-Mare are also an option. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts.
Adults only
GTOs desiring a quieter time can visit one of the many adult-only holiday centres throughout the UK.
Another company operated by Bourne Leisure, Warner Breaks, offers groups the chance to pick from three types of accommodation; Historic Hotels, Character Hotels and Coastal Chalet Resorts. Each has a residential entertainments team and every evening provides either a live band or disco in a cabaret suite. Every site is set within landscaped gardens and groups can enjoy activities such as clay pigeon shooting, golf, fishing and cycling. Locations across the UK include the Corton Coastal Resort in Suffolk, the Thoresby Hall Historic Hotel in Nottinghamshire and the Sinah Warren Character Hotel in Hampshire, where you can enjoy a ‘Midweek Starbreak’, which sees an appearance from a celebrity guest. Each property has a heated swimming pool and health and beauty suites. However, each resort offers its own individual amenities such as at Bodelwyddan Castle Historic Hotel in Denbighshire. Here, groups can enjoy Decléor pamper days, which will see your group massaged and treated throughout the day. As well as this, there is easy access to local attractions such as the Snowdonia Mountain Railway, Llangollen, the Ffestiniog Railway and Chester Racecourse. There is also the chance to enjoy Ghost Walks, which see your group given a tour around the Castle focusing upon the ghostly aspects of its family history, a talk on ghost sightings in the area, lessons in the use of ghost-hunting equipment and tea and biscuits. Inclusive in the price of a stay at any Warner Breaks property are full English breakfasts, three course evening meals, entertainment and leisure facilities. Groups of 20 or more are offered various discounts and benefits including a welcome host on arrival and free places.
Meanwhile, Pontins also offers adult-only themed breaks at all of its sites, which include a ‘60s Music Weekend’, offering the chance to dress up and groove at a 60s themed discos and a ‘St. Patricks Weekend’, celebrating all things Irish. Also offered are Pontins’ Gold Breaks for the over 50s at two of its sites in Blackpool and Pakefield on the Suffolk coast. Discounts are offered to groups of 20 or more on Gold Breaks but not with other special interest and themed breaks.
Also offering themed breaks for adults is Hollybush Hotels. Due to the recent sale of the Mill Rythe Holiday Village in Somerset into private management, the company now offers two entertainment resorts and three hotels, which host a varied programme of themed breaks including ‘Jazz Weekends’ and ‘’Murder Mystery Weekends’. Aimed at the over 40s, Hollybush Hotels also offers Christmas packages such as ‘Christmas with the Rat Pack’ at the Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-super-Mare. Meanwhile, the company’s other entertainment resort, Lyme Bay Holiday Village, is located in Devon, offering leisure facilities including bowling greens and crazy golf as well as on-site entertainment teams organising activities such as bingo. Both holiday resorts offers accommodation options ranging from en-suite hotel rooms to chalets. Groups of 20 or more receive one free place and a gift voucher for the GTO.
Moving to Butlins, groups can enjoy adult-only breaks on ‘Butlins Party Weekends’. Groups can enjoy packages such as ‘Festival of the 60s’ and ‘Skool Reunion’, which includes a fancy dress disco. Groups of 20 or more people receive a free place and and GTOs are given a £10 voucher to spend at any of the on-site shops whilst at the resort.
Three of New Horizons sites are solely for adults; Mundesley Holiday Village and Seacroft Holiday Village, in Norfolk, and South Downs Holiday Village on the Sussex coast near Chichester. At Mundesley, which was originally built in the early 1930s and is situated on the Norfolk coastline, groups can take time out to visit the many picturesque towns and villages in the surrounding area such as Cromer and Hunstanton, which offers beaches and fisherman’s cottages. Groups can also visit the cathedral city of Norwich, home to Europe’s largest daily street market as well as a number of historical places of interest. Daily excursions to these attractions, organised through the resort, are available for groups. At all the sites, groups can enjoy entertainment such as live bingo, dancing and shows and coach tours can be organised to local attractions. Groups enjoy discounts on accommodation at all sites.
Entertaining hotels
Although holiday centres are seen as the most obvious choice for an all inclusive holiday, some hotels also offer a variety of entertainment and meal options all included in the price as is accommodation and the use of leisure facilities.
Firstly, Britannia and Grand Entertainment Hotels has six hotels in which groups can take an entertainment break. These include the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, which offers cabaret entertainment, live bands, bingo and theatrical shows, and the Grand Hotel in Llandudno, Wales, which dates back to Victorian times and is on the doorstep of the Snowdon National Park. Accommodation at all of these sites includes en-suite rooms and leisure facilities include indoor swimming pools, games rooms and a hotel cinema as a well as a full nightly entertainment programme. Groups of 30 or more receive a discount on breaks.
Alternatively, the TLH Leisure Resort in Torquay, Devon, has four hotels on-site; the Carlton, Derwent, Toorak and Victoria. Concerning accommodation, The Carlton is a three-star hotel, offering 55 ensuite rooms, 10 hotel apartments, the Riviera Lounge and a stylish ballroom and lounge. Meanwhile, the Derwent Hotel is a two-star hotel offering 175 ensuite rooms and the Starlight cabaret lounge, which hosts a variety of evening entertainment. Additionally, the three-star Toorak Hotel offers 92 ensuite bedrooms and the Victoria Hotel is two-star and boasts 83 ensuite bedrooms. There is an onsite luxury Aztec spa for your group to enjoy, offering a range of health and beauty treatments such as facials and massages. There are also two tennis courts and a croquet lawn at the complex for the sports lovers amongst you. Groups can also take part in an ‘Aztec Experience’ in the Resort’s Aztec zone, which, along with the spa, features an indoor themed swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Also in the area is a gym with professional instructors. Meals can be enjoyed in the range of on-site restuarants and cafés, which include the Palms Coffee Shop, offering light refreshments and snacks, the Med Bar, for hot and cold lunchtime meals, the Conway Bar & Terrace, the Summer House Grill, the Arena Bar, the Carlton Carvery, offering traditional Sunday lunches and Alberts Pub, which serves a full range of beers and bar drinks, hot and cold bar snacks during lunchtime and evenings. Entertainment on offer at the resort throughout the year includes Ballroom, social and sequence dancing every week, floorshows performed by the entertainment team, cabaret artistes, magic, illusion and acrobats, discos, karaoke, bingo, race nights amd quiz evenings. Nearby attractions, which groups can enjoy during their stay include Newton Abbot Races, Torquay Marina, Babbacombe Model Village, Cockington Village, Paignton Zoo, Dartmoor National Park, Brixham Harbour, the Eden Project and a variety of historic houses and gardens. GTOs can take advantage of free familiarisation visits to the Resort and specialist holidays can be arranged for your group with themes including dancing and health and beauty. GTOs can also choose from seasonal special breaks including a ‘Turkey and Tinsel’ option. Groups of 30 or more receive one free place.
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Meanwhile, The Riviera Hotel, previously owned by Hollybush Hotels, is located in Weymouth, Devon and set on a cliff overlooking the waters and beach at Bowleaze Cove. Designed in post art-deco style, the hotel is Grade II listed and offers comfortable accommodation. It is surrounded by green lawns and countryside and is only a minute away from the sand and shingle beach. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms, colour TV with remote control and tea and coffee making facilities. The hotel also offers a variety of facilities for groups such as an indoor leisure centre with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa and a large outdoor heated pool. Guests can dine in the Dorchester restaurant and the Bowleaze Café and Bar. There is also the opportunity to indulge in sports and activities including short mat bowls, crazy golf and croquet. Groups receive a discount on breaks.
Finally, The Park Hall Hotel, located in Lancashire, offers groups 400 acres of woodland and is situated by a lake with 140 ensuite bedrooms. Groups can also stay within the Hotel’s village, which is comprised of 80 chalets. For thrill-seeking groups, Camelot Theme Park is situated right next door and groups can arrange a Camelot Package, which includes accommodation at the Hotel and free entry to the Park. At the Hotel, there is also a health club and spa, where your group can enjoy various luxurious treatments, and an American style diner. Evening entertainment includes ‘Medieval Banquets’, ‘Ladies Only Nights’ and ‘Star-Studded Cabarets’. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount on accommodation or the price of a package.