Pool & Spa Scene: HOLIDAY PARK POOLS
ABOVE: Added attractions like inflatables and water walkers add appeal to even the most traditional swimming pools. > grown used to in recent years.
“This summer has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people using indoor pools in seaside towns,” says Adrian. “Local authority-run pools have done well and this will result in future investment as they see the returns. Center Parcs have four massive sites (set in 400 acres each) that cater for all the adventurous types with covered areas that mean you don’t have to worry about the weather. They are at Whinfell Forest (Cumbria), Sherwood Forest (Nottinghamshire), Elveden Forest (Suffolk) and Longleat Forest (Wiltshire). Work is well underway for the opening in 2013 of a fifth site near Woburn, Bedfordshire, in 2013.
SUB TROPICAL Huge covered pool areas, marketed as sub tropical paradise, all include a toddler pool, wave pool, whirlpool and exciting flumes, wild water rapids or canyon ride.
Swimming lessons are available for all ages with qualified instructors – fast becoming a major attraction for families with very young children.
Guests can spend all day in the subtropical swimming paradise, as there are hot and cold refreshments available at the Lagoon Bar or Canopy Cafe. For extra luxury guests can book a Cabana for up to eight people and enjoy luxury comfy chairs, complementary towels and cold soft drinks, along with a safe. Some cabanas also feature a TV.
Says Adrian Lee: “Center Parcs have moved the holiday camp idea into a whole new era with climbing, riding, biking, paintballing and dozens of other activities that make a holiday on one site an attractive proposition that’s more of an adventure. “But it is always the water that kids go for and the standard
54 Pool & Spa Scene: HOLIDAY PARK POOLS ADDED BONUS
“Swimming lessons are an added bonus because they are unhurried and nobody has to rush to be out of the pool to a deadline.” Holidays in the UK are becoming more fashionable now that cost-conscious families realise what facilities are on offer. Companies running the big-name resorts have latched on to the big selling factor in single-destination centres. Swimming and water-based activities (and that includes boats and water-skiing at some resorts) are a major attraction when the object of the holiday is to keep the family happy, kids enthused and adults exercised. “All research in the holiday industry shows that the more activities you can cram into a single-destination break for a sensible price, the more customers will repeat the experience,” says Adrian Lee. “It’s an irrefutable fact that swimming pools, saunas and all water-related activities tick a major box when families are making the final decision while going through brochures. “Luckily we have high standards of pools amongst all operators in the UK, so families will never be disappointed. “Safety records are second-to-none and that is down to the very tight grip which resort managers keep on all aspects of pools.” In a UK survey of holiday resort swimming pools conducted two years ago there were no failures in cleanliness, pool maintenance and safety standards.
That says a great deal about the swimming pool industry as a whole. n
of pools at these Parcs is absolutely excellent with just the right amount of excitement, tempered with the tranquillity of shallow pool areas for youngsters and parents.
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