Hot tubs on cards as Parkdean pumps £3m into Scots parks

Parkdean Resorts is to pump more than £3 million into its Scottish holiday parks as it gears up for the 2019 season.

Tummel Valley near Pitlochry will receive an extra £158,000 to add hot tubs to existing riverside lodges. Picture: Contributed

Under the firm’s plans for new accommodation, some £1.9m will be invested to bring a mix of 78 caravans and lodges to eight holiday parks.

In addition to that investment, Tummel Valley near Pitlochry will receive an extra £158,000 to add five hot tubs to existing riverside lodges which will each receive a full refurbishment.

The investment announcement comes alongside a recruitment drive to fill roles around the UK, including 18 in Scotland, within sales, catering, administration, leisure and operational departments.

The Scottish plans form part of a wider investment of more than £40m across the business this year. Parkdean Resorts is the largest holiday park operator in the UK following the merger of Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts in 2015.

Overall, some £22.5m will be spent enhancing the group’s caravan and lodge offering across the UK in a move that will see more than 760 new caravans introduced on parks and £4.4m worth of refurbishments take place, while £1.5m will allow for 18 new luxury lodges to be added across eight locations.

A further £9.5m will be invested to strengthen park infrastructure and £1.8m is ear-marked for retail developments on parks across the portfolio.

More than 50 one-bedroom caravans will be launched across 12 parks, including some sites in Scotland, specifically designed for couples and including pet friendly accommodation – an area that Parkdean said it was keen to further develop.

Chief executive John Waterworth said: “We have lots of people that come along in twos on holiday so we will be introducing one-bedroom caravans for the first time with young couples, empty nesters and retired people in mind.”

He added: “It is with great pride that we announce a further significant investment across our parks this year, ahead of the 2019 season.

“Work is already underway to bring in these changes to accommodation, retail, entertainment and many other elements that make up the Parkdean Resorts experience, which we continue to build upon while listening to customer feedback and reacting to market demand.”

The group said that a total of 27 holiday parks were preparing to welcome 2019’s first holidaymakers for the February half-term break, including sites at Eyemouth, Tummel Valley and Wemyss Bay in Scotland.