A Nottinghamshire tourist attraction is adding 10 glamping pods as part of a £684,240 investment.
The luxury cabins – each big enough for six people – are being installed in the grounds of Holme Pierrepont Country Park, home of the National Water Sports Centre, and should be open for business this spring.
It is hoped the new cabins appeal to competitors and spectators attending events at the water sports centre. Holme Pierrepont is operated by Serco Leisure Operating, under a long-term contract with Nottinghamshire County Council, which has provided the £500,000 towards the total cost. Serco Leisure will provide the rest of the money and, in return for the county council’s investment, there will be a reduction in the annual revenue fee paid to Serco to manage the site.
Jack Garner, contract manager at Serco, said: "As well as self-contained toilet and shower facilities, the pods also boast their own hot tubs. We’re introducing these pods as there is a demand from our customers for a higher end camping option.
"They’re going to be perfect for long weekends, mini breaks and family holidays. When we launch the pods in spring 2024, we’re expecting demand to be high from people looking for an outdoor holiday but with indoor luxuries.”
Councillor John Cottee, the county council’s cabinet member for communities hoped the glamping modules would encourage more people to stay longer at Holme Pierrepont and use it as a base to explore further afield in Robin Hood Country.
He said: “Holme Pierrepont Country Park is a real jewel in the crown and draws thousands of visitors each year, as well as spectators and competitors who attend the many events which take place at the National Water Sport Centre.
“By making this significant investment, we are once again reaffirming our commitment to supporting this much-loved attraction and delivering on our pledge to make our wonderful county an even better place for people to visit.
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“High quality accommodation like this will help visitors to enjoy even longer stays in the county and allows them to explore what Nottinghamshire has to offer as a tourist destination.
“I cannot wait to see the pods in use and hearing about visitors enjoying their overnight stays in this beautiful part of the world.”
Accommodation at the country park, near Radcliffe-on-Trent, currently includes a campsite, a selection of hotel-style rooms in the Lakeside Building and a self-contained suite which sleeps up to 11 people at the Elms Cottage.
The campsite, which offers tent and caravan pitches alongside several ‘camping arch’ cabins with shared toilet and shower facilities, has benefitted from the growing ‘staycation’ market following the pandemic.
Councillor Keith Girling, cabinet member for economic development and asset management, said: “This significant investment solidifies the county council’s vision to attract more visitors to our county, especially at a time when the sector continues to recover from the devastating impact wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“More visitors coming to Nottinghamshire helps to attract more investment, stimulates growth, and provides more employment opportunities for local people.
"We're committed to boosting our visitor economy, breathing new life into it and moving on from the challenges it faced during the bleak days of the pandemic.
“Therefore, investment schemes like this at Holme Pierrepont are vital in helping us to meet our pledge as part of our 10-year Nottinghamshire plan to strengthen businesses, create better-quality jobs and make our county somewhere people love to live, work and visit."