Super-star holiday park Hendra plans new £1.5m spend
Staff and the family owners of Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay are celebrating after scooping the English tourist board’s highest possible grade for excellence.
The news that Hendra has retained its prestigious five-star gold status came after VisitEngland inspectors recently made a head-to-toe review of the park’s facilities and services.
Only a handful of England’s 3,000-plus holiday parks have been granted the gold accolade this year, putting Hendra among an elite of top-performing park businesses.
VisitEngland says its gold standard can only be achieved if a park exceeds all of the requirements necessary to gain a top five-star rating during its annual inspection.
Now Hendra says that it will crown its 12-year run of VisitEngland five-star accolades by spending more than £1.5 million on new improvements over the coming months.
They will include more than 60 luxury holiday homes which Hendra has commissioned from a major UK manufacturer, kitted-out with the latest refinements and energy-saving technologies.
During the summer months, the park plays host to up to 4,500 holiday guests every night – and director Jon Hyatt says that 2019 is likely to be its busiest year to date:
“Hendra is definitely benefitting from the staycation boom, but families are actively seeking out high quality experiences, and that is our greatest strength,” he said.
“In fact the vast majority of our bookings this year are from repeat visitors or as a result of a personal recommendation, and that suggests strongly that we are getting it right!
“We’re delighted to continue being included among the elite of English holiday parks inspected by VisitEngland, not least because hospitality plays such a big a part in these awards.
“Credit for this must go to our loyal staff team who are often mentioned in guest reviews for their friendly and helpful attitude,” added Jon who is a member of the park-owning family.
In peak season, she said, Hendra employs around 250 full and part-time staff, the majority of whom are recruited locally, and in many cases provided with training for long-term careers in tourism.
Jon also points out that the £6 million-plus spent annually by guests largely benefits other small businesses in the Newquay area, and supports the jobs they provide.
In addition to its VisitEngland quality mark, Hendra boasts a long list of other regional and national awards for its high standards and care for the natural environment.
They include the prestigious AA five-pennant platinum award, the organisation’s recently introduced and highest level accolade for holiday parks.
The park first started welcoming camping guests in 1972, and today provides a wide range of attractions including a pools complex, professional entertainment and family activities.
