Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Haven and British Holidays, with centres throughout
the country. Butlin's invested more than £100 million in
the 1990s to upgrade its holiday centres. Center Parcs
offers self-catering accommodation that is aimed at a
more 'up market' clientele at its UK holiday villages in
Sherwood Forest, Elvedon, Longleat and Oasis Whinfell
in the Lake District.
FOCUS ON INDUSTRY
TRAVELODGE
Travelodge is one of the best-known budget hotel
companies with more than 380 hotels in the UK,
Ireland and Spain (26,000 rooms in total). Over
6.5 million people stay in a Travelodge every
year, with 87 per cent of reservations being made
online. All Travelodges offer the same facilities, so
the customer always knows what to expect. These
include en-suite facilities, satellite TV, tea and coffee
making facilities, and free car parking. The company
has a target of 70,000 rooms by 2020 and aims to
be the biggest hotel operator in London by the
2012 Olympics. This will be achieved by organic
growth, including building new properties and
the regeneration of existing hotels. The company
currently employs 5,500 staff and is owned by Dubai
International Capital.
Self-catering cottages throughout the UK are
particularly popular with the more affl uent AB social
groups, who appreciate the rural locations of many
of the properties and the convenience of booking
through one of the many agencies specialising in
self-catering accommodation, for example Blakes,
English Country Cottages, Hoseasons, Wales Holidays
and Country Cottages in Scotland. The National
Trust and the Forestry Commission offer self-catering
accommodation throughout Britain in houses, cabins,
lodges and cottages.
Self-catering is an increasingly popular form of tourism
on farms in the UK. Encouraged by advice and grant-
aid from the government and European Union, many
farmers and landowners have converted farm buildings
into accommodation units. This type of accommodation
is popular with families and, from the owners' point of
view, is less labour intensive than farmhouse bed and
breakfast enterprises.
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Check out this website for more
information on Travelodge.
www.travelodge.co.uk
Timeshare is a particular type of self-catering
accommodation involving the purchase of time, usually
in blocks of weeks, in a holiday property. The purchaser
is then able to use that property at the specifi ed
time period each year, or may be able to swap it for
accommodation at timeshare properties elsewhere in
the world. Although most commonly associated with
overseas resorts, there are many timeshare properties in
the UK. One of the fi rst was developed on the banks of
Loch Rannoch in Scotland in 1974. Most UK timeshare
developments are found in the rural areas of Britain,
including the Lake District, North Yorkshire, Snowdonia
National Park, the Scottish Highlands and Cornwall.
As well as self-catering villas, cottages and log cabins,
apartments in seaside resorts and city centres are also
available on a timeshare basis.
Non-serviced accommodation
Non-serviced accommodation in the UK (also known
as self-catering accommodation) includes all rented
premises used for holiday purposes, self-catering
holiday centres and villages, all types of caravan
accommodation, camping, self-catering youth
hostels, second homes and boats (excluding cruises).
Holidaymakers like the freedom and value-for-money
that non-serviced accommodation offers, while
families with young children and/or older relatives fi nd
it particularly convenient and fl exible.
Self-catering accommodation in the UK comes in
many types. The former holiday camps, now renamed
holiday centres and villages, converted much of their
accommodation to self-catering in the in the run up to
the new millennium in response to customer demand.
The market leaders in the UK are Butlin's, Pontin's,
Camping and caravanning are excellent choices
for those looking for good value non-serviced
accommodation. The owners of many camping and
caravanning sites have invested heavily in recent
