We’re enjoying introducing you to the owners of the Best of British holiday parks, because the faces behind the scenes are more important now than ever before. Our family owned holiday parks are welcoming guests for the first time in a while! Here we introduce you to Tracey and Guy at Concierge Camping in West Sussex and detail some of the measures they have put in place to ensure they are ‘Good To Go‘ and able to welcome visitors again.
1. Tell us about Concierge Camping…
We purchased Ratham Estate in 2011 and knew we had to have the estate work for us to help with the upkeep of the various listed buildings, including the large farmhouse. We applied for planning permission on our 4 acre meadow which we thought would be ideal as a luxury touring park. We got the idea after travelling round France for 8 weeks in the summer of 2011, and knew there was a market out there for a luxury park with luxury facilities and excellent customer service.
It took 2 years to get planning permission and a lot of money, but in the end it was approved. We started the excavation works in November 2014 and opened our gates on 30th April 2015. From the word go it was a hit. Many came just to see what it was like and to see if you got what you paid for, and they loved it, and thought it was value for money.
2. What was your aim with Concierge?
To give people a luxury experience in their home on wheels or in one of our luxury safari lodges.
3. What awards have you won?
2015 AA Campsite of the Year, AA Platinum Awards, AA Campsite of the Year and Overall Winner 2019. Top 100 Sites Overall Winner 2020. We achieved 6 awards in our first 8 weeks of opening in 2015.
4. How do you approach the experience for your visitors?
We pride ourselves on our customer service. We handle all enquiries and bookings ourselves and we are always here to help. We aim to give a friendly and safe environment for our guests, including children and dogs! We don’t have signs up everywhere with rules, we just want our guests to appreciate the beautiful surroundings they are in.
5. What makes Concierge a 5 star experience?
It is a totally unique experience, just ask anyone who’s been and take a look at our Google reviews, they speak for themselves.
6. How has Covid-19 affected your business?
Like everyone, it stopped overnight; the phones didn’t ring and the booking calendar got blocked out. We kept our staff all working which was great, the grounds on the estate still needed maintaining and all the other buildings were deep cleaned etc.
7. What measures have been put in place for re-opening?
We have put up screens in our reception, we have purchased fogging machines for all our social areas, we have extended our outside bar/coffee shop area with social distancing measures in place, we offer a contactless check in, our information is all sent digitally the night before arrival. We are unique as our pitches are all fully serviced with 8ft plus hedges surrounding each pitch, our pitches are also over 8 metres plus apart from each other and are huge in size. We have also added an en suite ‘pitch pod’ booking option for anyone who wants to further socially distance and use their own facilities!
Concierge Camping is thrilled to be open once more and welcoming visitors to the South East. Located near Chichester, the park serves as the perfect base to explore the South Downs, Goodwood and Blue Flag beaches nearby. The park sets a new standard in luxury camping, offering 27 hardstanding fully serviced pitched each with secluded garden areas. The facilities are second to none, with individual luxury showers, which are heated in winter and air conditioned in summer. On site there is a licensed shop offering local free range or organic produce, fresh bread and croissants daily. It really is picture perfect.
