We are continuing in our quest to introduce you to the owners of the Best of British holiday parks. Our parks have achieved the highest Tourist Board/AA gradings, and of those accolades, they have achieved the top percentage ratings to achieve their 5 stars. We specialise in caravan, camping, motorhome and glamping holidays in beautiful locations in England, Scotland and Wales.

Here, we meet the owners of Ladram Bay Holiday Park in Devon. Not just beautifully situated, the park is steeped in history and had very humble beginnings!

1. Tell us about the history of Ladram Bay and the area in which you are based…

Originating as tenanted farmland, owned by entrepreneur Frank William Sydenham Carter, Ladram Bay began its legacy in 1943. FWS, together with his wife Margaret, allowed occasional campers to pitch up in his front field boasting panoramic views of the bay, the campsite was soon born!

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Under the active direction of Zoe and Robin, since 2006 the siblings have continued to develop his legacy into our award-winning holiday park, located in East Devon.

2. Please introduce your team…

Our Managing Directors are siblings Robin Carter and Zoe House (pictured).  Our General Manager is Steven Harper-Smith and our Assistant General Manager is Will Tottle.

We rely on a talented team of people around the park to ensure our guests are happy on their holiday. Everyone plays their part in the smooth running of Ladram Bay, for which we are very grateful and this contributes to our great reputation for family holidays!

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3. What values are your unique selling points as a holiday park?

Our unique selling point is our absolutely outstanding location! Nestled on the Jurassic Coast between Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, we boast an abundance of glorious countryside to explore on our doorstep and a stunning private bay, perfect for swimming, sunbathing and watersports.

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With the return of many repeat guests over the years, developing our offering is paramount to our success. We pride ourselves on continual investment and development of our accommodation offering and our 5-star facilities. 2021 saw the impressive improvement of our exhilarating adventure playground which is already proving popular with our guests.

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4. What is life as a park owner like?

No working day is ever the same!  The variation which the park offers, the array of new challenges and the opportunities plus the diversity of our guests, owners and team provide an exciting and vibrant environment to be part of.

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Above: The Exeter Chiefs visited in 2019 for a team day!

In addition to an exciting open season each year, we aim to embrace our winter closed period and take full advantage of this time to manage often large scale projects, such as developing new facilities, introducing new accommodation developments and creating new websites. We enjoy nourishing a small idea to fruition to enhance our offering. Surrounding ourselves with our fantastic team – experts in their own field, results in an inspirational role to have

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5. What makes Ladram Bay a 5 star experience?

We offer the complete package for the perfect family holiday.  Our talented, hardworking and passionate team provide excellent customer service throughout all points of the guest experience, from check in, to check out and every interaction in between.

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Our luxurious accommodation boasting hot tubs, verandas and outstanding sea views offers our guests the ideal escapism from everyday life.

Our exciting range of facilities provide the extra magical moments for the whole family; our swimming pool and splash zone, Jurassic themed adventure golf, watersports hire and sensational entertainments programme will all become long-lasting memories to be treasured.

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6. What awards have you won?

We’re proud to have been awarded a selection of key accolades over our many years. Recent highlights include:

  • Holiday Park of the Year Gold status in the Devon Tourism Awards 2019/20
  • Holiday Park of the Year Silver status in the South West Tourism Awards 2019/20
  • Holiday Park of the Year Silver status in the Devon Tourism Awards 2020/21
  • Holiday Park of the Year Bronze status in the South West Tourism Awards 2020/21
  • David Bellamy Conservation Award – Gold – 2020/21
  • Hoseasons Diamond Award for Family Fun in Devon, Dorset and Somerset – won for 9 consecutive years 2011 – 2020
  • Hoseasons Customer Choice food award – 2018, 2019
  • Trip Advisor Travellers Choice – Best of the Best 2020
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7. What local attractions would you suggest your visitors experience while staying with you?

Here in the South West we’re incredibly blessed with a superb selection of local attractions for our guests to enjoy. Our top family recommendations include World of Country Life, Pecorama, Paignton Zoo and Pennywell Farm.  Stuart Line Cruises, Bicton Gardens and Seaton Tram also rate highly with both couples and those with younger children.

8. How have you made Ladram Bay a Covid-secure environment?

Delivering a well-deserved, safe holiday to our guests is crucial to us. Recent improvements include a Covid awareness welcome video advising guests on our new procedures pre-arrival in addition to the launch of a brand new app with table service and booking capabilities limiting interactions and therefore reducing risk. We have also installed signage, screens and are offering outside check-ins.  Employees have undertaken Covid-specific training and additional safety measures have been introduced, which include frequent workplace testing.

Additional teams have been employed to cope with the demand for the new booking procedures within the pool and restaurant and offer extensive cleaning within accommodation. Access routes to facilities have been altered to allow these to function individually for greater customer satisfaction, and an evolving entertainment programme is being offered.

9. What are your hopes for the 2021 season?

After such an unprecedented year in 2020, we’re hoping to exceed expectations for season 2021. We aim to provide fun-filled holidays in a safe and secure environment for both guests and team to work within. Moving forwards, we wish to build on the UK staycation market becoming a well-recognisable leading holiday destination in the UK.

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10. Your top tip for first time tourers and campers?

Don’t take any notice of the weather forecast! Come rain or shine, there’s plenty to do and you’ll be sure to have a fabulous holiday! Travelling with your tourer? – come to us, we’ll even site you on the pitches and minimise your stress so you can start your holiday the way you wish to go on!
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Thank you very much to Ladram Bay for taking part in our ‘Meet The Owners’ series and we wish you a wonderful summer ahead!  To view more about the park and check availability, please click here.

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