An award-winning East Yorkshire holiday park has unveiled a £4.1m transformation of its Country Club. It follows a devastating fire that destroyed its leisure and hospitality facilities.
The new-look Country Club represents the biggest single investment in the 41-year history of Patrington Haven Leisure Park, in Holderness. In April last year the owners-only holiday park was dealt a major blow when fire ripped through the Country Club late at night, destroying the restaurant and bar and leaving much of the rest of the building with extensive smoke and water damage.
The pool was also severely damaged, partly because fire crews had to pump water from it to douse the flames. Now, family-run Patrington Haven Leisure Park has turned disaster into triumph with the opening of facilities that its owners, the Sparkes family, believe rival anything seen on holiday parks across the UK.
The project has involved a full-scale rebuild of the Country Club, with the original structure completely stripped back and replaced. The new interior draws its design inspiration from luxury hospitality brands such as The Ivy and Celebrity Cruises, featuring elegant furnishings, vibrant artwork and a high-end finish throughout.
Guy Sparkes, managing director, said: “This was never just about repairing the damage. We decided to turn it into an opportunity to start afresh and invest in a very big way to create a special place for our holiday home owners and the wider community to use and enjoy.
(Image: Patrington Haven Leisure Park)
“We wanted to raise the bar for leisure facilities in a holiday park and I think we’ve done that. We’re incredibly proud of what’s been achieved.
“The Country Club offers a high-quality environment, where people can unwind, recharge and enjoy time together. But it’s really important to us that it still feels relaxed and homely. If you want to pop in for a coffee in your shorts and T-shirt, you’ll be made very welcome.”
The refurbished venue includes Guy’s Bar and Restaurant, which serves a carefully-curated menu showcasing fresh, locally-sourced ingredients from across East Yorkshire, alongside The Gallery Coffee Lounge, a relaxing space where guests can unwind with a hot drink. The venue features hi-tech services, including robot servers that deliver snacks and drinks directly to customers’ tables, and high-spec audio-visual facilities.
The indoor heated pool has been completely rebuilt, with new plant room equipment, pumps and mechanical systems throughout. It is designed for both fitness and relaxation, with dedicated lanes, a whirlpool and hydrotherapy jets, as well as plenty of space for fun with the family.
New luxurious poolside health suites offer a high-end wellness experience, including sauna and steam rooms, a coldroom, rainfall showers, heated loungers, new family changing rooms and more. The deluxe spa – used by holiday home owners, day visitors and local residents – and state-of-the-art, members-only gym have also been fully revamped, with the rebuild including a major expansion of the gym space, which is now among the largest of any UK holiday park.
(Image: R&R Studio)
There is also a dedicated entertainment space with family-friendly features like shuffleboard, gaming machines and other fun activities for children and teens, giving younger visitors their own space to enjoy. All the facilities are now in use, other than the pool which will re-open on a phased basis from a date to be confirmed in August.
The new facilities have been warmly welcomed by the park’s community of holiday home owners. Jacqui George, who owns a holiday home with her husband Wilf for five years, said: “The fire was such a terrible time for everyone on the park, but the team have dealt with it with such positivity and grace.
“Since the Country Club re-opened we’ve indulged in some really tasty food, from the chicken gyros flatbread to the Friday pizza special, a lovely afternoon tea, Sunday lunch, and loads of takeaway coffees in between. I’ve also enjoyed a massage and manicure in The Spa, which was amazing, as always. A huge well done to the whole team – it’s a credit to you all.”
The project has also strengthened the park’s sustainability credentials, with a 20,000sq ft rooftop solar array generating 285 kWh of clean electricity, and a 32kW air source heat pump replacing the previous gas supply. Patrington Haven Leisure Park has won a series of awards recognising the quality of the experience, customer service and environment enjoyed by holiday home owners, including being named Holiday Park of the Year in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs) four times in recent years.
The park has a 11-months-a-year licence for its community of owners of almost 500 static caravans The Country Club is open 364 days a year, with a buoyant trade from the local community and visitors to the nearby East Yorkshire coast, as well as holiday home owners, their families and guests.