Judges reveal secrets of campsite success

You’ve met the Hotel Inspectors – now meet the Campsite Inspectors! The judges from the AA’s prestigious Caravan and Camping Awards are coming to stay at Britain’s top site.

Oakdown Touring and Holiday Park near Sidmouth is the reigning Campsite of the Year after beating more than 900 other entrants from across England, Scotland and Wales. And now the judges are back – this time to check out the competition for the 2016 awards.

David Hancock, co-ordinator of the AA Caravan and Camping Scheme, said: “Today’s campers expect so much more than previous generations. Just because we’re away from home doesn’t mean we don’t want home comforts like privacy, clean and warm bathrooms and good access to the internet.
“Top campsites should be a real home from home, just like Oakdown.”
Great customer care, he added, was also vital: “This is one thing that all our award winners have paid attention to. How well guests are looked after from the moment they arrive can make or break any holiday.

“Location also plays a significant part in the choice of our winners ¬– the park must be in a place people want to visit. In addition, we look closely at the way pitches are set out in terms of size and layout. They need to be nicely
landscaped and with good privacy.

“Improvements to facilities can also score highly, especially if they have enhanced that all-important customer experience. For instance, spacious bathrooms for families are becoming more important, and they should be warm and very clean too. If there is more than one bathroom block, they should all be to the same standard.

“Indeed, all the park’s facilities must be clean and well appointed.”
Now Oakdown, which has been owned, developed and run by the Franks family for 43 years, is to host the judges for next year’s awards. Alastair Franks said: “We are continually investing in Oakdown to improve our facilities across the board to make our guests as comfortable as possible, and we are thrilled that the commitment shown by us and our staff has been recognised by the judges of this prestigious awards scheme.

“Now as the judges are visiting other sites in the area, it’s a great honour for us to have them stay here – but where could be better?
“This is the latest feather in our cap, coming on top of recent awards from the Jurassic Coast Quality Business scheme, Practical Caravan, Alan Rogers’ Good Camps Guide and Visit England, to name but a few.”
Oakdown has its own nine-hole golf course, a shop and cafe and internet kiosk, as well as wifi via a dedicated satellite.

The AA judges said: “Oakdown, situated on the Jurassic Coast just a few miles from Sidmouth, is the perfect holiday base, with spacious pitches, very comfortable facilities and a warm welcome from the Franks family and their attentive team. A worthy winner of the Best in England and Overall Campsite of the Year Award!”

The recipe for success - eight steps to a top AA award:

1: Improved facilities meaning improved customer experience
2: Excellent pitch layout, size and landscaping
3: Spacious, warm and clean bathrooms
4: Services such as water and sanitation being conveniently located
5: Pleasant, natural surroundings
6: Good reception facilities and parking
7: Customer care from the moment of arrival
8: Being in a popular location.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID ABOUT OAKDOWN: For nearly 43 years, this popular, well-established park has been lovingly developed and continuously upgraded by the Franks family and is now one of Britain’s top holiday parks. The touring area is divided up into ‘groves’ or ‘drives’, each separated by a lovely array of trees or shrubs, which afford plenty of privacy to many of the pitches. Careful consideration of privacy and pitch density is one of the park’s strengths and sets it apart from most other sites. The main toilet and shower block, built inside of an old wartime radar building, can only be described as ‘stunning’, housing very modern and spotlessly clean facilities, including excellent family rooms and bathrooms. In addition to the touring area, there is a beautifully landscaped and imaginatively laid out holiday home area which offers top quality caravans and lodges for purchase or hire. The park also has a well-stocked shop and a really good café, which also doubles as a reception for the popular 9-hole par 3 golf course. Oakdown, situated on the Jurassic Coast just a few miles from Sidmouth, is the perfect holiday base, with spacious pitches, very comfortable facilities and a warm welcome from the Franks family and their attentive team. A worthy winner of the Best in England and Overall Campsite of the Year Award.