The World of Park & Leisure Homes is a key date in the diary for anyone thinking of buying a park or leisure home, where many of the innovators of the industry are out in force exhibiting their latest models. Following the 2023 show in June, we thought we’d take a look at what’s new, what the latest trends and innovations are, and what caught our eye in general at the show.
Traditionally this show is well known to have its roots in the residential side of the industry, but for many years now it’s been a great showcase for both leisure and residential homes, and increasingly modular and glamping units too. That’s a reflection of the growth areas in the marketplace generally, although for those seeking the residential home lifestyle, it’s an absolute must-visit event.
EMERGING TRENDS
For the past few years, the push towards eco-conscious living and holidaying has been growing in momentum, and that’s taken a massive leap forward this year, possibly due to concerns over rising energy costs. Most manufacturers are offering the option of adding in energy saving elements, and the competition is now fiercer than ever in the contemporary/eco leisure accommodation side. So, when looking at the options, it’s possibly going to be more important than ever to look at the fine detail behind the claims.
Another key trend that really emerged fully for the first time at this show was the elevation of theatre in the design – mostly that was delivered with full drapes against a backdrop of otherwise contemporary, clean lines, bringing the focus to the windows, framing any potential view perfectly. So, for parks and accommodation providers with a wonderful view to behold, this will be a popular trend, drawing the occupant to the window to really soak up the benefits of their location. We saw quite a bit of vertical wood strip cladding for feature walls so that’s ‘en vogue’ this year, and doors invisibly set into them, which was pretty impressive. Marble effect flooring also put in an appearance quite a few times, in flooring, tiling options and kitchen worktops, and quite a few homes showcased dark navy units or feature walls. We saw a smaller flashes of this colour three or four years ago in a couple of models but now it’s been rolled out in full and integrated into a lot of designs.
STAND OUT MODELS
It wasn’t just in the window area that we saw theatre – some of the more striking lodge designs were brave yet well-delivered, and we should really name check them here as a reward for pushing those boundaries forward so successfully. Kingston Modular surprised us all with their new Palazzo lodge, which had an Egyptian vibe throughout, and a very palatial bathroom full of character and drama. White and gold coloured drapes decorated the front elevation from inside adding a sense of grandeur, and a marble-effect backlit feature wall in the lounge added further impact in this area. Their en-suite bathroom demonstrated a slightly different take on the theme, but just as successful and classy in the execution. Hawthorne lodges also struck a chord combining contemporary styling with drama in their Whistler lodge, which had flowing navy drapes dressing the front windows framing them theatrically. They also had a very striking teal coloured brick-effect tiling in the bathroom and en-suite combined with black and white chequered flooring, a pristine white suite and black trim.
There were plenty more manufacturers we spotted doing something a little different from the mainstream and adding some wonderful design kicks and all-round appeal in their models. Omar took a hybrid approach to combine their popular Kingfisher layout with their recent Heron design; a people pleaser for potential buyers who love both models. The Pathfinder Dusk finally made it’s show debut, delayed by the pandemic but well worth the wait. The Park Reality Group demonstrated their supply chain agility in terms of working with a range of manufacturers, showing their new Maple Grand model alongside Victory Leisure Homes who took their Faraday and Lakewood. Tingdene’s Havana showcased clean and contemporary interiors in a timeless way – a model ahead of the curve on today’s trends, and its latest adaptation was impossible not to love. Oakgrove also hit the nail on the head with clean, contemporary design, too, with burnt orange paired with that blue in their Tamerack, and a massive master bedroom that was pretty memorable.
Others showcasing their expertise in the cutting-edge lodge arena were Harbur, R K Modular and Lusso Lodges, who had stands but didn’t take lodge models to the show, but we are keen to watch them all in 2023/24. Lusso Lodges made a bold statement by taking a virtual lodge on a massive backdrop, which was certainly eye-catching and a great conversation starter. Prestige had a busy stand and showcased their gorgeous interiors brilliantly – although the models they took were residential they were still engaging for any buyer to view to get a feel for their interior design flair.
There were several more newcomers to the show who made a great impression. Omnipods had one of the most accessible stands, which showcased their particular ability to deliver both mainstream models and those designed with disabled or partially able users in mind. Mulberry Lodges also had a great lodge model out for mainstream ownership that would be a safe bet to sell on any park as a show lodge due to its mass appeal.
Cheshire Park & Leisure Homes took a nifty little unit delivering ‘compact and bijou’ really elegantly – it felt like a mini lodge/park home within a modest footprint, so there’s plenty of potential for a variety of uses with that layout. Your Retreats had a particularly good show with both of the units they took, seeing a huge amount of interest in both of them. Visually pleasing both externally and internally, some very luxurious elements had been built in, and we thought these would have massive appeal to the younger short-stay accommodation market. This is a relatively new manufacturer to Stoneleigh that we think is very worthy of watching, as they have potential to deliver exciting options to established park groups.
Other breakthrough manufacturers included Jym Space – now the unit they took is a park amenity rather than a lodge, but inside was a fully functional gym. In today’s competitive short-stay market we think this could have potential to give small-mid-sized parks without larger amenities the ability to compete. So, the World of Park and Leisure Homes continues to deliver, and as we can now look forward to seeing some of these models out on parks, we also need to watch out for the next shows up for this sector, which we’ve highlighted below!
DIARY DATES
The Great Holiday Home Show, Harrogate – 8-10th September Public, 12th – 14th September Trade. www.thegreatholidayhomeshow.co.uk
Holiday Park and Resort Innovation, NEC Birmingham, 15/16th November – Trade Only. www.holidayparkshow.co.uk
To watch out for next year’s World of Park & Leisure Home dates to pop them firmly in your diary, go to www.parkhomeandleisure.co.uk
