Opinions on campsite facilities and prices

dylan · 01-07-2009, 09:15

Hi all, as a CS Campsite owner we have a annual inspection. Couple came yesterday and were different to normal inspectors that come round. Their opinion was we were underpriced at £10 per night with 16amp EH and large hardstanding. They said we should be charging £15.
What facilities do you expect for say £10 per night, £15 per night, £20 per night ?
Thanks for your help.
Eileen and Mark

JayDee · 01-07-2009, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

Hi all, as a CS Campsite owner we have a annual inspection. Couple came yesterday and were different to normal inspectors that come round. Their opinion was we were underpriced at £10 per night with 16amp EH and large hardstanding. They said we should be charging £15.
What facilities do you expect for say £10 per night, £15 per night, £20 per night ?
Thanks for your help.
Eileen and Mark

This is a mine field!

For £15 a night (admittedly out of peak season) we have stayed on Club sites - either C&CC or CC.
We recently stayed on a CS in Yorkshire that was charging £14 a night and offered a rudimentary washroom / toilet facility, albeit cold water only, but no hardstanding and very small pitches (which the owner intends to enlarge). We stayed at another in Staffs that had EHU and toilet and shower facilities (pay shower - 50p for about 15 minutes!) and charged £10.50 per night (hard standing available). Another CS, again in Yorkshire, had EHU, fairly basic washing facilities and a hardstanding, though most of the pitches are on a field; they were charging £8.00, but they were new and still feeling their way. We felt that the £14 was too high, whereas the £8.00 could charge more without losing custom.
Though we haven't stayed with you, there is plenty of feedback on here that proves you are very well thought of. To charge £15 strikes us as too much (Aberbran charges, £8 though may be too small for RVs - max length 28 ft) and would probably deter people such as us, though those with large RVs would no doubt be prepared to fork out the cash, as they have limited accessibilty elsewhere.

For £20 we would expect a full facilities site - but would think twice about going, particularly during school holidays.

Just our opinions of course, and we hope you find them helpful.

John and Pat

Tony Santara · 01-07-2009, 09:57

Hi Eileen and Mark

It's a while now since we stayed at your camp site, and I don't know if anything has changed.

I hope I'm not being too brutal with my comments

You have a beuatifull site which is great for a relaxing winding down stay......but unless you are a walker or bird watcher ( I'm neither ) there's very little to do, and without a car/toad there's not much nearby in the way of pub/ resteraunts, maybe this has changed of late
When we were there tv reception wasn't available nor wifi ( I remember you helped us with that )
I would gladly pay £15 per night for more facilitys and have paid upto £ 25 per night recently

You and Mark are the perfect hosts and do try to make everybodys stay a good one

I will come again

hope this is helpfull

Lots of love
Tony

ScotJimland · 01-07-2009, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by dylan

Hi all, as a CS Campsite owner we have a annual inspection. Couple came yesterday and were different to normal inspectors that come round. Their opinion was we were underpriced at £10 per night with 16amp EH and large hardstanding. They said we should be charging £15.
What facilities do you expect for say £10 per night, £15 per night, £20 per night ?
Thanks for your help.
Eileen and Mark

Hi Eileen

Think of your site as a business, not a service, if it's packed out all season the price is probably too cheap.
On the other hand if a site is struggling for punters putting the price up won't help, it needs to advertise and promote itself, then when business flourishes increase the rates to the point where it is still busy and making a profit without scaring the customers away.

If it's busy in the summer but quiet in the low season it needs a variable price structure..

Other option is to reduce pitch fees and install leccy meters.

To answer your specific question,

for £10 per night I would expect basic facilities with an ehu
for £15 per night same, but maybe with hard standing and a drive over dump point.
for £20 and above, a serviced pitch with on site toilets and facilities, wifi
for over £25, all singing dancing site with shop, indoor recreation, etc

Camps sites, just like all other businesses charge what the market will bear, what they can get away with.

Jim

dylan · 01-07-2009, 10:21

Thanks, most useful. We never intended to put our price up this year but intend to raise it a little to cover increasing electric costs next year.

JeanLuc · 01-07-2009, 10:23

I search out remote sites with few facilities and expect to pay around £5-£8 per night for the van with two of us. I would not expect to pay more than £10 for a CS in a very popular area. Also, I always want the option to have the cost of EHU discounted from any 'included' price, as we hardly ever use it.
The only facilities we want are potable water and CDP. For weekends, even they are not essential, but more important is hard-standing in winter. One thing few CS sites have, but would be useful, is a grey water dump. Having said that, many owners are happy for it to be dumped in an area of rough ground etc. Seems strange to me that we in this country cannot get close to the benefits and value for money offered by continental aires.

Please don't take this as criticism of the CS network. We have enjoyed time at many of them, but I'll be really pxxxsed off if the CCC starts encouraging owners to push up the prices. CCC sites are already too dear for use outside the off-season when age concession applies. We got a motorhome to be self-sufficient and get off the beaten track; not to pitch at Club Sites that are fast-becoming a form of glorified holiday park village.

Philip

Spacerunner · 01-07-2009, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeanLuc

Please don't take this as criticism of the CS network. We have enjoyed time at many of them, but I'll be really pxxxsed off if the CCC starts encouraging owners to push up the prices. CCC sites are already too dear for use outside the off-season when age concession applies. We got a motorhome to be self-sufficient and get off the beaten track; not to pitch at Club Sites that are fast-becoming a form of glorified holiday park village.

Philip

Absolutely spot on!!

For a CL/CS to charge £10 or more it would have to be pretty special.

I joined both clubs to be able to use the CL/CS's as the club sites are mostly overpriced, bland and too 'civilised'.

dylan · 01-07-2009, 10:50

Our outlay per year is well over £1000 for Business rates, Insurances, Electrical certificate, Rubbish collection and CDP emptying and thats without petrol for grass cutting,hardstanding maintainance and any labour and machinery hire or electric costs. There is no way we could ever be less than £10 per night and we make very little profit if any but we are still building up trade and still a fairly new CS.
We are nothing like french aires of course as we are privately owned not goverment subsidised. No grants available to us

We don't have a problem getting custom and they return time and time again because of the peace and quiet in nice surroundings.
Interesting reading the comments for which I say thanks.