Butlin’s has unveiled a huge £150 million investment to make drastic improvements across its three UK sites, which attract around 1.5 million holidaymakers every year, over the next five years
A trio of seaside resorts are slated for a huge tourism boost thanks to an ambitious £150 million investment. It’s no secret that the UK’s coastline suffered a huge fall from grace in the late 1950s – when packaged holidays to sunny hotspots like Spain started to become more affordable.
The Benidorm-boom resulted in swathes of holiday resorts closing their doors, and saw once-vibrant seaside towns slip into disarray. However, Billy Butlin’s holiday camps have stood the test of time, attracting around 1.5 million guests per year across their three resorts.
Renowned for its huge swimming pools, stellar entertainment, and iconic Red Coat staff – Butlin’s has now got its eye on a potential fourth site.
READ MORE: UK’s ‘worst’ seaside town’s £60m tourism plan after Butlin’s snub 41 years ago
In a statement sent to the Mirror, a Butlin’s spokesperson said: “With Butlin’s turning 90 next year, we are immensely proud of the role we’ve played in so many seaside towns around the country, entertaining generations of guests. Our priority today is investing in our existing three resorts.”
Over the next five years, the holiday resort is investing a staggering £150 million into its Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead sites. This huge boost will focus on ‘upgrading our accommodation and opening state of the art facilities’.
Just last month, Butlin’s unveiled a £1.8million upgrade to its Bognor Regis site as it opened its biggest ever indoor Soft Play centre and Puppet Theatre. The four storey, 3,000 square feet Soft Play centre – which is included in the price of a family break and day passes – doubles its capacity of the previous Soft Pay.
Able to hold around 200 children, the Soft Play area features slides, climbing challenges, cargo nets, log ramps, and even a multi-sensory area for babies. The brand-new Puppet Theatre will entertain guests with shows including Under The Sea, Jingle in the Jungle and Christmouse.
It follows the £15 million that was invested last year to open up Butlin’s PLAYEXPERIENCE in Bognor Regis. The indoor activity centre, which opened on October 7, 2024, spans across two floors and offers a slew of entertainment including TechPutt, Escape Rooms, VR-cade, Glow Pong, Shuffleboard, Laser Tag, Batting Cage, Neo Games and Digi Darts, as well as a new café and bar.
As previously reported, Butlin’s also allocated £23 million last year to spruce up guest rooms and upgrade children’s play facilities over at its Minehead site. This follows severe flood damage back in September 2023 which meant 400 units of accommodation needed a total makeover.
£2.5 million of the investment was used to open Minehead’s SKYPARK, which boasts the UK’s longest swingline at 42 metres, as well as a wheelchair-friendly seesaw and two light-up intertwining slides. Over in Skegness, upgrades include four new fairground rides, a new SKYPARK, and the decision to make Studio 37 – a high-tech entertainment venue – a permanent feature.
In 2013, Butlin’s also unveiled a £12 million accommodation project to open 128 premium lodges in Skegness. The luxury lodges each have three bedrooms including a main bedroom with king sized bed and en-suite shower room, two twin rooms, a fully equipped kitchen with full sized fridge freezer, microwave and hob, private decking with outdoor furniture and parking space for two cars directly outside the accommodation.
If you currently live too far from all three Butlin’s sites in the UK – don’t worry, as a fourth site could soon be in the works. “We’ve identified the North West of England where we don’t have a resort as the near-term opportunity for our continued growth,” the spokesperson added.
You can book your next Butlin’s trip here.
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