Mumsnet helps Butlins ‘reinvent the chalet holiday’
Butlins is to spend £16 million on a new chalet village at its Minehead resort following a collaboration with the online chat forum Mumsnet.
Comprising of 117 Chalets, the complex is due to open next Easter.
Butlins says it is making the most of the current trend for nostalgia and ‘reinventing the iconic chalet for the 21st century family’, bringing together ‘the best of the past to create the best of the future’.
To help develop the new Chalets, Butlins carried out in-depth research with more than 1,000 Mumsnet members into everything from what technology should be included through to the lay-out of the Chalets and what ‘magic touches’ families want inside and out.
The research showed that almost half of Mumsnet respondents championed the idea of removing televisions from all rooms except family areas in order to help encourage family time and bonding. The new chalets will only offer TVs in family areas and in the parents’ bedroom
As over half (59%) of mums worry that the British weather will ruin their holiday, every chalet will come equipped with arts and crafts materials for indoor fun.
Mums were also clear that they wanted items that their children could play with outdoors, so outdoor sporting items will be provided inside the chalets following a partnership with family games brand Hasbro.
To help youngsters make friends – which is important to 88 percent of mums when away – Butlins has created bespoke outdoor play areas which include bandstands, a boating lake with remote control boats and giant Jenga.
National sales manager Louise Tansey said: "Butlins partnership with Mumsnet and this significant investment in our new Chalets demonstrates to our agent friends that we are dedicated to bringing the best experience possible to their customers.
"We’ve always put families at the heart of our brand – and our resorts – so by asking families to help us reinvent something so iconic, we can truly say we understand and support modern, hard-working families."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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