With many people now choosing to stay in the UK for their main holidays rather than face potential disruption when travelling overseas, demand for high quality self-catering facilities in the form of luxury lodges or glamping has grown hugely in recent years.

It is a trend that is leading more and more rural landowners and businesses to diversify and develop new sites that will cater for this new generation of holidaymakers according to Savills, who predict further growth in this sector in their Leisure Holiday & Home Park Update 2023.

The appeal for many people is having an opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors, often close to woodland, lakes and rivers, without losing all of their home comforts. And it is a demographic that is also seeking something other than the traditional holiday park, with a preference for good quality, low density accommodation with a feel of exclusivity.This kind of holiday experience can be diverse, often referred to as ‘glamping’, ranging from a small cluster of lodges in a secluded area to a collection of yurts complete with their own hot tubs. But whatever the holiday destination format, the consistent factor that customers expect is easy access to great quality facilities either inside their accommodation or immediately nearby.

In the process of converting a site, it is important to consider the design of the services infrastructure to ensure the customer experience and the return on investment is optimised. In addition to a fixed electricity supply for facilities such as lodges and lighting in communal areas, consider how other outdoor spaces may be used in ways that a temporary connection to electricity would be useful.In particular, specific spaces could be allocated to be used for pop up entertainment/performance areas, food and drink stalls or other events, all of which would help give guests a truly unique experience. As the power supply needed for uses of this kind would not be needed all year round, a power distribution unit that is designed to be ‘hidden in plain sight’ until it is needed is an excellent way to maintain the visual appeal of the site.