Wales

New lodges on course

Celtic Manor Resort

Celtic Manor Resort, home to the famous Twenty Ten Ryder Cup Course, will open 10 luxury five star lodges in Easter 2014.

Work began on the site in July this year and Celtic Manor aim to build a further 50 lodges over the next five years. The initial development, costing £4.3 million, will enable the resort to appeal to the family leisure market.

The Resort Hotel is nestled in the picturesque Usk Valley and contains 410 luxury bedrooms which exude a distinctive high end, yet homely feel. The spa, bars and restaurants within the hotel are undoubtedly plush but Celtic Manor wants to offer their growing number of family and leisure guests an alternative type of accommodation.

Director of Golf and Leisure with Celtic Manor Resort, Matthew Lewis, said:

“At present we are filling our hotels with leisure guests and families at weekends so we need to build more accommodation and these family lodges offer a different style of luxury break for our customers.”

Celtic Manor Resort

Nestled in 1400 acres of lush Welsh countryside, the resort contains three golf courses; one of which is the Twenty Ten Course where Graeme McDowell famously won The Ryder Cup for Europe in 2010. The lodges, once erected, will offer stunning views of the sixteenth and seventeenth holes of the Twenty Ten course, as well as showcasing the beauty of the surrounding Usk Valley.

The lodges will be landscaped to minimise the impact on the surrounding countryside. Especial care is being taken during the construction period as the chosen location is a green belt classified area. Celtic Manor has been granted permission to construct the lodges as authorities feel the accommodation is in keeping with the beautiful surrounding valley.

Scandinavian lodge building specialist Honka are supplying the log sections which will form the structural walls of the accommodation. UK distributor Lodgico will construct the lodges from scratch using the imported materials. Cardiff based firm Encon will undertake the civil engineering works on site and were involved in breaking the ground in August to lay the first of the development’s foundations.

Celtic Manor Resort

The lodges will maintain a luxurious feel but will also have facilities for all members of the family including open plan living spaces with high windows and ceilings, a lounge, dining area and kitchen spaces. In addition to this the cabins hold four spacious bedrooms as well as a private sauna, outdoor decking and covered jacuzzi.

To enhance the family experience at the resort the owners have invested £600,000 on a Forest Jump high ropes course, Adventure Mini Golf, Laser Combat, On Target archery, clay pigeon shooting facilities and a plethora of children’s clubs. Facilities also include two 20-metre indoor swimming pools.

Russell Phillips, Vice President of Facilities and Development at Celtic Manor Resort, said families seem to be shying away from traditional holiday hotel packages and prefer short getaways. He added:

“Holiday parks with lodge accommodation and abundant family activities are very in demand and we want to emulate this successful model and cater for all ages. Thanks to the new lodges the Celtic Manor Resort will have more diversity in the family market.

Celtic Manor Resort

“Rather than being in a traditional hotel, families can choose to go self catering in the beautiful Usk Valley. I think it is almost unheard of in the UK to have this kind of accommodation right next to the fairways of a prestigious golf course like the Ryder Cup Twenty Ten Course.”

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Roma Publications