A family-run holiday park beat off stiff competition to win a top award.
The Commonwood Caravan and Glamping site, in Holt, near Wrexham, was crowned North Wales’s Best Holiday Park at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards.
The headline sponsor for the glittering event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno was the leading food distribution company Harlech Foodservice, that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it was hosted by acclaimed journalist Sian Lloyd who hails from Wrexham.
After starting out as a fishery, Commonwood Leisure has been transformed by brothers Tom and Josh Dunn.
The dynamic duo developed the site into a holiday destination with luxury tented accommodation and caravan pitches complemented by a café/restaurant.
Their mother, Julie, said: “We’re thrilled to have won and it’s a well-deserved reward for Tom who, along with Josh, has really transformed the site and the offer with cabins and tents and even a festival in the summer.
“We attract people from across the UK and Ireland and families like to use us as somewhere they can all get together in lovely surroundings.
“We have been very, very busy this year and we’re reaping the rewards of all the hard work that has been done.
“In the summer we were regularly attracting 300 people on a Friday night and at the festival in June we had 750 here.
“We have a range of Bell Tents for families and couples and fishing the pleasure lakes is included in the cost of the Bell Tent.
“The Arcadia Safari tent in its own five-acre field, comes with its own private lake to fish, swim, canoe. Also included is a small natural lounge pool, pizza oven, BBQ, fire pit, extra-large table, seating areas, hammock.”
They also have a range of lakes that are suitable for all types of anglers.
Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism who headed the judging panel, said: “Commonwood is a stand-out facility which has been a real family business and which has developed in recent times into a very popular attraction.
“It stands in a lovely and historic area of North East Wales, surrounded by attractive towns and villages, and is within a couple of hours drive of a huge area of the North of England and the Midlands.”
David Cattrall, the managing director of Harlech Foodservice which has a base in Chester, said: “We were only too pleased to have the opportunity to once again be the headline backer of the awards because the tourism and hospitality industry is the lifeblood of the North Wales economy and also represents much of our core customer base.
“The past few years have been incredibly difficult for everybody and tourism and hospitality is one of the sectors that has suffered the most in terms of economic impact.
“But as the awards have shown tonight we are a resilient lot thanks to an army of heroes who work on the front line in this important sector.
“It is important that we continue to celebrate our many achievements and there are reasons to be optimistic about the future.”
The night’s top award, for a special contribution to tourism went to former Royal Marine Commando Sean Taylor who has was honoured for his “immense contribution” to the industry.
The founder of the fast-growing, adrenaline-fuelled Zip World empire was given the special contribution to tourism award at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards.
In 2007 he launched the high-wire Tree Tops Adventure attraction in a forest near Betws y Coed and followed that with the fastest zip wire in the world above the Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda and underground trampolining at Bounce Below in the Llechwedd Slate Caverns of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
His latest ventures include Underground Golf at Llechwedd and the SkyFlyer airship in Rhyl that will carry thrill seekers 400ft in the air when it takes off next year and the company is now spread over seven sites across Wales, the Lake District and Manchester.
Another big winner on the night was the Plas Dinas Country House Hotel in Bontnewydd, near Caernarfon, which was crowned Hotel of the Year for the second year running while its acclaimed Gunroom Restaurant won the coveted food and drink award.
Winners at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards
Best Newcomer Award sponsored by Aber Falls Distillery –
- Tan y Bryn Glamping and Touring, Llandudno Junction
Go Skills Award sponsored by North Wales Regional Skills Partnership –
- Ambassador.Wales, Denbighshire County Council
Go Young Person in Tourism & Hospitality Award sponsored by Grwp Llandrillo Menai –
- Tilly Reynolds, Bodnant Welsh Food, Conwy Valley
Go Tourism Supplier of the Year sponsored by Orenda-Luxe Exclusive Holiday Homes
- UK Leisure Living, St Asaph and Mochdre
Go Best Event of the Year sponsored by Penderyn Distillery Llandudno –
- Rhyl Air Show
Go Food and Drink of the Year Award sponsored by Menter Mon –
- The Gunroom Restaurant at Plas Dinas Country House, Bontnewydd
Go Activity of the Year sponsored by Design 2 Print –
- Anglesey Boat Trips, Beaumaris
Go Caravan, Camping or Glamping of the Year sponsored by Tan y Bryn Caravan and Camping Ltd –
- Brook Cottage Shepherd Huts, Y Ffôr, Pwllheli
Go Self Catering of the Year sponsored by Pario Leisure Group –
- Rivercatcher, Corwen
Go Holiday Park of the Year sponsored by Thornley Leisure Parks–
- Commonwood Leisure, Wrexham
Go Pet Friendly Award sponsored by Pero Foods Ltd
- Y Stablau, Betws y Coed
Go Best B&B/Inn of the Year sponsored by Colliers Hotels –
- Golden Fleece Inn, Tremadog
Go Hotel of the Year sponsored by Castell Howell Foods Ltd–
- Plas Dinas Country House Hotel, Bontnewydd
Go Responsible and Sustainable Green Award sponsored by Adventure Parc Snowdonia and Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia –
- Anglesey Sea Zoo and Marine Resource Centre, Brynsiencyn
Go Attraction of the Year sponsored by Development Bank of Wales –
- Manorafon Farm Park, Abergele
Go North Wales Special Contribution to Tourism Award sponsored by Tir Prince Leisure Group – Sean Taylor, founder and president, ZipWorld.
