Popular Site Weekend Availability

Who knows? We could speculate for days, and probably will, and still not discover the real reason.

Just make the most of it and book your sites. 👍🏻

More than likely correct.

Yes we should be grateful and just book while we can 😁

Well the deposits were introduced for just this purpose, perhaps they have worked and people are booking nearer the time?

Or maybe the increase in sites fees? 

Or (we're told) there are cheaper and just as good sites out there now?

Or cost of living crisis?

Or increased fuel prices?

Or maybe more people are (re)turning to going abroad either with their outfit or not?

Or...

As said by TW anyone of a number of things. Just enjoy it. 

 

'We are wondering if this is due to now having to pay deposits or the fact the club prices are now quite expensive in some peoples mind or maybe just the general cost of living.'

you mentioned price (a recurring theme) so I just checked the prices at Chatsworth...a Super Pitch is £57 at peak, £5.90 more than a HS awning pitch.

as a normal SP is £4.90 more than a HS, the hedge and black waste drain seems extraordinarily good value for a pound....I'll have a hedge and drain please (shades of an old Two Ronnies sketch set in a café I seem to recall)...

Speaking of popular sites, I then checked Hillhead as I thought this might be even more expensive...and it is at £60.20 for an SP at peak.

I thought this was the pinnacle of pricing until I scrolled forward to New Year and from Jan '24 said SP will set one back £63.30!

For just the increase I could have three hedges and three black wastes for that at Chatsworth and 30p change.

Some club sites are the prices as you state but as always you do tend to pick on the most expensive dates and the most expensive options like a SP and super pitches.

Also you always choose Hillhead as your headline price but Hillhead is most certainly not a typical club site in any way shape or form with it's heated outdoor pool, eating places and entertainment. Go there out of peak, say May, and the prices are £45, a fair bit different.

I would pay to use Hillhead if I wanted to be in that area, I've used Seacroft before and it was great but they are not typical. All of the sites I'll be using this year, touring all through the year apart from August will be a far more traditional club sites with HS and SP but I'll paying a max of £45 and a low of £35. 

a recurring theme? Not really I would say but then so what if it is so much as you claim on here. Here being CT, doesn't really count, as I've told you and JK has SP are the very popular, (full over Christmas at Seacroft on it's 34 SP) people are happy to pay them and that's counts?

There are far more expensive sites than club sites, Concierge Camping that you've been to in the past is far more expensive and certainly takes the pinnacle for pricing with it's top end pitches at peak coming in at £99! Or even £145 over the Christmas break. 

It's all about what one perceives as quality and value for money. 

 

 

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

My thoughts are it's all of the above. 

Higher prices are easier to swallow when the weather is good, given its winter and folk are having to weigh up what they can and cannot afford they have probably chosen to spend their money elsewhere. 

Deposits were brought in to stop speculative booking, it appears to have worked. 

Of course let's not forget the wonderful new booking system. How many folk have given up trying to use it and gone elsewhere. 

Last but not least I would think some folk have decided that if they have to pay the best part of £200 for a pitch, plus fuel to get there, they may as well pay a bit more for a cheap winter break in the sun.

When discussing the 'pinnacle' of pricing it's surely usual to look at the topmost bracket?

this can be compared from year to year and also be reminded of how far CAMC prices have moved recently.

as you know (yet seem to have forgotten regularly) my recommendation for a certain site was a fair few years back when I thought it was good value for money.

it's still a great site, with top class features but, again as I have repeatedly reminded you, prices have become silly.

similarly, in relation to what they provide, IMHO CAMC prices have moved to the silly end of the scale.

the OP was about what factors might lead to better availability...deposits, T/C will contribute, but the high price is certainly one of them.

Well that's exactly what I did with Concierge Camping as I can't find any other site that matches it, yet that is, so you can't complain there that I've used it in any way by your own logic? 

Btw I made no mention of your recommendation about that site did I?

But having said that no I wouldn't use the topmost bracket in talking about club site prices, or indeed about anything, would you talk about car prices by looking at the top end or the middle? Well I wouldn't use the extremes and as you've complained about the club using its bottom cheapest price in the 'from price' so equally it applies at the top end. I always use the middle.

Hillhead has a heated pool, restaurants, and entertainment, one of a very few sites (2 or 3 perhaps) that is like this out of 200, (about 2% of club sites) so hardly representative of club site prices and features so I personally can't see how it's surely usual to look at the topmost bracket? I think one has to compare like with like?

but the high price is certainly one of them.

Not necessarily, firstly that's just your opinion of high of course and it could be one of them, you can't know for sure?.

 

Despite the cost Chatsworth is still popular throughout the year with lots of dates full or low, even as far forward as next November when we have a booking. There does seem to be a reduction in weekends fully booked, particularly from June onwards when deposits will be required. It therefore does seem that deposits have stopped a lot of possibly speculative bookings. However, I have no doubt those dates will be filled closer to the time. In my opinion Chatsworth is still value for money.