![]() A range of sporting activities is available, with restaurants, spas, saunas, and massage. The first dome arrived in 1980, named Subtropical Swimming Paradise in UK resorts and Aqua Mundo in European resorts. The first village had features that have stayed popular like the swimming pool, shops and restaurants. Certain resorts also provide hotel rooms. An exception is Park Zandvoort, set among sand dunes. Accommodation is in villas or bungalows, clustered in a park and surrounded by trees and bushes. They have the same styled Aqua Mundo and Sports Plaza. Most villages are different, but some villages such as Bispinger Heide in Germany and Domaine Les Bois Francs in France (and many more) share the same Village Plaza design. There are now 26 resorts in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany. Many of the former Gran Dorado resorts were rebranded in this exercise, but the sub brand was dropped in 2011 and the parks were rebranded to Center Parcs. In January 2009, Sunparks launched alongside Center Parcs in Europe, as a low-cost brand. Having completed the integration and rebranding exercise, Pierre & Vacances bought DBCP out of the partnership. All original Center Parcs resorts in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Germany were sub-branded CP Original. The Weerterbergen-Resort was sold to Roompot because of the cost of bringing it to standard. The remaining six parks were added to CenterParcs: Loohorst (NL), Port Zelande (NL), Zandvoort (NL), Weerterbergen (NL), Hochsauerland (D) and Heilbachsee (D).Īfter the sale, five of the six remaining Gran Dorado Resorts parks were rebranded Sea Spirit from Center Parcs or Free Life from Center Parcs. After agreeing to a reduction in beds owned, CPE sold all but six Gran Dorado Resorts to Dutch Landal GreenParks. P&V brought Gran Dorado in the joint venture.Īs CPE was based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the Dutch and European Commercial Competition Authority did not approve of combining Gran Dorado and Center Parcs, as it would effectively control the European market. P&V owned Europe's largest (in terms of bed-count) bungalow-vacation-supplier, Gran Dorado Resorts, a Dutch former joint venture of Vendex, Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds, GAK and Philips Rentefonds. This was given the name Center Parcs Europe (CPE). In 2003, Scottish & Newcastle sold the Continental European sites to a joint venture of Pierre & Vacances (P&V) and DBCP, a German investment group. In 2001, the UK locations separated from the continental Europe locations and formed a separate company, Center Parcs UK. This brought the company into the sights of expanding brewer Scottish and Newcastle, which later bought the group. In 1987, Center Parcs opened its first UK resort at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. The park, De Lommerbergen, was successful, and the tents were quickly replaced by bungalows. In 1968, Derksen purchased woodland near Reuver so staff and customers could relax in small tents. It succeeded and Derksen expanded into 17 outlets across the Netherlands, and then added camping articles to the range. ![]() Its name was 'Sporthuis Centrum', 'Sport House Centre'. (formerly Center Parcs) is a European network of holiday villages that was founded in the Netherlands in 1968, and is currently operated by Pierre & Vacances and owned by Blackstone Group.ĭutch entrepreneur Piet Derksen started a sporting goods shop in 1953 at Lijnbaan, Rotterdam. There was a similar church at Sherwood Forest which has since been converted into a Starbucks. Because Derksen was a Catholic, he decided to build small churches at his parks. Wild water rapids at Center Parcs Het Meerdal (NL). Dutch Center Parcs entrance (at De Eemhof). An original Center Parcs Cottage (named 'Villas' in UK resorts), designed by the Dutch architect Jaap Bakema.
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