About siblu

Siblu is the France’s leading holiday parc group.

 

We own 12 high quality holiday parcs in France and work with a selection of hand-picked parcs in France, Spain and Italy.

 

Our aim is to provide outstanding holiday parcs for families, whether they’re visiting for a long weekend, holidaying for a fortnight, or own a holiday home at one of our sites.

 

Our activities

Our business activities can be split into two categories: holiday sales and holiday home sales.

 

Both are based on providing outstanding leisure facilities for families and people who love France.

 

Siblu holidays

Siblu holidays is our holiday sales brand. We have sold breaks to France for almost 30 years and in 2006 over 115,000 people went on holiday with siblu.

 

We sell our holidays directly through our website (www.siblu.com) and our UK contact centre (0871 911 7777). Siblu holidays can also be booked through high street travel agents.

 

We have a great satisfaction rate from our customers: over 95% who answer our customer survey questionnaires tell us that they are likely to return to one of our parcs in the future.

 

One of the reasons we score so highly is that many of the facilities and activities on our siblu parcs are guaranteed to be available throughout the holiday season. Siblu holidays are also great value, with prices from as little as £250 for a family staying in a standard mobile home.

 

Siblu exclusif

Siblu exclusif is our holiday home sales brand. We have almost 30 years experience of selling mobile holiday homes in France and today we’re one of the biggest mobile home retailers in that country. More information is available through www.sibluexclusif.com, or there’s a free information line on 0800 960 512.

 

Over 4,500 families now own a holiday home at a siblu parc. Owners can stay in their homes throughout the holiday season, visiting whenever they like. Many choose to join one of our letting programmes so they can earn income when their home is not in use.

 

Holiday home prices start from as little as £20,000 for new models, increasing to around £45,000 for top-of-the-range accommodation from Europe’s leading manufacturers.

 

Many owners are attracted by the huge range of facilities available at our holiday parcs. Owning a holiday with siblu means pools, tennis courts, sports pitches, children’s clubs, bars and restaurants are on your doorstep, and some of France’s best holiday resorts are within easy reach.

 

Our holiday parcs

Siblu parcs

Siblu parcs are among the very best holiday parcs in France and we invest millions in our facilities and infrastructure. Our parcs offer a huge range of facilities including pools, sports pitches, playgrounds, restaurants and bars.

 

We provide lots of different activities for all ages, including archery, fencing, football coaching and specialist events like sand surfing and cookery courses. There are three free children’s clubs for different ages, which help keep kids entertained and meeting new friends, and give parents time off to relax.

 

There are many hidden features that help make siblu parcs the best in their class. We guarantee to provide lifeguards on pools at all times; our facilities are guaranteed to be open throughout the holiday season; many of our accommodation pitches are among the biggest in France.

 

Our siblu parcs are:

• Domaine de Kerlann, in Brittany
• Le Bois Masson and Le Bois Dormant, in the Vendée
• Les Charmettes and La Pignade, in Charente Maritime
• La Réserve in Aquitaine
• La Carabasse and Le Lac des Rêves in Languedoc

 

Newly acquired siblu parcs

At the beginning of 2007 we began a programme of parc acquisitions following a major investment by Hermes Private Equity. We bought four new parcs, taking our portfolio of siblu parcs to 12.

 

We call these our newly acquired siblu parcs because they don’t yet have the same level of development as the eight parcs listed above.

 

Our newly acquired parcs are fantastic sites in outstanding locations, perfect for families looking to make the most of the region they are visiting. These parcs don’t yet have the same range of facilities as our established parcs, which can mean smaller pools, limited children’s clubs and less pitches.

 

Our newly acquired siblu parcs are:

• Domaine de Litteau, in Normandy
• Domaine de Dugny, in Loire Valley
• Les Pierres Couchées, Loire Atlantique
• Le Montourey, on the Côte d’Azur

 

Siblu selection parcs

We work with a small selection of independently owned holiday parcs in popular locations in France, Spain and Italy.

 

Our siblu selection parcs are:

France

• La Croix du Vieux Pont, in Berny-Riviére near Paris
• Le Vieux Port, Aquitaine
• La Siréne, l’Hippocampe and Le Bois du Valmarie, in Languedoc
• La Baume, on the Côte d’Azur

 

Spain

• El Delfin Verde, in Torroella de Montgri
• Vilanova Park, in Vilanova I La Geltru
• Cambrils Park, in Salou

 

Italy

• Pra’delle Torri, in Caorle
• Norcenni Girasole in Figline Valdarno
• Bella Italia in Peschiera

 

Key dates in our history

2007: We reach 1,000 UK holiday home owners, following a purchase at Domaine de Litteau in Normandy

2007: Siblu buys Les Pierres Couchées, Domaine de Dugny, Domaine de Litteau and Le Montourey

2006: A programme of refinancing to raise additional funds is completed, in support of our plan to grow through acquisitions

2004: Siblu becomes an independent company, led by CEO Leslie Hurst

2003: The brand siblu appears for the first time. We begin the process of replacing our old name Haven Europe, with siblu

1999: La Réserve, La Carabasse and La Pignade are added to the siblu portfolio

1998: We buy Le Bois Masson and Le Bois Dormant in the Vendée

1995: We acquire Domaine de Kerlann in Brittany and begin an important programme of investment

1981: Haven buys Les Charmettes and Le Lac des Reves, our first holiday parcs in France. We sell holidays to these parcs and a selection of franchised parcs

 

Siblu people

Leslie Hurst – Chief Executive Officer

Leslie Hurst is an experienced company chairman and chief executive responsible for providing guidance and strategy to the senior management team and overseeing company growth.

 

Leslie has held senior management roles within leading leisure group The Rank Organisation and has been CEO of Jasmine plc, a bingo operator created through a leveraged buyout from Rank; founder and non-executive chairman of Easy i Group, an international training group focusing on compliance, and non-executive chairman of Gamingking plc, a lottery operator quoted on AIM and the National Bingo Game Association.

 

In 2006 Leslie joined the executive committee of ABTOF, the Association of British Travel Organisers to France.

 

Ian Smith – Chief Operating Officer

Ian Smith is responsible for the daily management of siblu in France, a position he has occupied since 1993.

 

Ian has been based in France for over 20 years and is a fluent French speaker.

 

Ian’s career in the holiday parc trade started in 1980 when he joined Leisure Caravan Parks (Rank Group), where he occupied the posts of Director of Parks in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1986.

 

Following Rank Group’s acquisition of Haven in 1986, Ian became general manager of Les Charmettes with responsibility for developing the French caravan sales programme.

 

Ian took up the role of General Manager for Haven France & Spain in 1992 and then Operations Director of Haven Europe in 1993. He was responsible for the development of activity in France, including the group’s acquisition programme.

 

Kate Locke – siblu holidays Sales and Marketing Director

Kate Locke manages all holiday sales marketing communication to both the French and UK markets and heads up siblu’s contact centres in France and the UK.

 

Kate joined Thomson Holidays in 1991 after graduating from Liverpool and then Surrey University. She worked in both the marketing and commercial departments of a variety of Thomson brands and spent a year in the strategic development department.

 

In 1996 Kate joined Haven Europe as marketing manager, and after 18 months experience with other Bourne brands, rejoined the company as holiday marketing and sales director for France and the UK.

 

Simon Crabbe - siblu exclusif Marketing and Sales Director

 

Simon Crabbe is responsible for recruitment, coaching and managing sales managers and their teams to help the holiday homes sales business go from strength to strength.

 

Simon ensures all siblu parcs in France have the best choice of European holiday homes available for sale at competitive prices.

 

He graduated with a BA Honours Degree in 1994, and then rose through the holiday industry, beginning as a rock climbing instructor, before becoming general manager at Les Charmettes within five years. Simon continued his studies part time, leading to an MBA in 2001.

 

Simon has been general manager at seven different holiday parcs in France and England.

 

 

For all press information contact:

Daniel Johnson

Siblu PR manager

t: 01442 293 209

m: 07718 982 665

e: daniel.johnson@siblu.com

Bryanston Court : Selden Hill : Hemel Hempstead : HP2 4TN