A holiday park is not one space. It is a spa that needs to feel calm, a gym that needs energy, a bar that comes alive at night, and a pool that needs to be heard over splashing, all in the same building, all wanting something different from the sound.
That is why a proper AV installation for a holiday park is almost always a multi-zone system. One system, many areas, each doing its own thing. Here is what that looks like in practice, and why it is worth doing properly.
Why holiday parks need multi-zone audio
A multi-zone system runs several independent audio zones from one installed setup. Each zone can have its own playlist and its own volume, all at the same time.
That means the spa can play something restful while the gym plays something with a pulse, and neither one bleeds into the other. It is the difference between a building that feels designed and one where the same playlist follows you from the sauna to the squat rack. Done well, guests never think about the sound at all, which is exactly the goal.
A real example: Tan Rallt Holiday Park & Spa, Abergele
The clearest example we have is a three-zone installation at Tan Rallt Holiday Park & Spa in Abergele.
The spa alone was four rooms that all needed audio: the main spa room, the sauna, the shower room, and the steam room. The gym was two rooms running separate playlists, a yoga room and a weights room, which want very different music. So far, two zones with several rooms inside each.
The third zone is my favourite. A sound healing room with four different playlists, each with its own vibe, triggered from four buttons on the wall, plus a local volume control. Staff or guests can pick the mood with a single press. No menus, no app, no engineer required.
The whole thing runs on an Allen & Heath AHM audio matrix feeding the amplifiers, with local control through Allen & Heath IP1 wall units. We programmed it to turn itself on automatically at the start of the day and off at the end, so nobody has to remember. It has been working well, and the client is happy.
That sound healing room is exactly why off-the-shelf systems cannot solve every problem. Four moods on four buttons is a completely client-specific idea, and it only exists because the system was designed around how the room is actually used.
A bigger system: Woolacombe’s Golden Coast, Devon
Holiday park work is not just a Welsh thing for us. At Woolacombe’s Golden Coast Holiday Resort in Devon, we installed a JBL VRX line array system, upgraded the desk to an Allen & Heath QU-5, and supplied new microphones.
That is a larger, more performance-focused setup for a bigger resort with live entertainment in mind, rather than the quiet multi-zone approach of a spa. Same company, very different brief, which is rather the point.
Why a permanent system is worth the investment
Holiday parks run all year, every day, often unattended in each zone. A permanent, properly designed installation pays for itself in two ways.
First, it is reliable and self-running. A system that switches itself on and off, and that staff can control with a button, removes a daily job and a daily risk. Second, it is built to last and to grow, which is true of all our installation work. We design for longevity, so the system sounds as good in years to come as it does on day one.
We have installed systems in holiday parks from Aberystwyth, Pwllheli, and Rhyl, through to South Wales and Devon. Wherever the park is, the principle is the same: design around how each space is really used, then make it effortless to run.
The planning behind all of this happens before any cable is run. For more on that, see our piece on how AV system design works.
Frequently asked questions
What does AV installation for a holiday park involve?
Usually a multi-zone audio system, so the spa, gym, bar, and pool can each play their own music at their own volume, controlled simply by staff and, where it helps, turning itself on and off automatically each day.
What is a multi-zone audio system?
A single installed system that runs several independent audio zones at once, each with its own playlist and volume, controlled locally.
Can staff control the music without technical knowledge?
Yes. We fit simple wall controllers. In one sound healing room we set four playlists on four buttons with a local volume control, which anyone can use without training.
Do you install AV in holiday parks outside Wales?
Yes. We have installed systems across North Wales, South Wales, and as far as Devon.
Planning an AV installation for your holiday park?
We design and install multi-zone audio and AV for holiday parks, spas, gyms, and leisure venues across Wales and the wider UK, built to run itself and to last.
Get in touch and we will come and see the site before we design a thing.
Darren Hughes is Director of Pivotal Sound & Lighting, an AV installation and event production company based in Llay, Wrexham, North Wales. PSL designs and installs multi-zone audio for holiday parks, spas, and leisure venues across the UK.