The Project
West Midlands Safari Park, renowned for its dedication to wildlife conservation and immersive visitor experiences, has expanded its offerings with luxury lodges that provide guests with a unique opportunity to stay amidst the park's diverse wildlife. Two of the most popular accommodations, the Sumatran Tiger Lodges and Wild African Dog Lodges, offer breathtaking views of these majestic creatures from the comfort of their own private Millboard deck.
Project Location
Bewdley, Worcestershire
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Discover why Millboard was the top choice for West Midlands Safari Park’s luxury lodges. In this video, Neil James, from the park, highlights how its durability, safety, and aesthetics perfectly align with the park’s vision for a premium guest experience.
"When we're designing our lodges, we’re looking for materials that are authentic, that are different, that really stand out from the norm. What attracted us to Millboard is how natural it looks; how natural it feels."
Neil James
West Midlands Safari Park
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The Design Vision and Challenge
The park faced several key challenges in selecting the right decking material for the lodges:
Durability: The decking had to endure outdoor conditions and heavy foot traffic year-round without compromising its structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.
Safety: Safety was paramount, especially with hot tubs in some lodges. The decking needed to be slip-resistant and free from splinters or warping, ensuring guests’ safety and well-being at all times.
Ease of Maintenance: With the park's extensive grounds and facilities, alongside the high occupancy rates of the luxury lodges, a low-maintenance solution was essential. The decking had to retain its appearance and functionality without frequent upkeep, ensuring that guest bookings were never disrupted by maintenance work.
Aesthetic Appeal: The decking needed to complement the luxurious and natural aesthetic of the lodges, enhancing the overall guest experience while blending seamlessly into the surrounding environment.
Moulded from timbers that are selected from oak boards for a textured look and feel, the Enhanced Grain collection's contemporary design accurately recreates the subtle nuances of natural wood. Each of the shades are slip-resistant and showcase their organic patinas beautifully.
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Why Millboard?
After careful consideration, West Midlands Safari Park chose Millboard decking for several key reasons:
Exceptional Durability: Millboard's unique resin mineral composition ensures the decking resists fading, splitting, and warping, making it ideal for the lodges exposed to the elements and located in high-footfall areas.
Slip-Resistant Surface: Safety was a critical factor, and Millboard's slip-resistant surface provided the necessary assurance, even in wet conditions, that guests could enjoy the decks safely.
Natural Aesthetic: The authentic wood-look finish of Millboard decking, particularly in the Enhanced Grain and Weathered Oak styles, perfectly complemented the natural environment of the park. The warm tones and realistic textures added a touch of luxury to the lodges, enriching the guest experience.
Ease of Maintenance: Millboard decking requires minimal upkeep, with no need for regular staining or sealing. This practical choice has allowed the park to focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences without worrying about constant maintenance.
Customer Service: A British made product, Millboard is delivered within a day or two to site, eliminating delays and the need for on-site storage that could risk potential damage. Moreover, the park team highly values their ongoing relationship with Millboard, appreciating the innovative design ideas and new product offerings consistently put forward by the Millboard team.
Beautifully aged in appearance, our Weathered Oak collection is moulded from over a century old oak boards and is hand-coloured with authentic tones. Providing a timeless look, Weathered Oak retains its natural beauty and offers a surface with minimal maintenance and very high slip-resistance even in wet conditions.
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"Working with the team at Millboard has been brilliant, they help us through the design process and they're always showing us new products and ideas. We were really pleased on the first project, we're now three projects in, and we've already got it identified as a product we'll be using for the next, 20 lodges."
Neil James
West Midlands Safari Park
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