The Freedom of Fully Inclusive: Why Potters Keeps Giving You More

In a world where more and more UK short break providers are giving you less for your money, there’s something refreshingly different about Potters Resorts.

For over a century, we’ve gone against the grain, setting the benchmark in the UK holiday industry. Decades of constant reinvestment in your break experience sees Potters hold the title of the UK’s first five-star holiday village at Hopton-on-Sea, not to mention the UK’s first fully inclusive short breaks.

To say we’ve never done things ‘by the book’ is, however, incorrect. Because, if you look up the dictionary definition of the word ‘hospitality’, that is something Potters delivers in its purest form. Meanwhile, our competitors have gone, increasingly rapidly, in a different direction. They’re all introducing charges, reducing experiences, or asking you to bring your own everything.

As their private equity shareholders rub their hands in glee, the Potter Family, who’ve been welcoming guests since 1920, are constantly thinking of new ways to give more.

How the others live

Let’s be honest. “Fully Inclusive” doesn’t always mean what it used to. That phrase—once synonymous with stress-free holidays and everything taken care of—has gradually been eroded. Extras cost extra. “Included” comes with caveats. And suddenly, what once felt like freedom, now feels a little bit like small print.

BULLSEYE! Archery will cost you extra elsewhere

Take Warner Leisure Hotels, for instance. Just in the last few weeks, they announced that some of their most popular activities (archery, rifle shooting, crossbow and axe throwing) will be chargeable from April onwards. So if you want to take aim, you’ll need to take your wallet.

Their website claims that they “have everything covered”. But if you fancy lunch, you’ll need to head elsewhere. And clearly, their list of inclusive activities is reducing.

Every meal at Potters (that’s four meals a day) is a chance to unwind

Center Parcs is another example. Their pricing model gives you access to accommodation and a dip in the pool. Don’t get us wrong, their pools are pretty awesome, but everything else, from a simple game of badminton to crafts and experiences, incurs additional costs. As for entertainment, make sure you pack the board games. And when it comes to food and drink, brace yourself for premium prices. 

Reducing your holiday spending at Center Parcs is doable. But you’ll need to bring all your own food, cook all your meals, and yes, clean up after yourself too.

During the school holidays at Hopton-on-Sea, families of all ages can experience fully inclusive freedom

Rewriting the script

At Potters, “Fully Inclusive” isn’t a marketing gimmick. It’s a promise. All your food, all your drinks, all your activities, and all your entertainment. All included in one price.

That means no awkward bills at the end of every meal. No awkward rounds, and no waving goodbye to half the fun because you didn’t want to splash out on extras. At Potters, you can simply indulge in the fully inclusive freedom that proper hospitality provides.

That morning coffee break tastes even better without the bill

But we don’t rest on our laurels. With the highest percentage of returning guests in our industry, visiting multiple times a year, we simply won’t. So not only do we include everything, but we’re always looking for new ways to make every visit even better than your last.

Instead of crunching numbers, we’re dreaming of new ways to keep you entertained. Brand-new activities like Target Strike Showdown at Hopton-on-Sea are not only another example of continued reinvestment but an exhilarating new experience that blends the best of our most popular target sports. And unlike Warners, it’s fully included. We’ll even dish out medals, something to remember your stay by.

We’ve expanded our crafts programme, which now includes ever-changing and seasonal options, giving guests more creative opportunities than ever before. We’re investing in your relaxation, with new Tibetan Singing Bowls and Pranayama experiences.

Tibetan Singing Bowls, a new, inclusive experience at Potters for 2025

Nobody entertains like Potters

Even in your daytime entertainment, our team are given the freedom for ideas to flow. And on your next visit, you may bump into a ‘Potterator’ (a bit like TV’s Gladiators but with a touch more flab) ready to challenge you. It’s immersive entertainment right into the heart of your break, with surprising appearances creating laughs and memories.

The Potters Theatre Company will provide nights to remember in our theatres

And the Potters Theatre Company, the jewel of Potters known for its West End quality productions, is constantly working on new large-scale shows to wow audiences night after night. On par with any show experience in London, you’ll enjoy three separate performances during your stay, without ever having to purchase a ticket.

Totally 80s has been a revelation since its launch in March, and this summer, you can look forward to another brand-new and secretive speakeasy experience. The Cabaret Club is gearing up to be like no show you’ve ever experienced at Potters.

With new evening encores designed to get you dancing or even a silent disco, your break experience comes with options, but without the price tags.

Keep the night alive at the silent disco

Investing behind the scenes

From upgraded lighting in the Atlas Theatre to a non-stop programme of room refurbishment, we’re constantly improving our facilities to keep your break feeling fresh, current and exciting. Continued sustainability projects have seen our Resorts become greener than ever before.

And, perhaps more importantly than anything else, we’re investing in our team. We’re growing, not scaling back. Across our two UK destinations, over 800 team members look after 1,000 guests a night, the highest ratio in our industry and a personal service like no other. With opportunities for internal development and growth, you can be assured that those delivering every aspect of your break experience is a certified Potters person. Not just another changing of the guard as owners and private-equity backers come and go.

Don’t just take our word for it

There’s a reason why we’re both the first and last of the pioneering family-owned businesses in our industry. Quite simply, it’s you.

Our guests are at the heart of every decision we make. In return, you’ve supported us by returning time and time again, and recommending us to others.

That Potters break experience, coupled with thousands of online reviews, has seen us win some of the biggest awards in our industry.

What does it all mean?

In a nutshell, the UK’s holiday industry trend leans into giving you less. But at Potters, we stand firmly on the other foot. We’ve always believed in giving more. Not just because it’s good value, but because that’s what a holiday should be about. Something our competitors forgot along the way.

Fully inclusive isn’t just about the delicious food you’ll eat and the refreshing drinks, the show-stopping performances and the endless list of things to do. It’s about feeling free to enjoy your holiday without limits. It’s about spontaneity. It’s about fun, discovery, relaxation, and laughter. It’s about creating a place where the only decision you need to make is what to do next—not how much it costs.

There’s the connection, whether you’re a couple or a group of friends enjoying an adult-only getaway, a family of all generations taking advantage of the school holidays at Hopton-on-Sea, or a solo traveller revelling in the opportunity to join in and meet people.

For all, Potters isn’t just a place to stay, it’s a place to feel at home.

So yes, let the rest of the industry look at what they can take away, because we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done.

We’ll keep giving, we’ll keep creating, we’ll keep entertaining, and we’ll keep improving. And you? You get to keep the memories.