The Florida and Alabama RV Park and Campground Association (FRVCA) announced the winners of its annual awards recognizing outstanding parks and suppliers at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo in Orlando.
The Best Park Award criteria encompass business standards, staff quality, customer treatment, and guest satisfaction, as evidenced by reviews and ratings. To earn this award, parks must uphold standards in facilities, amenities, and guest service. Additionally, they must demonstrate innovative use of technology and recent improvements that enhance the guest experience.
This year, four parks received the Best Park Award across different size categories, according to a press release. Fisherman’s Cove RV Resort in Palmetto was honored in the small park category. This private resort, with 50 to 150 sites, features a waterfront swimming pool, a private boat ramp, and a 375-foot fishing pier with a cleaning station. Guests can enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, a bayside putting green, a clubhouse, and a fitness center. The resort is within 24,900 acres of aquatic preserve and surrounded by county and state parks, making it an ideal base for hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and kayaking.
For parks with fewer than 50 sites, Turtle Beach Campground in Sarasota won the award. Located on Siesta Key, the campground offers 39 RV and tent sites and provides a free open-air trolley service to Siesta Beach, previously rated the number one beach in the U.S. by TripAdvisor and Dr. Beach. Established in 1921 and acquired by Sarasota County in 2006, Turtle Beach Campground is known for its proximity to nesting loggerheads and green turtles from May 1 to October 31.
Zachary Taylor Waterfront RV Resort in Okeechobee was recognized in the medium-size park category for parks with 151 to 300 sites. This 210-site park offers half a mile of frontage along Taylor Creek. Amenities include a lighted 100-foot fishing pier, an exercise room, and planned activities.
In the large park category, The Surf RV Resort in Palmetto received the Best Park Award for parks with more than 301 sites. This 55-and-over Zeman Signature RV Resort features 449 sites and boasts an elegant clubhouse with a yoga and aerobics room, game room, library, business center, ballroom, food and beverage service, outdoor kitchen, infinity pool and spa, poolside bar, multiple dog parks, dog wash station, and lighted sports courts.
Other recognition includes The Best Supplier Award, recognizing companies that have consistently supported the industry and association by participating in events for at least four years and demonstrating a history of providing quality products and services enhancing the RV park and camping experience.
This year, Wild Energy, a provider of advanced utility sub-metering and monitoring solutions, received the Best Supplier Award. Their innovative solutions bring efficiency and improvement to RV park operations.
In addition to the awards, the conference emphasized the importance of networking for personal and professional growth. In an exclusive e-mail interview with Modern Campground on May 6, Bobby Cornwell, president and CEO of FRVCA, highlighted the value of face-to-face interactions at the event.
“Networking is the most important part of our conference, and being able to talk to someone face-to-face is priceless. We have had many attendees who were just interested in getting in the business and were under construction or looking for a piece of property to build on,” Cornwell explained.
For more information, visit rvparkconference.com.
Featured image by The Surf RV Resort