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Reported on Sky News the owner of Butlin's is preparing to put it up for sale amid a boom in British staycations, sparking a potential bidding frenzy for the country's best-known chain of holiday camps.

Sky News has learnt that Bourne Leisure, which also owns Haven and Warner Leisure Hotels, recently picked investment bankers to conduct an auction of Butlin's next year.

The move comes less than 12 months since privately owned Bourne Leisure sold a majority stake to Blackstone, the private equity giant, in a deal valuing the group at about £3bn.

Butlins receives 4 star reviews on tripadvisor for its sites in Skegness and Bognor and 3.5 stars for Minhead where rival Pontins are typically only 2 star reviews.

The history of Butlins

In 1936, Billy Butlin changed the face of British holidays.

His aim was to make the British seaside break accessible to all. It started on a short visit to Barry Island where Billy felt sorry for families staying in drab guest houses with nothing much to do. He wanted to create a “place of colour and happiness” where quality activities and entertainment would be provided so that families could really enjoy their time together.

So in 1936, Billy bought a plot of land in Skegness (where the resort is to this day) and set about making this dream come true.

Billy not only pioneered a whole new way for British families to enjoy a seaside break, he was also a pioneer in the world of service. He wanted families to feel really looked after and cared for while they were away, and so he built a team that set the standard for providing brilliant service to his guests. You might know them as Redcoats.