The Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park is located in Surrey, British Columbia. The campground is designed to accommodate visitors who are hoping to stay for longer periods of time, as well as those who are simply passing through for a few days or weeks. The property's goals are centered around providing guests with a clean and secure environment. Many people take day trips to Vancouver and use the campground as a "home base" in the evenings. The property's location is arguably its most distinctive feature, seeing as how it is only a few blocks south of a Vancouver SkyTrain station and only a few minutes' walk away from Bear Creek Park, which hosts activities such as a small water park, an athletic field, and a skate park.
Located a short distance to the southeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, the Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park is a long-term and short-term camping service. More specifically, the campground is located in the city of Surrey and is home to multiple sites that can be used for both recreational vehicles and mobile homes. One of the property's primary administrators, Michelle, explains that the area that makes up the park is "relatively large." There are a total of 40 sites that visitors can reserve, in addition to a smaller section behind the main office of the establishment that is the location of any mobile homes currently staying on the premises. There is a main road that loops around the RV sites which is paved in its entirety. The individual sites themselves are either made of gravel or are already part of the paved section of the road. On clear days, distant mountains are visible to the north and east.
The amenities that are offered for each unit include a covered area to park additional vehicles, as well as standard "full hookups" for RVs, namely electricity (30 Amp service), water, and sewer. The sites are designed to allow for longer stays, seeing as how a decent proportion of the business's clientele are long-termers. Other property-wide features that are available to any of those staying at Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park include coin-operated laundry machines and showers, heated washrooms, and periodical garbage/recycling collection.
Most of the campground's uniqueness can be attributed to its location. The RV park is a few blocks south of one of many stops for the Vancouver SkyTrain, a train that travels to various locations in the Vancouver area by means of an elevated track system. Additionally, Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park is located directly south of Bear Creek Park, which contains around 160 acres of land, an athletic field, an art gallery, a skateboard park, a basketball court, a playground, and a public water park with a pool. The foliage in Bear Creek Park extends southward and is part of the environment that ultimately envelops the RV park on its northern and eastern borders. Another aspect of the park's location that is particularly useful to long-term guests is the fact that there are corner stores within walking distance of the premises, in addition to grocery stores a little further away that can be accessed by means of the city's public bus system.
There are a small handful of local restaurants nearby. Michelle's personal recommendations include Kalmar Restaurant and Royal Oak Restaurant. The former is a dining location with various types of dishes such as sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pasta, and soup. The latter is a restaurant that focuses on Greek and Italian dishes including pizza, pasta, and an assortment of desserts. It should be noted that Royal Oak Restaurant is a few blocks away from the property.
One of the primary goals that the staff of Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park has for their property is to provide a place that is clean and well-maintained, despite the fact that the business has lower prices than other establishments in the area according to a few guests that have stayed there. One guest remarked that it is a "Well managed, clean & tidy manufactured home park in Surrey. Affordable single-detached home living for seniors." Other general comments of past patrons of the campground typically mention the convenience of the park's location, the overall hospitality of the staff members, and the feelings of "safety" that exist there.
Creating that feeling of safety is another of the property's main goals when it comes to their guests' experiences. Michelle, who is one of the park's administrators, explains that she hopes that "while people go and explore Vancouver, they can know that their RV and other belongings are safe." People typically use the RV park as a "stop-gap" as they travel to other locations, and some patrons end up leaving their recreational vehicles locked up in the park for weeks at a time as they participate in activities such as cruises. When speaking of the security offered at Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park, one person said, "It's a safe place to live or camp. The management and residence do their best to ensure strangers state their business or do not have access to the property which in turn gives everyone peace of mind."
One of the defining features of the park is to be a place that caters to both long-term residents and to those who are simply passing through for a few days or weeks. Most of the people who stay for longer periods of time are housed in the mobile home section of the park, though a small proportion of the RV sites include the demographic as well. A few decorative qualities exist at the property to provide a change of scenery for the long-time campers, such as the hanging of a few Christmas lights during the holiday season. For the short-term guests, the primary intent of the property is to allow them to freely participate in activities nearby and act as a "base of operations" when they return in the evenings.
The diversity of visitors to Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park is often quite high, which is one of Michelle's favorite parts of working for the campground. "People from all walks of life live here, and people from all walks of life stay here," she says. Because of the cultural diversity experienced at the campground, Michelle describes the environment as "eclectic."
For the most part, the staff tries to keep the number of policies to a minimum. "It's a matter of common sense and common courtesy," says one of the park's administrators. The establishment has a standard "quiet time" policy that lasts from about 10 PM to 6 AM, and smoking is prohibited while inside the main office. Smoking anywhere else on the property is allowed, and pets are generally accepted at the RV park so long as advance is given ahead of time. With the relative abundance of walking trails located near the premises, Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park doesn't want to restrict any guests from bringing one or more animals to the park, so long as they are responsible about it.
The campground is open year-round, with its busiest season typically ranging from April to October. A large proportion of guests to the property are repeat guests, and operating the business on a day-to-day basis only requires two employees.
The land that is currently designated as Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park has been a business in the lodging industry for a handful of years. The park existed before 1986, though before that it had simply been a mobile home park. It was the Specialised Expo of 1986 that caused the business to expand to having RV sites as well to accommodate the short-term people entering the city.
Little is known regarding prior ownership of Plaza Mobile Home & RV Park, and the current owners of the business are typically not on-site. Most of the operations for the park are handled by Michelle, who is one of the park's administrators. Michelle has been with the business since 2005, and very little has changed during her time there apart from the occasional small upgrade or update. The property has no plans of expansion or other types of drastic changes.
8266 King George Blvd Surrey BC V3W 5C2 Canada
Surrey, British Columbia V3W 5C2
Canada
Campground
