The Pin at Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham is another level of sensational. Appealing to everyone from serious golfers to families and people going out-out at the weekend. This sprawling American Sports Bar delivers high-tech gaming, tasty food, quality drinks and a buzzing atmosphere.
The Pin is the Entertainment Hub which has been built as part of the Ramside Hall Hotel complex. The venue already featured a stunning hotel which regularly hosts weddings and large events alongside four popular restaurants, two championship golf courses and a busy Spa. The development of an Entertainment Hub was the next evolution for the Hotel aiming to establish the site as a leading golf facility, family entertainment centre and party destination. The Pin isn’t just for the hotel guests they welcome the whole community.
Putting Sport Front and Centre
This is a venue with significant wow-factor. Upon entry guests are instantly awed by the huge, curved video wall which stretches across the bowling lanes before gliding around the bar area, putting the love of sport front and centre. Outside guests enjoy a 43-bay Toptracer driving range equipped with interactive golfing technology which allows guests to practice their skills, play world-famous courses or take on challenging games.
Bowling - Top Choice With Families
However, the top choice for families is the six lanes of Brunswick bowling supplied, installed and supported by Bowling Vision. The venue team chose striking Anvilane boards, Boost ST String Pinsetters, Center Stage Ball Returns with Intellishield and Frameworks masking unit. As an additional point-of-difference The Pin have added our Bowling FX Package which adds further excitement and drama to the bowling experience by setting off flashing LEDs and a blast of smoke when a strike is scored.
Joe Burford, Operations Manager at The Pin, said, “George and the Bowling Vision Support Team have been a lifeline for the team and myself. We have very limited experience of operating a multi-activity venue with bowling and they have been incredibly patient and spot on with their support of my team, especially when we’ve been stressed. It’s been so helpful to be able to pick up the phone and have Sammy be able to quickly help us resolve issues.
Bowling is by far our most popular activity. Everyone loves bowling and our lanes really stand out and catch the eye as soon as you walk in. We can’t really believe how we’ve been so busy right off the bat.”
Activities For All
Furthermore, guests can enjoy other activities, which they’ve probably never seen before, including AR darts and interactive shuffleboards. This broad array of tech-led activities are not only making The Pin a go-to destination for families but has proved instantly successful with friends and work colleagues looking for some competitive fun in the evenings and at the weekend.
Exceeding Customer Expectations
The operator has gone above and beyond to create an experience unlike anything else in the area. Not only does the venue offer a great range of activities and video screens showing up to six different sporting events at any one time, but they are also delivering superior quality with their food and drink offering. In keeping with the American Sports Bar theme, guests can enjoy delicious platters of wings, pizzas, loaded tots, burgers, dogs, loaded Doritos and more. The bar menu showcases a carefully curated range of sophisticated wines, beers and ciders as well as sumptuous frozen cocktails (which are too good not to try!).
Part of the brilliance of The Pin is its ability to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for a very broad range of guests. Mornings are popular with golfers who are serious about their sport and appreciate the exceptional facilities, relaxed music and space to focus on their game. The indoor activities are busy with families throughout the day, especially at the weekend, thankful to have activities and food which everyone enjoys. For sport lovers The Pin is a haven. As well as the huge, curved screen guests can watch different sports on screens from pretty much every seating area throughout the venue. In the evenings the venue takes on a high-energy vibe. The music tempo goes up, the bar team are playfully mixing cocktails, and the volume increases as guests passionately compete for bragging rights on the many games.
The success of this venue, right from day one, has been attributed to three main things: the quality of the gaming experience through carefully chosen tech-led activities, the ability to provide for the needs of a broad range of guests and the staff who work incredibly hard to ensure The Pin exceeds the expectations of every guest.
Raising The Bar
The Pin is an excellent example of a business who have chosen to set the bar high by putting quality and customer experience above cost. We’re delighted to have been part of this compelling project and look forward to being part of its ongoing success.
This blog was developed in partnership with Joe Burford, Operations Manager at The Pin.
If you’re planning a brand-new venue or considering adding social gaming activites to an existing one, we’re always delighted to share our extensive experience. We’ve partnered with operators across the UK, Ireland and across the world to create venues that are both commercially successful and operationally sound. We supply a broad range of activities and have the expertise to ensure you select the perfect mix.
