Hotels General Discussion

[piechnik99]

First time poster, ex alton towers hotel worker lol! We're planning a stay at the splash landings hotel in a few weeks, and are looking into evening meal options.

The food at splash is one of the reasons we stopped the santa sleepover this year, the secret garden although its been generally ok (in recent trips) its well documented as been expensive. I know theres a few decent pubs near by, but can you get takeaway delivered to site? Or do you have to meet the delivery drivers in the car park and smuggle in the food James Bond style to avoid detection from sir Algenon?

 

[Matt N]

I know theres a few decent pubs near by, but can you get takeaway delivered to site? Or do you have to meet the delivery drivers in the car park and smuggle in the food James Bond style to avoid detection from sir Algenon?

Don’t quote me on this, but I seem to remember hearing that the park has actually told people to order a takeaway before on nights where the restaurants are full, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t be allowed.

 

[Mattie boy]

You can order takeaway fine, we often do if not always, much better value for money

 

[piechnik99]

You can order takeaway fine, we often do if not always, much better value for money

Great stuff, would you meet the drivers outside on the carpark? I wasn't sure if the reception staff would take exception to a load of delivery drivers rolling in with bags of food who aren't using the restaurants.

 

[djtruefitt]

Great stuff, would you meet the drivers outside on the carpark? I wasn't sure if the reception staff would take exception to a load of delivery drivers rolling in with bags of food who aren't using the restaurants.

You usually meet them outside the front of the hotel. I’ve seen it no end of time at the hotels.

 

[piechnik99]

Great stuff, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Peppa Pig Wales]

For those who may need it, here’s the evening entertainment at Splash Landings hotel when it’s open outside of school holidays.

Splash Landings Hotel:

5:30pm - Ringo's Story Time
6:00pm - Magic Show
6:30pm - Ringo's Adventure Show
7:00pm -Tropical Party Dances
7:30pm - Ringo's Headline Show
8:00pm - Mini Disco
8:30pm - Let's Dance!
9:00pm - Family Gameshow
9:30pm - Splash Celebration
10:00 pm - Disco Time

 

[Vik]

Popped in to Hotels after day at park today. Splash was closed. Headed over to ATH. Dragons Bar closed for a 'Magical Makeover'. The small bar in the corner was open, however they have no beer pumps there. If you want a draft beer they had to go to Secret Garden Restaurant to pour it. I asked for pint of Coke, but could only have a 330ml bottle, as though they had the tap, it was connected to 'The wrong type of gas' so they couldn't use it.

 

[Mattie boy]

Just had a email from aramark to inform me our breakfast has been cancelled at crooked spoon this week due to a business decision to close the restaurant temporarily.

They have already switched us to secret garden instead, which we didn't want as find crooked spoon usually better.

I assume not enough trade to warrant the crooked spoon open , just done a short breaks search and woodland lodges are showing as available this week

 

[AT86]

It’s pretty common for them to close Crooked Spoon during off peak times if the bookings are light at the Woodland Village.

 

[jon81uk]

It’s pretty common for them to close Crooked Spoon during off peak times if the bookings are light at the Woodland Village.

Surely it would make more sense to move the guests into the other hotel as well? Those in lodges would need moon voyager rooms to be of similar quality, but overall it would make for a more efficient use of staff for the whole hotel operation.
Whereas this seems like Aramark saving money at the expense of the overall business.

 

[Mattie boy]

Just had breakfast in secret garden, if in honest the hot stuff wasn't actually too bad...

I refused the coffee , it's dissapointing to still see even though they were vile too that the ability to make a latte etc isn't back...just reeks of cost cutting and looks terrible on the counter.

Yogurt also removed so just cut up fruit by itself.

Don't get me started on the waste people leave... awful

 

[Squiggs]

Hotel rooms are already on sale for 2026 for some reason (except for Feb Half Term).

It looks like the Postman Pat rooms are going to be available through to the Christmas event, and then will be rethemed over next year's January downtime.

 

[Hid]

Which is the best Alton Towers accommodation they have 5 but I have only stayed in 3 of them.

 

[Matt N]

Out of curiosity, have the hotels been made cheaper?

We’re going on 26th/27th July and staying on site, and that’s because the Alton Towers Hotel actually worked out cheaper than any Premier Inn within a roughly 10 mile radius. If I’m remembering the price correctly, Alton Towers was ~£230, while the Premier Inn in Uttoxeter was ~£450 and the one in Leek wasn’t much less. Granted, Premier Inn makes you have 2 rooms if you’re going as a group of 3 adults and Alton Towers will let you share, but even on a per room basis, the Premier Inns were roughly the same price as Alton, and that’s before you take into account that Alton Towers gives you free breakfast and Premier Inn doesn’t (I think my mum said it’s £12 per adult for Premier Inn breakfast now?).

I’m aware that it is the LIV Golf event at JCB that weekend (one of the motivations for us picking that weekend, actually, as I think my dad and possibly my mum as well might be making a beeline for LIV on the Sunday and leaving me in Alton by myself), which could be driving up the Premier Inn prices, but even putting that aside, I thought £230 seemed cheap for ATH on a weekend in the summer holidays.

Has something changed? Is demand low this season or something? I seem to remember the hotels being more expensive at one time.

 

[Mattie boy]

I always work out fuel, breakfast cost versus staying on site and the nearest chain hotels, usually its cheaper at alton on site rather than driving back and forth and then the fuel too. We are staying on site at fireworks for a stupid price

 

[Hid]

Which is the best Alton Towers Accommodation they have got 5 I have stayed in Splash Landing, Alton Towers Hotel and Stargazing Pods. But never stayed in the Enchanted village or Cbeebies Land Hotel

 

[PhalanaxOperativeA1127]

Always Splash for me. Adore the theming, decor and vibe of the place.

Not quite as special as it once was (lift music for example) but still and always my go to.

 

[Matt N]

Which is the best Alton Towers Accommodation they have got 5 I have stayed in Splash Landing, Alton Towers Hotel and Stargazing Pods. But never stayed in the Enchanted village or Cbeebies Land Hotel

I think you can’t go too far wrong with the Alton Towers Hotel myself! I always think it’s got a nice vibe, and some of the theming in there is really nice!

I’ll admit the standard rooms are maybe a bit on the dated side now (although they did seem to have been slightly updated on my last visit, with things like USB ports being added), but the “plussed” standard rooms like the Moon Voyager rooms are really nice if you pay the bit extra (or are lucky enough to be upgraded for free like I was once!).

The Enchanted Village is also really nice, and probably has a nicer standard room than the Alton Towers Hotel based on my memories from 2015 and 2017, but for some reason, we always seem to gravitate towards ATH whenever we stay on site!

I haven’t stayed in Splash Landings since possibly 2010 at a guess, so couldn’t provide an overly up to date view, but I always remember it being quite good fun as a child. For obvious reasons, I’ve never stayed in the CBeebies Land Hotel, and due to us not generally being a camping family, I’ve never stayed in the Stargazing Pods either.

I don’t stay on site much these days (my last on-site stay was in 2022, and before the two I did that year, my last stay was in 2019), but something about the concept still fills me with a certain sense of childlike joy, even if the experience is perhaps rougher around the edges now than it was when I was a child. Maybe it’s just nostalgia!

 

[Hid]

I think you can’t go too far wrong with the Alton Towers Hotel myself! I always think it’s got a nice vibe, and some of the theming in there is really nice!

I’ll admit the standard rooms are maybe a bit on the dated side now (although they did seem to have been slightly updated on my last visit, with things like USB ports being added), but the “plussed” standard rooms like the Moon Voyager rooms are really nice if you pay the bit extra (or are lucky enough to be upgraded for free like I was once!).

The Enchanted Village is also really nice, and probably has a nicer standard room than the Alton Towers Hotel based on my memories from 2015 and 2017, but for some reason, we always seem to gravitate towards ATH whenever we stay on site!

I haven’t stayed in Splash Landings since possibly 2010 at a guess, so couldn’t provide an overly up to date view, but I always remember it being quite good fun as a child. For obvious reasons, I’ve never stayed in the CBeebies Land Hotel, and due to us not generally being a camping family, I’ve never stayed in the Stargazing Pods either.

I don’t stay on site much these days (my last on-site stay was in 2022, and before the two I did that year, my last stay was in 2019), but something about the concept still fills me with a certain sense of childlike joy, even if the experience is perhaps rougher around the edges now than it was when I was a child. Maybe it’s just nostalgia!

Speaking of Alton Towers Hotel is that where the Explorer Monorail Train is based on