so i am thinking of staying the alton towers hotel for my birthday (i am 26 and board of spending hundreds of pounds in night clubs only to wake up with a hang over) its something i have wanted to do since being a child however i am quite put off not by the price but what i have been reading in the reviews i was looking at staying in the chocolate room is it worth the 200 pounds odd asking price is the Alton towers hotels a 4 star English hotel or faulty towers. also for what it is worth the last time i was at Alton towers air was the new ride was so if you could fill me in on any weight restrictions at the park that would be great i am looking to go on the first of April 2014
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should i book the Alton towers hotel or not (put off by bad reviews)
- Thread starter chris556
- Start date
Ok..... lets be honest here, your paying for its location and its quirkiness, your not paying for luxury and your not going to get it. If its something you have wanted to do since being a child, then my advice to you is ignore all the reviews and just go there. At least you can say you have done it.
Keep your eyes open for any special deals as well as this will make the hotel more affordable, though im not sure about the suites. Standard rooms I have seen for £99 B&B, though the suites tend to go for £300 upwards per night.
But like I said, if its something youve always wanted to do.... you only have one life....
Not sure about the weight restrictions - I think its to do with your chest size?! Someone will correct me here no doubt but some rides have larger seats.
Keep your eyes open for any special deals as well as this will make the hotel more affordable, though im not sure about the suites. Standard rooms I have seen for £99 B&B, though the suites tend to go for £300 upwards per night.
But like I said, if its something youve always wanted to do.... you only have one life....
Not sure about the weight restrictions - I think its to do with your chest size?! Someone will correct me here no doubt but some rides have larger seats.
James
TS Founding Member
Never trust Trip Advisor, while it's okay to get a general view of a hotel/place/attraction - it's full of people who will nitpick on the smallest of things possible.
Alton Towers Hotel is very nice (in my personal opinion), the staff are great there and everything is nicely themed. It's more of a 3* hotel I would say as it doesn't quite have the facilities to warrant a 4* rating.
Since you're looking at April 2014 I would highly recommend you look out for The Sun newspaper in March 2014 when they run the 2 free tickets offer (they do this every year). This usually runs for two weeks but ignore the free tickets (as you can't choose your own date anyway) and lookout for a 8 page pull out of Alton Towers which The Sun release yearly (it's usually released on a Wednesday), in there you always find a 50% off hotel stays voucher. Then book a standard themed room (Explorer room) and get 50% off! I stay in April every year and do this, it makes the price far more appealing when you use the offer! I saved £100+ this year with the offer.
Then the money you save from 50% off you can use to treat yourself to Fastrack or something else.
If you wanted a good description of Alton Towers Hotel I would say it's a glorified Travelodge that is highly themed. It's good for what it is, considering you have the theme park, waterpark and crazy golf course just a few steps away and you spend very little time in the room it's not bad for what you get. Expensive, yes, but worth it I would say.
Alton Towers Hotel is very nice (in my personal opinion), the staff are great there and everything is nicely themed. It's more of a 3* hotel I would say as it doesn't quite have the facilities to warrant a 4* rating.
Since you're looking at April 2014 I would highly recommend you look out for The Sun newspaper in March 2014 when they run the 2 free tickets offer (they do this every year). This usually runs for two weeks but ignore the free tickets (as you can't choose your own date anyway) and lookout for a 8 page pull out of Alton Towers which The Sun release yearly (it's usually released on a Wednesday), in there you always find a 50% off hotel stays voucher. Then book a standard themed room (Explorer room) and get 50% off! I stay in April every year and do this, it makes the price far more appealing when you use the offer! I saved £100+ this year with the offer.
Then the money you save from 50% off you can use to treat yourself to Fastrack or something else.
If you wanted a good description of Alton Towers Hotel I would say it's a glorified Travelodge that is highly themed. It's good for what it is, considering you have the theme park, waterpark and crazy golf course just a few steps away and you spend very little time in the room it's not bad for what you get. Expensive, yes, but worth it I would say.
IanB
TS Member
<James appears to have stolen some of my thunder while typing>
The hotels are magical and special. They both have quirks that make them unique and much better than a travel lodge or premier inn. Do these quirks make the price difference justifiable, that is a harder question to answer. Being able to have a few drinks through out the day, and not having to worry about driving back to a hotel sounds like a big plus for someone celebrating their Birthday.
Watch out next year for the Sun Newspaper Alton Towers promotion, they usually have 50% off the hotels promotion, which providing you do not go at the weekend, can make the rooms very reasonable. If you have a Merlin Annual Pass, you can save 20% off as well.
As for the Suites, they are unique and lots of fun. The Moon Voyager rooms are the newest, and are very nice, as is the Ice Age rooms. Some of the older rooms, such as Splish Splash are missing themeing when I last visited, and are showing signs of being well used. In the past with the suites, if you book a 2nd night, I have always managed to get 25% off the 2nd night. My favourite suite is the Silent Night, but If I was to stop in a Suite again, I would go for the Ice Age room.
There is also a few B&Bs that are local, and very nice to stop in, The Chained Oak being one I am most fond of.
Ian
The hotels are magical and special. They both have quirks that make them unique and much better than a travel lodge or premier inn. Do these quirks make the price difference justifiable, that is a harder question to answer. Being able to have a few drinks through out the day, and not having to worry about driving back to a hotel sounds like a big plus for someone celebrating their Birthday.
Watch out next year for the Sun Newspaper Alton Towers promotion, they usually have 50% off the hotels promotion, which providing you do not go at the weekend, can make the rooms very reasonable. If you have a Merlin Annual Pass, you can save 20% off as well.
As for the Suites, they are unique and lots of fun. The Moon Voyager rooms are the newest, and are very nice, as is the Ice Age rooms. Some of the older rooms, such as Splish Splash are missing themeing when I last visited, and are showing signs of being well used. In the past with the suites, if you book a 2nd night, I have always managed to get 25% off the 2nd night. My favourite suite is the Silent Night, but If I was to stop in a Suite again, I would go for the Ice Age room.
There is also a few B&Bs that are local, and very nice to stop in, The Chained Oak being one I am most fond of.
Ian
ian an excellent point on the drinks beer is very important on birthdays that said five minutes of searching has shown the Marriott is cheaper than the themed rooms and only 30 mins away this is going to be a hard decision as there appear to be options that i havent even considered the Alton towers hotel does look it could be the most fun tho so leaning that way after some good news on here.
Chris - why not go for the Moon Voyage room, which will be cheaper than the suites, and use the money you save on beer! Drinks prices in the hotel are pretty reasonable actually, £3.60 for a pint.
I would still go to the hotel, im just not sure I would fork out the money they want for a suite. You could try the Sun discount code see if it still works... think it was SUN50 if I recall, type it in the promo box on their website.
I would still go to the hotel, im just not sure I would fork out the money they want for a suite. You could try the Sun discount code see if it still works... think it was SUN50 if I recall, type it in the promo box on their website.
djtruefitt
TS Team
I have never stayed in a suite, but have stayed in a standard Alton Towers Hotel (ATH) room and a Splash Landings room. The splash ones are much newer, but are a bit more child like that the ATH room, however these are quite outdated and certainly in need of a re-fit. However the general reception, bar and restaurant areas look fantastic and are worth spending time in.
I would personally say book a normal room (or moon room) and save the money you would have spent on park tickets, alcohol, fastrack, meal, etc. If you are spending a whole day on park and the evening having food and drinks, you really wont be spending much time in the room at all.
Depending on the date, Alton Towers often run offers online for the hotels, eg free park tickets, free water park entry, etc. So always keep an eye out on their facebook page and website. And like the other have said try the sun 50% off voucher they do in Feb/March.
I would personally say book a normal room (or moon room) and save the money you would have spent on park tickets, alcohol, fastrack, meal, etc. If you are spending a whole day on park and the evening having food and drinks, you really wont be spending much time in the room at all.
Depending on the date, Alton Towers often run offers online for the hotels, eg free park tickets, free water park entry, etc. So always keep an eye out on their facebook page and website. And like the other have said try the sun 50% off voucher they do in Feb/March.
Slugjc
TS Member
I'll agree, trip advisor and other websites are odd. You'll focus more on the negatives, it takes some real effort to go through all the positives. Its just the way life is.
I would go, I was like you and thought is it worth the price. trust me it was. It is fantastic. Yes its needs doing and up yes it is expensive for a jumped up premier in. But it is comfy, quiet (when the entrainment isn't on) and above all else.............. you are 5 mins from AT itself.
I would go, I was like you and thought is it worth the price. trust me it was. It is fantastic. Yes its needs doing and up yes it is expensive for a jumped up premier in. But it is comfy, quiet (when the entrainment isn't on) and above all else.............. you are 5 mins from AT itself.
sounds promising i think i have made my mind up to book the chocolate room for one night and then second night at the chained oak. hotel is having a refurb early 2014 so maybey i will get lucky the moon rooms look too small the person i am traveling with is 6 foot something and has the build of a linebacker (rugby player) who likes his steak so should be good does any one here know if we get fed up with evening entertainment if its possible to get into town for a night out i understand there are some places around with decent clubs and pubs.
Scott
Former TS Team Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
The hotels are lovely, they just have a special feel about them. The standard rooms in ATH are fine (if in need of modernisation) and I would probably suggest booking one of them and putting the money saved on whatever else you want to buy as the suites probably aren't that spectacular. Having said that I haven't stayed in a suite so I can't really comment.
Entertainment is standard. A singer and maybe a band performing your standard cabaret songs really. It's alright to chill out to and have a few drinks in the bar really but if you're after partying and getting hammered it's not the sort of thing the resort is for generally.
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Entertainment is standard. A singer and maybe a band performing your standard cabaret songs really. It's alright to chill out to and have a few drinks in the bar really but if you're after partying and getting hammered it's not the sort of thing the resort is for generally.
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GO!!! Do it. 
TripAdvisor can be good, but it is full of professional reviewers and also professional bores. They will nitpick constantly because they'll be thinking about their next riveting TripAdvisor review...
I'd say pick ATH over Splash Landings because the decor is more tasteful. Unless you're really la di da, a nicely decorated Travelodge room (which is what it essentially is) isn't going to majorly disappoint. It's clean. (Although I would recommend getting drunk because it's the only way the mattresses are tolerable, I discovered that early this year after YEARS of that place practically being my second home. Oh dear.)
The atrium is lovely and so is the bar and restaurant. Prices aren't totally above and beyond what other hotels charge. Nightlife elsewhere is not generally required. Pick a busy-ish night if I were you, start your evening in ATH watching the entertainment if warbling karaoke is your type of thing (sorry), and then when that bar closes, as it does fairly early, head over to Ma Garrita's in Splash Landings. If it's busy, the bar will stay open until last man standing, I've known that to be 4am. There's music and cocktails and if you've got decent company, you'll have a good night. I always do.
If you've wanted to do this since you were a child, just ignore TripAdvisor and go and make your own mind up. It's expensive, yes, the rooms aren't going to blow you away, fine, but it's the place and the magic and the experience. You'll barely be in the room if it's nightlife you're concerned with. I've had some of the best and most memorable nights of my life in those hotels. Go and make the best of it.
TripAdvisor can be good, but it is full of professional reviewers and also professional bores. They will nitpick constantly because they'll be thinking about their next riveting TripAdvisor review... I'd say pick ATH over Splash Landings because the decor is more tasteful. Unless you're really la di da, a nicely decorated Travelodge room (which is what it essentially is) isn't going to majorly disappoint. It's clean. (Although I would recommend getting drunk because it's the only way the mattresses are tolerable, I discovered that early this year after YEARS of that place practically being my second home. Oh dear.)
The atrium is lovely and so is the bar and restaurant. Prices aren't totally above and beyond what other hotels charge. Nightlife elsewhere is not generally required. Pick a busy-ish night if I were you, start your evening in ATH watching the entertainment if warbling karaoke is your type of thing (sorry), and then when that bar closes, as it does fairly early, head over to Ma Garrita's in Splash Landings. If it's busy, the bar will stay open until last man standing, I've known that to be 4am.
There's music and cocktails and if you've got decent company, you'll have a good night. I always do. If you've wanted to do this since you were a child, just ignore TripAdvisor and go and make your own mind up. It's expensive, yes, the rooms aren't going to blow you away, fine, but it's the place and the magic and the experience. You'll barely be in the room if it's nightlife you're concerned with. I've had some of the best and most memorable nights of my life in those hotels. Go and make the best of it.