2015: Alton Towers Enchanted Village

[Rob]

The discussion appeared to be regarding current hotel entertainment being strained at busy times and the lodge development being a chance to address this. Because it doesn't appear to do so the hotel entertainment will remain strained. And people who stay in the lodges are bound to use the hotel facilites also, you're staying at the resort not just one venue. It doesn't matter which of the three venues people stay in, the facilities are going to be shared.

 

[James]

People always share the facilities at Alton Towers. People from Splash go watch ATH ents, and vice versa. Guests who stay in the lodges will do the same. The small planned staged in the restaurant building will not be sufficient enough, and some guests will walk to the hotels at night to watch entertainment.

If the lodges were fully self catered and we had a big entertainments bar/venue then the EV would be more of a secluded area. But I doubt that will happen now given how down scaled this project has become over the years it has been in development.

On a positive note though the play areas are a very good idea and will keep some little ones happy.

They need an extra indoor theatre venue in the parks really. (I don't understand why they didn't keep the ice tent and put Big Fun Showtime inside the tent).

Hear hear! They really need an indoor theatre. With the way the park is currently though it's unlikely we will see any indoor ents for the foreseeable future!

I don't think the ice tent was in a good condition, it was falling apart and the only realistic options were to replace it or remove it. Shame it got removed though.

 

[Dave]

They need a separate bar and entertainment building. They already get complaints at Splash Landings about noise from the bar getting to Flambos. This is going to be worse.

They need to think more about what guests will do with their evenings. The bars are already intolerably busy!

 

[GaryH]

They need to think more about what guests will do with their evenings. The bars are already intolerably busy!

Only at peak times though, and this is the problem Alton Towers has. In the week, and when the kids are in school, the park and the hotels are very quiet. On weekends, particularly Saturday nights, its very busy (up until 10:30pm and then its like a ghost town).

So what is the answer? Another bar or maybe having more staff working at peak times, and opening the second bar in ATH to cope with the extra people to me seems the more sensible option.

The one thing both hotels are lacking however is somewhere to go after the entertainment has stopped which has a bit of life to it. Again however, this is something that would only be used during school holidays and weekends so does it justify the cost of building such a place.

Its a difficult one to call...... but, if they stick with the current set up, peak times in the hotels is going to be a nightmare!

 

[James]

*If* an entertainments venue were built with the lodges though, during peak weekends and events they could go the whole hog with shows and the likes. Then during the quieter times of the year have no ents and just music playing, have it as a quiet bar. During peak times too when all the hotels finish with the main entertainment for the night the new bar/venue could just solely be used as a quiet bar from 11pm to 1am or something.

If they cannot be bothered to invest in this area because it would only be used for weekends and holidays then they may as well stop bothering with the 'resort' idea.

 

[jon81uk]

I still think that for the lodges they need to push outdoor entertainment for the summer. Pirate sword fights, archery, competition games etc. They could easily set up something for weekends in June/July then daily during August.

I would expect that many families don't want to just sit in a bar with a singer/disco/karoke (I know Ma Garritas also has kids other entertainment) so if they could offer something different outdoors then it gives a variety to the entertainment offerings.

Also keeping the park open until 7pm in August will stagger peoples return to the hotels.

I don't think they need to offer entertainment later than 10:30 really, as they need to keep the noise down around this time anyway.

 

[GaryH]

I think that the "resort" idea is patchy at best given the parks market and the UK weather. For example, the band which used to reside on the ship very rarely make an appearance anymore except for things like Scarefest and even then, only on peak weekends. Outdoor events are all well and good but unless its covered and weather shielded, forget it. Plus there is walking between the hotels etc in bad weather to get the outside venue....

I like the idea of keeping the park open until 7pm to stagger people returning back, though, you may just find everyone heads back just after 7 lol, especially if its a nice summers day.

Whatever bar they may decide to have there will need to fit in with the overall theme , which to me sounds like an outdoor affair, maybe a BBQ/Hog Roast sort of area with a canopy over the to keep off the rain, but like the Courtyard, and with a bar there as well. Couldnt see it being open late into the night though, I think what we may see will be lots of people walking through ATH to get to Splash if they want a late night drinky.

 

[jon81uk]

I think that the "resort" idea is patchy at best given the parks market and the UK weather. For example, the band which used to reside on the ship very rarely make an appearance anymore except for things like Scarefest and even then, only on peak weekends. Outdoor events are all well and good but unless its covered and weather shielded, forget it. Plus there is walking between the hotels etc in bad weather to get the outside venue....

I like the idea of keeping the park open until 7pm to stagger people returning back, though, you may just find everyone heads back just after 7 lol, especially if its a nice summers day.

Whatever bar they may decide to have there will need to fit in with the overall theme , which to me sounds like an outdoor affair, maybe a BBQ/Hog Roast sort of area with a canopy over the to keep off the rain, but like the Courtyard, and with a bar there as well. Couldnt see it being open late into the night though, I think what we may see will be lots of people walking through ATH to get to Splash if they want a late night drinky.

I think they need to make it clearer on website what each "hotel" offers. So they could advertise the lodges as offering outdoor entertainment and BBQ/hog roast. SHow that ATH has a live singer/band and that Splash has more kid-friendly entertainment. That way they can encourage people to book the hotel that fits their needs best before booking.

I wouldn't expect anyone staying at the lodges to trek all the way to Splash just for a drink, most people staying in lodge I guess would be families (due to seperate child sleeping area) so once kids are in bed, so are the parents.

 

[TheMan]

It's not a resort. It never has been and never will whilst Merlin have their grubby mitts on it.

The bars are too small, WAY too small - it's ludicrous. Especially Dragon Bar, there's not enough entertainment, this development has not been thought about and the genius that thought that peak season this would have enough about it to absorb the crowds for the PRICES THEY CHARGE needs to sit on the naughty step.

It's unbalanced the "resort" (lol) even more!

Stupid decisions, stupid design, no forward thinking, no care or concern for guests over all comfort or entertainment, and it's utterly inarguable. The facts are plain to see in mud and timber.

The even MORE stupid thing about this, is they actually had the chance to start putting it right but these little babies won again:

£££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

Merlin, your idea of service is a joke. Hang your heads in shame.

And what absolute muppet signed that design off anyway???????

I'd still love to sit in a meeting with them and hear them justify their decisions to me without me falling off my chair wetting myself at their absolute incompetence and clueless-ness!

(Oh and for those concerned about off peak times.... you close a bar... it's not hard).

 

[Rob]

I think they need to make it clearer on website what each "hotel" offers. So they could advertise the lodges as offering outdoor entertainment and BBQ/hog roast. SHow that ATH has a live singer/band and that Splash has more kid-friendly entertainment. That way they can encourage people to book the hotel that fits their needs best before booking.

I wouldn't expect anyone staying at the lodges to trek all the way to Splash just for a drink, most people staying in lodge I guess would be families (due to seperate child sleeping area) so once kids are in bed, so are the parents.

I disagree completely. It is called a resort for a reason (and whether people like it or not it is a resort, there is enough to class it in what is now regarded as a theme park resort), different hotels have different offerings and these are open for all. And it should be encouraged that guests venture between venues. You should be able to stay in the accommodation that looks the nicest to you/has a suitable price/has good availability etc. and then you can eat, drink and spend time anywhere you like.

People staying in the lodges should be free to enjoy a meal and a drink in ATH, and vice versa. If you're not going to promote that then there really is no point calling it a resort! They'd just be individual accommodation venues.

 

[TheMan]

I wouldn't expect anyone staying at the lodges to trek all the way to Splash just for a drink, most people staying in lodge I guess would be families (due to seperate child sleeping area) so once kids are in bed, so are the parents.

Doesn't sound like you've ever graced the wonders of a campsite, which really this is, it's just a slightly more comfortable version of a tent, treehouses more "glamping" if you like. So it's perfectly normal to visit other bars/restaurants, in fact I am quite sure that's exactly what towers are hoping they do (or forcing them to do) given the matchbox sized Restaurant/Bar/Entertainment/Check in "complex" they've built on site

 

[jon81uk]

I have been camping, but there wasn't a bar at the campsite, we took cans and sat in a barn.

Given that many poeple on here think that the bars in the exisiting hotels are already too full, I was just thinking of other ways they can encourage people to use other facilities. I think it is still a resort even if there is only one hotel and the theme park and the water park. (Thorpe are pushing it a bit claiming to be a resort, but I think Chessington can just get away with 2 hotels and a pool).

 

[GaryH]

I dont think the bars are too full though. There is plenty of seating in ATH, and they could increase this with a few more seats and tables in the Dragon Bar and a few more around the ship. There are plenty of seats on the upper floors as well.

In Splash, the bar there is mostly always half full and has more room for seating if they wanted.

The main issues are poor service behind the bars, lengthy queues, lack of decent entertainment and lack of anything to do later in the night once the singers have finished.

 

[Scott]

I think you underestimate the space they have... Adding much more in terms of tables in Dragon or Ma's would make the areas far too cramped.

ATH atrium has plenty of seating but it isn't ideal due to the multi-levels, distance from bar and inability to see the stage.

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

The idea of a lodge development is that you can offer a broader range of accommodation and importantly it can be self-catered.

Basically Merlin have found a way of building a third hotel on the cheap...by not building one at all. Instead just put a load of pre-fab huts in a field with a very small (and insufficient) catering building.

 

[AirFAN]

Over time aren't you just left with a mishmash of dining and entertainment options dotted all over the resort? Is there any real long term planning going on or do they think what they're doing will be sufficient for the average British consumer? I know this would never be a Center Parcs but the whole thing at present just strikes me as being awfully amateurish - the entire resort does.

 

[Scott]

Over time aren't you just left with a mishmash of dining and entertainment options dotted all over the resort? Is there any real long term planning going on or do they think what they're doing will be sufficient for the average British consumer? I know this would never be a Center Parcs but the whole thing at present just strikes me as being awfully amateurish - the entire resort does.

You get that in any theme park resort though?

Generally places will have a bar or restaurant in each hotel and each hotel will provide a small amount of entertainment too. That's what happens anywhere and that's what has happened here.

It would be great to see an additional 'entertainment complex' built to tie everything together like a small scale Disney Village (at DLP) but I fail to see why the locations of things right now is a shambles?

Of course, size of venues and bars etc is a massive negative right now.

 

[Rob]

Over time aren't you just left with a mishmash of dining and entertainment options dotted all over the resort? Is there any real long term planning going on or do they think what they're doing will be sufficient for the average British consumer? I know this would never be a Center Parcs but the whole thing at present just strikes me as being awfully amateurish - the entire resort does.

I have to agree with what Scott has said. Must theme park resorts are like that. Europa Park is a brilliant resort but is the same, each hotel has it's own restaurant(s) and bar along with Silver Lake over at Tipidorf. Ok it is all on a much larger scale than Alton Towers and there is far more choice but it is "options dotted all over the resort". Nothing wrong with it though!

They should however have built a bigger/better restaurant/entertainments venue with this lodge development though.

 

[TheMan]

To me it's a facepalm moment. Yes they're nice. But surely they'd be better off balancing out things to do as there's a whole freaking season and a half they basically do bugger all for?

I know we've all mentioned a proper entertainment complex but really, more accommodation and nothing of note added seems utterly absurd. Ranting aside (admittedly comedy ranting at times), why can they not see this? The idea of stopping there over winter just never appeals to me remotely.

Even just a building with some air hockey tables, maybe some indoor bowling, anything to give families a bit more to do - I know they're not the most imaginative ideas to say the least but there's literally nothing.

 

[James]

Yeah, you could even slightly forgive them if they built some kind of Haven park style arcade, with indoor bowling and the likes.

I think it's just a case of the lodges originally being self catering, and the lodges being aimed at a different kind of market out for a woodland style break. But as it developed into pretty much separate hotel rooms scattered across a field they didn't bother looking into adding supporting facilities.

I hope with future accommodation we see a big push with entertainments venues, whether it be a large bar, an arcade, a cinema, bowling complex etc... New accommodation is always great and the EV will look great, but without new facilities to compliment the development it's hard to get overly excited by the prospect of 400+ more guests per night on the resort, straining the small offerings already there.

I think they really need to look at short term solutions such as keeping Extraordinary Golf open until late at night (they could easily keep it open until 8 or 9pm in the summer) and keeping the waterpark open until 9 or 10pm.