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2015: Alton Towers Enchanted Village
siralgenon
TS Member
On the subject of the treehouses, the interiors do look very nice however much like half of the village they're not enchanted or magical anyway, infact if anything they're very generic.
Can someone please explain to me why the reception / check-in area for the Treehouses are in the Alton Towers Hotel? Surely as they are part of the Enchanted Village and called 'Enchanted Village Luxury Treehouses' you'd presume you would check-in in the Enchanted Village Reception? Not the hotel next door. At first I thought this was a temporary measure until the full Village officially opened, but this information has been printed on the new leaflets, maps and on the website. A very strange move if you ask me.
Can someone please explain to me why the reception / check-in area for the Treehouses are in the Alton Towers Hotel? Surely as they are part of the Enchanted Village and called 'Enchanted Village Luxury Treehouses' you'd presume you would check-in in the Enchanted Village Reception? Not the hotel next door. At first I thought this was a temporary measure until the full Village officially opened, but this information has been printed on the new leaflets, maps and on the website. A very strange move if you ask me.
Dave
TS Founding Member
Think they realised the check in for enchanted village looks naff.
The Treehouses are aimed at a specific clientele so I suppose they do fit the theme in a modern way but attract the people who will pay it. The look similar in style to what Centre parcs offer and for the same price.
The accommodation in this project doesn't offend me, it's perfectly pleasant though over priced (as dan said it should be entry level. It's the actual outdoor aesthetics and the restaraunt that just look a bit half arsed.
The Treehouses are aimed at a specific clientele so I suppose they do fit the theme in a modern way but attract the people who will pay it. The look similar in style to what Centre parcs offer and for the same price.
The accommodation in this project doesn't offend me, it's perfectly pleasant though over priced (as dan said it should be entry level. It's the actual outdoor aesthetics and the restaraunt that just look a bit half arsed.
siralgenon
TS Member
They probably did think it looked naff. But to say its just been designed from scratch they should have thought about these things in advance. It's like checking-in to a Moon Voyager in Splash Landings.
I think the treehouses look very nice and modern, I can't fault them on that score. But they don't enchanted or magical in any way, which is the whole point of the Enchanted Village.
Archery at the Enchanted Village?
On another point a archery area with three targets was being set up today between the Enchanted Village and Alton Towers Hotel, close to the Treehouse entrance. It looked pretty permanent but it could just be for the launch on Saturday, any thoughts?
Benzin
TS Member
Big old 'hmmmm' to this...
Do they not do market research and compare to similar style places at other parks? Mean like, from pictures alone, Efteling's village looks tonnes nicer than this attempt...
The security fence around the treehouses is hilariously bad mind... Typical Merlin addition, good idea, awful execution...
Do they not do market research and compare to similar style places at other parks? Mean like, from pictures alone, Efteling's village looks tonnes nicer than this attempt...
The security fence around the treehouses is hilariously bad mind... Typical Merlin addition, good idea, awful execution...
DiogoJ42
TS Member
siralgenon
TS Member
Dave
TS Founding Member
Is that the rule then? We can slag off "Merlin UK", but not just "Merlin"? I just want to be clear here.
There are no rules, if something is worth criticism it gets it, but I can't really hate on Gardaland at the moment.
There is good here, the actual accommodation looks good on the outside and inside (but lodges are overpriced). From that perspective it wee's on Thorpes shipping container hotel.
But the crooked spoon, Tarmac, fencing and general lack of the "extra mile" just results in a flat product. It's not "offensive" like shark hotel but it's not really a well thought out project either.
Ben
TS Founding Member
'treehouse'? its about a foot off the ground, nope.
As someone who frequently stays in a Forest Holidays treehouse cabin, I can tell you these look awful and are at a much higher price.
The treehouse we have at Forest Holidays has 1 main bathroom, 2 en-suites and 1 further bathroom (ideal when you have 8+ people). Towers has 2.
Forest Holidays has a hot tub to fit 8, as thats the number normally in a cabin. Towers 6 - in a tree house for 8.
FH has a huge corner sofa, and then another sofa. Towers 1 sofa.
FH treehouses are actually built above ground, normally abit high, and sometimes one room is really in the tree. Towers abit off the ground.
FH has a reception which doubles as a bar, you check in, have a drink then walk to your cabin. Towers has reception in another hotel.
--
I am using Forest Holidays as the nearest comparison as accommodation wise it is, I realise towers has the park, waterpark etc - but the treehouses seem to be the direct comparison.
Why is it so half arsed. I was excited for the treehouses, then saw the price, then saw the product. NOPE.
As someone who frequently stays in a Forest Holidays treehouse cabin, I can tell you these look awful and are at a much higher price.
The treehouse we have at Forest Holidays has 1 main bathroom, 2 en-suites and 1 further bathroom (ideal when you have 8+ people). Towers has 2.
Forest Holidays has a hot tub to fit 8, as thats the number normally in a cabin. Towers 6 - in a tree house for 8.
FH has a huge corner sofa, and then another sofa. Towers 1 sofa.
FH treehouses are actually built above ground, normally abit high, and sometimes one room is really in the tree. Towers abit off the ground.
FH has a reception which doubles as a bar, you check in, have a drink then walk to your cabin. Towers has reception in another hotel.
--
I am using Forest Holidays as the nearest comparison as accommodation wise it is, I realise towers has the park, waterpark etc - but the treehouses seem to be the direct comparison.
Why is it so half arsed. I was excited for the treehouses, then saw the price, then saw the product. NOPE.
CoasterCrazyChris
TS Member
This project has turned out exactly as I expected. Mediocre.
A bunch of averagely themed cabins stuck on a field with turf and some half-arsed finishing touches.
The treehouse interiors are very high quality and stylish but not really themed or 'enchanted' particularly. For the prices they are charging they have done the very least.
As for the restaurant - just the epitome of bland.
I am now convinced this was Merlin's way of building a third hotel on the cheap. Hardly any infrastructure expense required.
A bunch of averagely themed cabins stuck on a field with turf and some half-arsed finishing touches.
The treehouse interiors are very high quality and stylish but not really themed or 'enchanted' particularly. For the prices they are charging they have done the very least.
As for the restaurant - just the epitome of bland.
I am now convinced this was Merlin's way of building a third hotel on the cheap. Hardly any infrastructure expense required.
Dar
TS Member
The main problem with the treehouse for me is how bland and white they are on the inside. The phrase "enchanted treehouse" brings to mind a close, cosy environment with plenty of wood, natural light and natural colours, not high ceilings and white walls with a 'quirky' window thrown in.
CoasterCrazyChris
TS Member
jenniferelka
TS Member
It is just disappointing considering how much potential the project had.
I has visions of nice little touches like fairy lights draped across sections and stuff like that, even just these little things that really help to improve the atmosphere and make it feel magical.
While it looks fine, it's just a bit disappointing considering even just the small details that could really make the place.
I has visions of nice little touches like fairy lights draped across sections and stuff like that, even just these little things that really help to improve the atmosphere and make it feel magical.
While it looks fine, it's just a bit disappointing considering even just the small details that could really make the place.
PeteB
TS Member
Rob
TS Team
I think the frustrating thing here is that this project had so much potential, potential that it doesn't seem to have fulfilled in the slightest.
The theme and concept are great and perfect for Alton Towers. A magical enchanted village to stay in - perfect for families and something very different to anything else theme wise across the whole resort. They had a chance to really go to town and make it the magical addition it deserved to be.
But it looks bland. Bland is not magical. Bland is not enchanted. As I've said before I do not mind the exterior of the lodges and think the clusters look nice. This will only improve further over the years when planting has had time to grow. The inside of the lodges are not at all offensive but they are not magical or enchanted either. Bar a couple of nice touches they are just bland and functional; there's nothing particularly wrong with that but they could have attempted to make them a bit different.
The treehouses do look high quality (as you would expect for the price that they are charging) and the interior styling is very nice. But as others have said it is more styling than theming. For the price these should have been something very special with unique and quirky theming. Don't get me started on the hideous fence around them, the tarmac road and the plastic looking sign!
The main building is the epitome of bland. The exterior styling is pretty boring but from what we have seen of the inside it just looks so uninspiring. I can only hope that the Crooked Spoon's menu makes up for its appearance. I've not yet seen a photo of the reception area but considering that those that have used their life savings to fork out on a treehouse are being asked to check in at ATH says it all really. Even Towers know it's not good enough!
In reality the building needed to be bigger. The restaurant should have had a far more unqiue layout rather than just being a rectangle with tables set out in what seems to be a very uniform manner. They could have had different themed sections for example. It looks to open and airy inside and this is something that should have been looked at.
Now we have not yet seen the complex at night but I am going to assume that there is not lighting that I would have wanted. They could have gone for some nice coloured lighting effects, put lights in trees, make it so that certain plants lit up in cool magical ways. Ok it may have cost a bit but it would have been a great effect. I'm almost certain this won't have been done.
I will of course reserve full judgement until I have seen it in the flesh but right now it appears to be Atlon Towers Not So Enchanted Village.
The theme and concept are great and perfect for Alton Towers. A magical enchanted village to stay in - perfect for families and something very different to anything else theme wise across the whole resort. They had a chance to really go to town and make it the magical addition it deserved to be.
But it looks bland. Bland is not magical. Bland is not enchanted. As I've said before I do not mind the exterior of the lodges and think the clusters look nice. This will only improve further over the years when planting has had time to grow. The inside of the lodges are not at all offensive but they are not magical or enchanted either. Bar a couple of nice touches they are just bland and functional; there's nothing particularly wrong with that but they could have attempted to make them a bit different.
The treehouses do look high quality (as you would expect for the price that they are charging) and the interior styling is very nice. But as others have said it is more styling than theming. For the price these should have been something very special with unique and quirky theming. Don't get me started on the hideous fence around them, the tarmac road and the plastic looking sign!
The main building is the epitome of bland. The exterior styling is pretty boring but from what we have seen of the inside it just looks so uninspiring. I can only hope that the Crooked Spoon's menu makes up for its appearance. I've not yet seen a photo of the reception area but considering that those that have used their life savings to fork out on a treehouse are being asked to check in at ATH says it all really. Even Towers know it's not good enough!
In reality the building needed to be bigger. The restaurant should have had a far more unqiue layout rather than just being a rectangle with tables set out in what seems to be a very uniform manner. They could have had different themed sections for example. It looks to open and airy inside and this is something that should have been looked at.
Now we have not yet seen the complex at night but I am going to assume that there is not lighting that I would have wanted. They could have gone for some nice coloured lighting effects, put lights in trees, make it so that certain plants lit up in cool magical ways. Ok it may have cost a bit but it would have been a great effect. I'm almost certain this won't have been done.
I will of course reserve full judgement until I have seen it in the flesh but right now it appears to be Atlon Towers Not So Enchanted Village.