• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2017: CBeebies Land Hotel

PeteB said:
This is the 3rd time they've looked at extending ATH and quite frankly the worst plans of them all. Why even bother? Just leave ATH alone with it's beautiful gardens, and build a new hotel somewhere else. The Spa however does need extending because it's too small.
Click to expand...

Mate, it's just a lake with a nice fountain in the middle, it's not exactly the gardens at Versailles. I don't think this extension will ruin the outside bit of ATH, which is pretty bland as it is. It'll probably make it a bit more lively if anything.
 
I'm a little confused by this......personally, I would have liked to have seen them expand the waterpark, improve the theme park which could hardly cope on the busiest of days, more flat rides to soak up queues, removing or modernising existing rides i.e. The Flume, Charlie Choc Factory expand the waterpark to cope with the 3 current hotels and other guests, modernise and expand the crazy golf, improve current hotel entertainments and in particular the bars, etc etc etc

They have just opened Enchanted Village , why the heck they are opening another hotel when there are million other things they could be spending the money on in the resort to get that up to scratch for the existing clientelle.

Maybe once that is done and it is a world class resort, maybe then they can expand the hotels even further.....
 
I'm pretty sure the resort has a completely separate budget and is not associated with the theme park financially, so I would still expect to see major investments in the theme park too. :)
 
Why arent they spending that money though. Parts of the theme park look ruddy awful and very run down. Rita still has its ruddy scaffolding! Flume is falling apart and looks terrible. Enterprise is 30 or so years old. CatCF most of the effects inside dont work. Theming broken here and there. Shops closed in the resort, e.g. ice creams on a summer days, Ripsaw on its last legs, Subterra lacking the end scares as the actors are no more, there is so so much to do around the theme park, and the resort as a whole. I just think the money could be better invested in getting the resort up to scratch first then look at expanding bed numbers second.
 
GaryH said:
Why arent they spending that money though. Parts of the theme park look ruddy awful and very run down. Rita still has its ruddy scaffolding! Flume is falling apart and looks terrible. Enterprise is 30 or so years old. CatCF most of the effects inside dont work. Theming broken here and there. Shops closed in the resort, e.g. ice creams on a summer days, Ripsaw on its last legs, Subterra lacking the end scares as the actors are no more, there is so so much to do around the theme park, and the resort as a whole. I just think the money could be better invested in getting the resort up to scratch first then look at expanding bed numbers second.
Click to expand...

Because the hotels constantly make money, in the park only new rides are perceived to do that.

It's frustrating to be sure.
 
Indeed, the hotels make money and both Merlin and the council are keen for visitors to Alton Towers to stay for longer. I don't know how long it would take and what demand there would be at present but with as well as phases 2 and 3 of the Enchanted Village the resort would actually be pretty fantastic!

:)
 
Merlins current game plan is clearly to invest heavily in the accommodation at its parks. I assume that this is because the profits are a lot higher in their hotels.

Towers is getting an extension to its hotel....needs a lot of work on park
Legoland is getting an extension to its hotel...needs a lot of work on park
Chessington have put in a planning application for a galloping site...park needs demolished and re built.
Thorpe may or may not get a permanant hotel.....needs major work on park.

Sorry to break it to you folks, seems like Merlin see profit elsewhere!
 
Looks like the hotels may become the star attraction..... rather than the actual theme parks in the future!!
 
Forgetting whatever the state of the park is right now, this looks really good!

In effect we're finally getting a third hotel WITH bar and entertainment area as well as provisional confirmation that the Enchanted Village will be fully expanded in future.

Once all this is complete the resort side of things will be really really solid. Plenty of eating options and also a variety of accommodation.

The park itself may need investment but it's positive to see that resort development is still pushing ahead whilst guest numbers are down. It would have been easy for them to quietly drop things like this on the basis that the demand isn't there right now.
 
AstroDan said:
The original ATH extension was all executive accommodation and wouldn't have supported most guests needs.
Click to expand...

Well, if you look at the room plans posted on TT this isn't exactly budget accommodation either. They may not be quite as fancy as the original plans but it's not far off. Seems that's what the new entrance will be for - so the wealthiest guests don't have to mingle with us plebs.
 
Quite agree- when you look at the exterior plans, it mentions that the hotel will have a "Premium look". Whether this is to keep with the "Premium" inside, and the premium suites it will have, and the premium guests it will accommodate, who knows, but given the way Alton has been heading lately, I wouldn't be surprised.....
 
Premium hotel but buffet restaurant? It could of course be a 'premium' buffet but it seems an odd choice.

My original thinking was that this hotel could be tied in with the spa and marketed as a more premium 'spa getaway' type hotel. But we shall see what we get!
 
This new addition should be exciting as the park will be receiving another new hotel offering and improving the resort lineup further, plus maybe we will see more secondary park attractions appear too.

As lo gas we see continue to see constant park investment and SW8 happen as planned this is good news as far as I'm aware.
 
Sam said:
Mate, it's just a lake with a nice fountain in the middle, it's not exactly the gardens at Versailles. I don't think this extension will ruin the outside bit of ATH, which is pretty bland as it is. It'll probably make it a bit more lively if anything.
Click to expand...

Indeed, and this development is bringing a new sunken garden too.
PeteB said:
Well, if you look at the room plans posted on TT this isn't exactly budget accommodation either. They may not be quite as fancy as the original plans but it's not far off. Seems that's what the new entrance will be for - so the wealthiest guests don't have to mingle with us plebs.
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for someone to find me the name of this truely socialist theme park that people keep comparing Alton Towers to?

Still these look like something a bit higher in quality that the existing hotels but there is a lot of demand for better digs especially with the conference centre.

Plus Towers have an unofficial agreement never to attack the budget prices of the local B&B's.
 
Last edited:
All theme parks have a range of price tiers for their accommodation!

Disneyland Paris have everything from the cheap and poor quality Santa Fe to the very expensive and lavish Disneyland Hotel. Yes - each hotel has a separate door.

Europa-Park shove the plebs over at the camp resort with their €20 a night tents and wagons while those wishing to splash the cash get luxury in Colosseo, Bell Rock or one of the others...

And you should see the stark contrasts from, say, Pop Century at WDW right up to the AK Lodge...

Alton Towers, if anything, segregate guests far less than either of the above.
 
Most people seem to complain about the price of accommodation at Towers, I don't hear many complaints about park hotels abroad. I've never taken issue with it because I can see it for what it is and staying within the park etc, but pushing the prices even higher with more premium accommodation beggars belief.

GaryH said:
Well, you have got the £800 a night premium Tree Houses........ with the Crooked Spoon cafeteria ;)
Click to expand...

Exactly this.

Who in their right minds would pay that kind of money to stay in a nice tree house, when you look at the piss poor restaurants and entertainment on offer to go with it, let alone the wasteland theme park it's all tacked on to.

If the park was up to the standards of WDW, Disneyland Paris, or Port Aventura or Europa, then maybe it would be acceptable.
 
PeteB said:
Most people seem to complain about the price of accommodation at Towers, I don't hear many complaints about park hotels abroad. I've never taken issue with it because I can see it for what it is and staying within the park etc, but pushing the prices even higher with more premium accommodation beggars belief.



Exactly this.

Who in their right minds would pay that kind of money to stay in a nice tree house, when you look at the piss poor restaurants and entertainment on offer to go with it, let alone the wasteland theme park it's all tacked on to.

If the park was up to the standards of WDW, Disneyland Paris, or Port Aventura or Europa, then maybe it would be acceptable.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone disagrees that prices across the board are too high.

They just disagree the 1) the extension will have an affect on the aesthetics of the garden and 2) that towers particularly segregate guests.

And as much as Towers isn't at the standard I would expect (far from it) if you think it's a waste land then you need to visit Flamingoland, walygator ect. It's not amazing but it's still better than any other park in the UK and a lot of parks in Europe.
 
PeteB said:
Most people seem to complain about the price of accommodation at Towers, I don't hear many complaints about park hotels abroad. I've never taken issue with it because I can see it for what it is and staying within the park etc, but pushing the prices even higher with more premium accommodation beggars belief.



Exactly this.

Who in their right minds would pay that kind of money to stay in a nice tree house, when you look at the piss poor restaurants and entertainment on offer to go with it, let alone the wasteland theme park it's all tacked on to.

If the park was up to the standards of WDW, Disneyland Paris, or Port Aventura or Europa, then maybe it would be acceptable.
Click to expand...

I agree they're expensive. This is why I don't stay. But clearly, people do stay. The prices do fluctuate a lot also - you can find some nights at £300 a room in ATH, whereas others it's less than £100.

Just did a quick check on tonight, based on 4 sharing:

SL: £45pp
ATH: £50pp
EV: £54pp

I think the price of standard rooms at ATR is generally about OK. Perhaps not at £300 a room, but anything up to £60pppn I would consider an expected price for a break at a theme park. Now don't get me started on the ridiculous prices peddled for thing like tree houses. That will be why 4 of them are empty tonight...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top