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London Entertainment Resort: All Discussion

I really hope this comes off, and on the planned scale too. This project needs to happen and it needs to be big in order to shake up the UK market offering - Merlin need competition!!

It is look increasingly unlikely however...
 
Half the IP's mentioned in that article aren't even Paramounts to use! Iron Man and Indiana Jones are both Disney. Transformers has been used by Universal. Most of Paramounts own brands that they haven't already sold to someone else are ancient.
 
Lot off stuff in the press about this recently, they're putting emphasis on the uks Disneyland part too.

I've noticed some interesting images being used one which featured a b&m invert, I don't reckon they are official material though. Does anybody know what sort of rides could be coming if this place ever gets built?
 
Another bump!

Despite seemingly little progress this still will not go away. LRCH annoucned yesterday that they have reached an agreement InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to operate up to 4000 hotel rooms across the resort:
London Paramount said:
London Resort Company Holdings Set to Partner with IHG to Develop Hotels for Entertainment Resort in North Kent
12 June 2017

Group will open approximately 4,000 guest rooms on the resort site, operating under IHG’s leading global hotel brands

London Resort Company Holdings (“LRCH”) today announced that the company has reached a Heads of Terms agreement with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, to operate up to 4,000 guest rooms across a series of managed hotels that will form part of the planned Entertainment Resort in North Kent.

The Heads of Terms signed between LRCH and IHG, underlines both parties’ commitment to a long-term partnership. Developed in phases, the hotels will open under a number of IHG’s brands from the company’s limited service, midscale and upscale brand stable.

British company LRCH is the developer behind the planned Entertainment Resort on the Swanscombe Peninsula in North Kent. IHG has nearly 5,200 (767,000 rooms) hotels around the world, and owns some of the world’s most well-known and well-loved hotel brands, including Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Crowne Plaza® and Staybridge Suites®.The company currently has 320 (45,486 rooms) hotels open in the UK, with another 30 (4,893 rooms) in the development pipeline.

The latest plans for the Entertainment Resort, of which the Heads of Terms form a part, will go on public display in autumn this year, before a Development Consent Order is submitted to the Secretary of State. A management agreement is due to be signed during a later stage in the resort development process, prior to the Resort, and the hotels, opening in 2022.

Humphrey Percy, CEO of LRCH, said:

“This Head of Terms agreement with IHG is a key piece in our jigsaw puzzle of infrastructure operations which sets an important standard for the resort. This arrangement is a further example of our commitment to creating a truly global destination and entertainment resort in, and for, the UK.”
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A head of terms agreement is basically a letter of intent that can be terminated at any time by notifying the other party. So if Lodon Paramount goes ahead they have this deal in place, if it does not then there shouldn't be any significant loss to either party.

:)
 
I've lost considerable enthusiasm for this project, simply because it doesn't seem to be going anywhere!

If and when it does spring to life, I'm not sure there'll be any significant "theme park" to speak of.
 
My enthusiasm for this project is on hold until there is some big movement and news on rides.

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I think Merlin have killed much of the UK theme park industry, and yet I'd much rather have Merlin than a giant commercial US import kill the UK theme park industry. No fanks.
 
Since the start, so called theme park enthusiasts have been persistently negative about this project. It baffles me.

Get behind it man!
 
electricBill said:
I think Merlin have killed much of the UK theme park industry, and yet I'd much rather have Merlin than a giant commercial US import kill the UK theme park industry. No fanks.
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This makes zero sense. Please explain? Even if it is unlikely to happen, who would not want a large new theme park in the UK to compete with our existing parks? It would be a British company with overseas investors utilisting Paramount and British IPs.

:)
 
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Sorry I should've explained. I don't like globalised brands and at least we still have solid theme parks in the UK, even if they do run a monopoly which is very unfortunate. The paramount project looked far more commercial, a very US-style leisure mall which would do nothing than beguile the public and further sideline solid, original theme parks I think. I prefer something more independent than a huge developer's imported cash cow IP.

All the plans were initially designed with British firms, only so they could understand the UK planning process better. Once that was done, the project was taken away without giving the UK firms the work, and replanned entirely in the US.

When Legoland Windsor was designed (the last big global brand to build a new park), they kept the UK industry on board the whole process and designed the park very intuitively with the culture here. ..Although ironically it is a far more commercial place now when operated by Merlin!

I would much rather see bigger, better independent parks in the UK, than an even bigger global IP coming in and absorbing the market. I don't think it would spur Merlin to be more original and competitive, but rather to become even more generic and commercial in their brand. To try even harder to be the most middle-of-road, squeaky clean attraction operator, and turn Alton Towers & Thorpe into their own Paramount type centres (if they aren't on that road already).
 
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Rob said:
they have reached an agreement InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to operate up to 4000 hotel rooms across the resort:
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In practice, this doesn't mean very much - IHG just licence the franchises (eg. Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza) and it's up to the franchisee to own, construct and operate the hotel.

The only benefit this gives to investors is that they would know the hotel rooms will be available through the IHG reservation system and carry some branding weight.

As for the TST members in the IHG loyalty program (looking at you, @AstroDan and @Craig), we best get booking the rewards nights ;)
 
PeteB said:
I just long for the day when when we see Merlin crippled by real competition and their own stupidity.
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I don't quite, I long to see them provide the "commercial" side of the industry, to allow "choice" for Uk theme park guests, to allow the industry to diversify and act like a proper entertainment industry. Choice is really important.

In the music industry, people don't have either only Radio 1 to listen to or barely anything else. They have a choice, and that allows far more creative, entertaining and diverse output to be successful - albeit not on the inflated scale as Radio1-type output, but still successful. (Ok so the music industry may have been shattered by marketing and internet sharing, but the model still works!)

Whereas In UK theme parks, everything is owned by Merlin now, other than a few parks on a lesser scale. This has vast repercussions on other attractions, designers and contractors. Everyone in the UK has got to be in bed with Merlin, who can wrap everyone around their fingers, otherwise you're stuck. You can't have any independent influence anymore or do things differently.

And in terms of guests, Merlin can just buy them out of the competition with their catch-all Annual pass, so there is only the illusion of choice.

It's such a shame. But, I can only imagine this Paramount park stifling UK industry further, and starting a battle of who can be the most commercial, rather than encourage a healthy, creative and diverse UK theme park industry again.

I would be content if Merlin just owned all the midway tourist traps and made billions out of them, and had sold off some of the parks to let them scale down, to be run brilliantly as independents. Rather than get out-Merlin'd by another giant firm coming in. It would be, in my opinion, the wrong kind of competition.

PeteB said:
Since the start, so called theme park enthusiasts have been persistently negative about this project. It baffles me.
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Also there is nothing about this project that interests me as an individual, unlike how places like Chessington, Thorpe or Alton Towers interested me "back then". I stopped visiting these parks when they changed & stopped entertaining me, and so I don't claim to be a "so called theme park enthusiast" in that sense.
 
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