Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges (Cancelled)

[James]

From TowersStreet News:

Alton Towers have today revealed they plan to construct 'themed lodges' as part of a major expansion of the resort hotels, for the 2014 season - with a planning application coming soon.

With the news coming as a surprise to many, they will be built on the meadow adjacent to the Alton Towers Hotel, on land which has been previously used for scare mazes and overflow car parking.

The news, which broke from the staff newsletter 'The Pulse', has come at a time when interest in theme park developments is already sky high, with Scarefest underway, Fireworks coming soon and the £18million investment in 2013 rollercoaster, Secret Weapon Seven.

Mark Kerrigan, Operations and Development Director at Alton Towers Resort, has told the Pulse that "around 30% of our guests currently stay overnight, whether with us or in the local area and we're expecting that figure to grow even more when SW7 opens".

The planning process is expected to take up to 3 months, with a decision likely sometime early in 2013.

With this combined investment, it would seem that Alton Towers' position as the UK's most popular theme park resort is assured for years to come, and we look forward to bringing you more news on this exciting development very soon!

Exciting times for Alton Towers!

 

[Sam]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Finally, thank god.

Next year will mark a decade since there's been any sort of expansion in the resort capacity. This is long overdue.

Hopefully this will be a high quality development with its own bar and entertainment facility, like Tipidorf at Europa Park.

I have a bit of a worry though that they'll just cut corners and in each room will be a map with 'this way to the Dragon Bar' on it. ???

 

[Andrew]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Let's hope that these are like the lodges at the Hollies near Chester!
Very nice!

Now, we just need facilities and the price not too be too high and this will be fantastic!

 

[Rose Of Dawn]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Oooooooo!

I wonder what themes they'll have? I'm hoping they'll be themed around each area of the park, so there'd be one for Katanga Canyon, one for Forbidden Valley etc.

 

[Towseriv]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Center Parcs lodge type anyone?

 

[Moley]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Were the plans for "Towers Village" focused on this same area?

 

[Sam]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Do TowersStreet have any idea about the number of lodges, and the total increased capacity of this development?

Were the plans for "Towers Village" focused on this same area?

If you're referring to the Downtown Disney-style development that's been mooted a few times, I believe that has always been designed to go somewhere between Splash Landings and Air, possibly alongside SW8.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

This is a great idea!

Alton Towers can now directly compete with centre parks, appealing to a wider audience. I know there's some old plans somewhere of when they planned this a while ago, I wonder how much difference there will be in these and what we will see being built!

Thanks TS Facebook!

 

[GAGrathea]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

This is very exciting news for the Resort and makes me think back to these old plans for Alton Village which were kicked about a while back, wonder if this will be a reworking of them?

(From our Talbot Street Tuesdays album on Facebook)

 

[EuroSatch]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Oh my! I had to blink twice reading this. This is good news! Long overdue expansion to bring them towards true "Resort" status, and they are getting investment from Merlin!

Really thrilled that this has been announced. We all know how long this has been planned and rumoured, but now it is fact.

 

[Jonathan]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Well, this is fantastic news! I believe that on here and TTF, it has been said numerous times that lodge-type accommodation would be a major boost to the resort, and now it's coming. This should be the first step in the construction of more resort facilities - as Sam has pointed out, something like Silver Lake Saloon in Tipidorf at Europa-Park would be welcomed - but I am remaining slightly sceptical about that. I'm aware that at the TT@10 talk given by MK, they were planning on two new products for 2014, so I can see this being one of them.

Oh, and I'm guessing that people will be staying in these on meets at some point in 2014 when they open.

 

[josht]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

I'm glad to hear that towers will be investing in these lodges hopefully it will be a brilliant few years for towers

 

[Adam James]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Is it strange I find this a more appealing investment than SW7? Affordable, local accommodation has long been needed for Alton Towers with its lack of local transport after/before park hours, so these lodges seem to be perfect.

I'm guessing this new accommodation development will be very similar to the one Lightwater Valley are currently proposing?

 

[Joel]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Images added to the first post at the top!

 

[Jonathan]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Erm, Joel, the first image doesn't seem to be working - not even when I copy the URL and paste it into my browser.

 

[T]

Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

This is amazing!


Sent from my New iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[James]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Do TowersStreet have any idea about the number of lodges, and the total increased capacity of this development?

There will be 150 lodges.

Erm, Joel, the first image doesn't seem to be working - not even when I copy the URL and paste it into my browser.

We have temporarily taken down the first image.

 

[Joseph]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Wow.... Hopefull its alot cheeper or you have the option of self catering with a themed room for less now that would be good... I told my mum and she said oh cool we'll do that someday!

 

[Ben]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

Thrilled to see some investment on the resort side!
I was expecting a woodland lodge but these look amazingly fairytale and fun, I hope they get a new bar and restaurant to join them too.

Im 1 million percent interested in staying in one of these, I expect (and hope) they will be similarly priced as the hotel rooms are, or perhaps if these are the premium rooms now the hotel prices will go down abit.

 

[James]

Re: Major New Accommodation in 2014 - Themed Lodges

If these will be a cheaper option then Alton will certainly be on to a winner. They will open overnight stays out to a whole new part of the market. It will pay off greatly!

I'm looking forward to seeing if the planning application will give more of the theme away. I LOVE that these lodges look set to be themed rather than generic. It's like the Alton magic is slowly creeping back again...