Merlin Entertainments: General Discussion

[rob666]

Zero cost promotion though...and these are actual hotel users, they might be back with another hotel booking...where the profit is.

 

[BarryZola]

Scenes when people book a hotel stay and then can't access the theme park because the day is greyed out on their pass.

 

[jon81uk]

Scenes when people book a hotel stay and then can't access the theme park because the day is greyed out on their pass.

The offer is until June, so it looks possible to book a stay at May or Easter bank holidays when the pass isn't valid anyway.

Offer valid for new short break bookings made between 10:00 3rd February 2026 and 23:59 on 1st March 2026, for the following stay dates: 20 March – 26 June 2026.

But overall the essential pass has very few restricted days anyway, they have massively cut the prices of the annual passes, this is basically the old silver pass.

https://www.merlinannualpass.co.uk/media/rm5pimnp/1172-map-2026-restriction-calendar-essential.pdf

 

[Ash]

Free annual pass with a short break booking. This whiffs a bit of desperation to me.


From: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUSqnyYjGdB/

£400 a night for a terrible breakfast, sub par surroundings doesn’t seem that tempting to me.

Go and stop in the Tawny hotel 20 mins away. Genuine luxury. Stunning setting and incredible food

 

[That Guy]

I can do a midweek stop at Chessington (for 3) to get the passess for 270 while my childs school is still off (admittedly when most are back).

That would be a bargain, if we hadn't already got passes.

 

[PhalanaxOperativeA1127]

Merlin are funny. "Free annual pass"

Yesterday's cost for a family of 4, 2 nights in Splash was £540.

Today its £706.

So its not a free annual pass at all, they just hiked up the price of the hotel.

 

[Fammy]

Merlin are funny. "Free annual pass"

Yesterday's cost for a family of 4, 2 nights in Splash was £540.

Today its £706.

So it’s not a free annual pass at all, they just hiked up the price of the hotel.

Oh damn is that even legal?

 

[DiogoJ42]

Oh damn is that even legal?

Most probably. Moral is a different matter.

 

[Matt N]

To play devil’s advocate, though; how is it any different to Paultons Park advertising “free parking” while charging a fair amount more per ticket than the Merlin properties?

In a similar way, it is technically “free” at the point of use, but the price overall works out the same because the point of cost has shifted. Offering something for “free” drives good sentiment and people feeling positive about the product, even if the overall cost is the same or more as if it were charged separately. Whereas when things are charged separately, you get the negative sentiment of feeling swindled at every turn. Psychology is a funny thing!

I also don’t think they have significantly raised prices, depending on the day. The quoted prices for 2 nights in a hotel room do not sound that out of whack compared to usual for a peak day at the resort. What day(s) did you check @PhalanaxOperativeA1127?