Thought I’d go back to my first ever Tripadvisor review back in 2005 and noticed I’d left quite a few about my visits to Alton towers. Thought I’d share some comments I’d left in the reviews from years ago :
Quite a lengthy post but I found it interesting how you can identify when things happened in Alton such as covid and the smiler incident and how it affected visits. Pity Tripadvisor wasnt about back in the 90s when every review of Alton would have been outstanding and the hotels. Especially tricky dicky and the band in the hotels doing the entertainment.
THEME PARK
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14/07/2008 - 5/5 - great visit but bit disappointed MaccyD now replaced by Burger King!
30/03/2011 - 3/5 - stayed on site in Alton hotel the night before, not a great stay due to poor entertainment. Finding prices getting expensive in hotels and park now. Car parking now up to £6 and Express parking £16. Lots of rides down and park looking tatty. Pizza pasta now £8.95. Bottle of coke £1.70, hot dog £4, coffee £2, ride photo £8, fast rack for 3 rides £10, entrance fee £40
02/09/2012 -5/5- the magic is back!! Spent 3 days at the resort. Used the new app and new park Wi-Fi. Seeing queue times very helpful. New water cannons by the rapids great fun. Pizza pasta very nice £10. All rides running and park open until 6. Fast pass tickets were £3 each.
01/07/2017 - 4/5 - good but busy due to be ride Smiler. Fast track it for £7. Some rides not opening until 10am now. Burger kitchen now on-site and not great. Can buy food and drink vouchers to use from Alton towers. Used the woodland walk to enter and leave the park.
15/11/14 - 5/5 - amazing fireworks. Good food in courtyard especially the lattice fries.
22/3/15 - 3/5 - only nemesis open at 9am. Staged opening around the park with dark forest now opening at 11am. Staff training impacted ops. Park felt tired in many places.
10/08/2015 - 5/5 - think this was after the smiler accident. Park was very quiet. Did Ice Age 4D. Got soaked on flume and rapids. Has a great day.
29/08/2016 - 5/5 - great day. Staged opening in some rides was a nuisance in the morning. New music being played around the park added to the atmosphere.
23/07/2017 - 4/5 - minimal queues, staff were great, rapids now very poor due to H&S measures
25/05/2021 - 4/5 - great visit but 4pm ride close was to early. Was Mardi Gras but didn’t see much of it around the park. New gangster granny ride was fun.
08/12/2021 - 5/5 - lightopia was excellent. Hope Alton continue the Christmas markets.
31/10/2022 - very poor. No table service you now order through an app. Staff ignored me as I waited by the bar for service. No beer in stock. Poor food. Won’t go again staff sadly didn’t seem to care.
ALTON TOWERS HOTEL
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14/07/2008 - 5/5 - room 338 overlooking the lake. Amazing stay. Secret garden was excellent. Good entertainment and atmosphere until 11pm. Staff were excellent.
14/04/2009 -4/5 - room 244 but windows broken so moved to 243. Bathroom been retiled and grouted. Cost £200. Are in secret garden was excellent starters were £4.95 , main courses £9-£15. Nice thick burgers! Excellent service. Entertainment not as good as previous visit. Got ERT and entered park 1 hour earlier. Enjoyed the stay and tried to book another night but hotel was full.
06/04/2011 - 3/5 - room cost £99. Rooms now showing their age. Water park £15 to get in. Cocktails £5 and a pint £3.50. They bring the drinks to your table in the bar and ship area. New Emperor steak restaurant with prices from £17-£25. Flambos was £19.95. Atmosphere lacking once entertainment finishes. Same in splash. Quite sombre for a happy hotel. Staff were great.
02/09/2012 - 5/5 - stayed for two nights asked receptionist for room overlooking the pond. Room was clean. Entertainment was good. Ate in Flambos good price and quality of food pint was £4.
22/03/15 - 3/5 - noticed evening entertainment changed, 2 singers and a girl on keyboard. Didn’t really enjoy it as it was a bit depressing music wise. Stayed in moon voyage room nice. 14 of us ate in secret garden which was very nice.
08/04/2016 - 2/5 review about secret garden - server wasn’t very helpful and tried to put us off ordering certain foods. Food arrived in 9 minutes. Cold and tasteless burgers. Server advised us not to order desserts as it would take so long to come. Took 10 minutes. Had to send crumble back as custard was like water. Took 15 minutes for new custard. Server said “told you so”. Had meals deducted from bill.
29/08/2016 - 4/5 - great room offer on Groupon. Friendly staff at check in. Modernised bathrooms in the rooms. View of gardens now spoilt by CBeebies hotel going up. Scott sisters entertainment wasn’t my cup of tea.
09/10/2017 - 2/5 review of secret garden. Prices gone up. Burgers now a brisket and thin hamburger type. Cost £14.50. Service good but food quality for everyone was poor.
09:09/2019 - 5/5 review of secret garden. Complete contrast to last year the food was excellent!
04/04/2022 - 5/5 review of secret garden. Lovely meal despite relatively high prices. Steak and fish n chips was excellent.
17/07/2022 - 1/5 - dreadful! Fish n chips inedible and removed from the bill. Salmon dry and overcooked. Very warm inside due to windows not open.
SPLASH LANDINGS
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02/06/2010 - 4/5 - room cost £75. Room 1328 facing monorail grass embankment. Bathroom tiles dirty and mould. Dirty bunk beds. Ate in Flambos was £16.95. Good selection of foods. Bar good prices with pint of beer £3.30. Entertainment not great.
23/03/2013 - 4/5 - room 1439 end of corridor overlooking the water park so nice and quiet. Ate in secret garden first night food was very good. Noticed outdoor pools in the waterpark closed for maintenance. Ate in Flambos the second night £19.99. Food was good but drinks service very slow.
11/11/2014 - 4/5 - asked for room on top floor overlooking water park which we got. Room was clean. Ate in Flambos. Next morning queue for breakfast too long so went to Alton towers hotel instead. Stayed for fireworks. Huge queues in dragon bar each evening with second bar closed.
29/08/2016 - 4/5 - review of Flambos. Prices gone up to £21.95 but food was decent.
10/10/2017 - 2/4 - review of Flambos. Scarefest menu. Usual menu replaced with £15.95 pizza pasta menu. Had to pay upfront. Very poor food. No table service. Terrible meal.
26/03/2018 - 4/5 - good stay and had a good price for the two nights. Staff at welcome were great. Mould in bathroom. A good stay though.
17/07/2017 - 1/5 - review of Flambos. Awful! Only food choices are pizza and pasta. No table service. No drinks service. What has happened!
ENCHANTED VILLAGE ———————————
10/08/2015 -5/5 - enchanted! Tree top quest was great fun with friends. Nice rooms and clean. Crooked spoon nice food but like a canteen inside and you have to order at the bar which is difficult when busy.
05/12/2015 - 4/5 - fireworks weekend. Had to move lodge due to faults. Treetop quest again good fun. Crooked spoon better than last visit. Entertainment in hotel wasn’t great.
24/08/2017 - 4/5 - review of crooked spoon. Much improved on previous visits. Now table service! Food better and a female vocalist was singing there. Server was excellent.
17/07/2018 - 3/5 - cold welcome from staff. Lots of items broken in the room. Dirty towels. No mattress protector on the bed and mattress heavily stained. No fan in the room during the heatwave extremely hot. Exposed screws in the walls. Signs in room telling you how much you would be charged if you took anything made the stay felt cheap.
WATERPARK
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15/07/2008 - 5/5 - visited over two days. Spent lots of time relaxing outside in the loungers in the sun.
02/09/2012 - 3/5 - too busy long queues. Water features and guns not working. Jets not working outside in jacuzzi. £2 for a locker and you only get £1 back. £2 to hire a towel.
11/11/2014 -4/5 - not sure but felt like the water temperature has been turned down!
29/08/2016 - 3/5 - toilets disgusting. Too busy with at least an hour queue for everything.
SPA
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24/10/2007 - 4/5 stars - £10 entrance fee, nice and relaxing with seating, magazines and refreshments in the conservatory area
14/04/2009 - 4/5 -cost £18 to enter. Nice and relaxing.
25/07/2017 - 3/5 - new hotel has spoilt the spa. Glass conservatory gone. Very dark. Lack of natural light. No makeover and tatty inside. Missing tiles and items not working.
ROLLERCOASTER RESTAURANT
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13/10/2016 - 3/5 - musty smell from cleaning fluids. Dirty cutlery. Food came out different times and some went to wrong tables. Expensive and Luke warm food.
24/07/2017 - 4/5 - better than last visit. Did lunch and dinner. Burger now like a hamburger. Food was better and warmer. Still expensive though.
26/03/2018 - 4/5 - still horrible smell of cleaning fluids. Warm welcome from staff. Steaks and burgers very nice. 10 minute delay between us receiving our mains together but a good night otherwise.
04/06/2018 - 5/5 - much improved. New lighting which adds to atmosphere. Food was very good on this occasion.
16/07/2019 - 4/5 - good service. Staff said management are taking note of bad reviews and trying to improve. Food was good.
05/04/2022 - 2/5 - gone downhill again. Chemical smell inside. Dirty glasses and cutlery. Curry inedible. Burger had more mayo than burger in it. Expensive for poor food on this occasion had money off bill.
Quite a lengthy post but I found it interesting how you can identify when things happened in Alton such as covid and the smiler incident and how it affected visits. Pity Tripadvisor wasnt about back in the 90s when every review of Alton would have been outstanding and the hotels. Especially tricky dicky and the band in the hotels doing the entertainment.
THEME PARK
———————————
14/07/2008 - 5/5 - great visit but bit disappointed MaccyD now replaced by Burger King!
30/03/2011 - 3/5 - stayed on site in Alton hotel the night before, not a great stay due to poor entertainment. Finding prices getting expensive in hotels and park now. Car parking now up to £6 and Express parking £16. Lots of rides down and park looking tatty. Pizza pasta now £8.95. Bottle of coke £1.70, hot dog £4, coffee £2, ride photo £8, fast rack for 3 rides £10, entrance fee £40
02/09/2012 -5/5- the magic is back!! Spent 3 days at the resort. Used the new app and new park Wi-Fi. Seeing queue times very helpful. New water cannons by the rapids great fun. Pizza pasta very nice £10. All rides running and park open until 6. Fast pass tickets were £3 each.
01/07/2017 - 4/5 - good but busy due to be ride Smiler. Fast track it for £7. Some rides not opening until 10am now. Burger kitchen now on-site and not great. Can buy food and drink vouchers to use from Alton towers. Used the woodland walk to enter and leave the park.
15/11/14 - 5/5 - amazing fireworks. Good food in courtyard especially the lattice fries.
22/3/15 - 3/5 - only nemesis open at 9am. Staged opening around the park with dark forest now opening at 11am. Staff training impacted ops. Park felt tired in many places.
10/08/2015 - 5/5 - think this was after the smiler accident. Park was very quiet. Did Ice Age 4D. Got soaked on flume and rapids. Has a great day.
29/08/2016 - 5/5 - great day. Staged opening in some rides was a nuisance in the morning. New music being played around the park added to the atmosphere.
23/07/2017 - 4/5 - minimal queues, staff were great, rapids now very poor due to H&S measures
25/05/2021 - 4/5 - great visit but 4pm ride close was to early. Was Mardi Gras but didn’t see much of it around the park. New gangster granny ride was fun.
08/12/2021 - 5/5 - lightopia was excellent. Hope Alton continue the Christmas markets.
31/10/2022 - very poor. No table service you now order through an app. Staff ignored me as I waited by the bar for service. No beer in stock. Poor food. Won’t go again staff sadly didn’t seem to care.
ALTON TOWERS HOTEL
———————————
14/07/2008 - 5/5 - room 338 overlooking the lake. Amazing stay. Secret garden was excellent. Good entertainment and atmosphere until 11pm. Staff were excellent.
14/04/2009 -4/5 - room 244 but windows broken so moved to 243. Bathroom been retiled and grouted. Cost £200. Are in secret garden was excellent starters were £4.95 , main courses £9-£15. Nice thick burgers! Excellent service. Entertainment not as good as previous visit. Got ERT and entered park 1 hour earlier. Enjoyed the stay and tried to book another night but hotel was full.
06/04/2011 - 3/5 - room cost £99. Rooms now showing their age. Water park £15 to get in. Cocktails £5 and a pint £3.50. They bring the drinks to your table in the bar and ship area. New Emperor steak restaurant with prices from £17-£25. Flambos was £19.95. Atmosphere lacking once entertainment finishes. Same in splash. Quite sombre for a happy hotel. Staff were great.
02/09/2012 - 5/5 - stayed for two nights asked receptionist for room overlooking the pond. Room was clean. Entertainment was good. Ate in Flambos good price and quality of food pint was £4.
22/03/15 - 3/5 - noticed evening entertainment changed, 2 singers and a girl on keyboard. Didn’t really enjoy it as it was a bit depressing music wise. Stayed in moon voyage room nice. 14 of us ate in secret garden which was very nice.
08/04/2016 - 2/5 review about secret garden - server wasn’t very helpful and tried to put us off ordering certain foods. Food arrived in 9 minutes. Cold and tasteless burgers. Server advised us not to order desserts as it would take so long to come. Took 10 minutes. Had to send crumble back as custard was like water. Took 15 minutes for new custard. Server said “told you so”. Had meals deducted from bill.
29/08/2016 - 4/5 - great room offer on Groupon. Friendly staff at check in. Modernised bathrooms in the rooms. View of gardens now spoilt by CBeebies hotel going up. Scott sisters entertainment wasn’t my cup of tea.
09/10/2017 - 2/5 review of secret garden. Prices gone up. Burgers now a brisket and thin hamburger type. Cost £14.50. Service good but food quality for everyone was poor.
09:09/2019 - 5/5 review of secret garden. Complete contrast to last year the food was excellent!
04/04/2022 - 5/5 review of secret garden. Lovely meal despite relatively high prices. Steak and fish n chips was excellent.
17/07/2022 - 1/5 - dreadful! Fish n chips inedible and removed from the bill. Salmon dry and overcooked. Very warm inside due to windows not open.
SPLASH LANDINGS
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02/06/2010 - 4/5 - room cost £75. Room 1328 facing monorail grass embankment. Bathroom tiles dirty and mould. Dirty bunk beds. Ate in Flambos was £16.95. Good selection of foods. Bar good prices with pint of beer £3.30. Entertainment not great.
23/03/2013 - 4/5 - room 1439 end of corridor overlooking the water park so nice and quiet. Ate in secret garden first night food was very good. Noticed outdoor pools in the waterpark closed for maintenance. Ate in Flambos the second night £19.99. Food was good but drinks service very slow.
11/11/2014 - 4/5 - asked for room on top floor overlooking water park which we got. Room was clean. Ate in Flambos. Next morning queue for breakfast too long so went to Alton towers hotel instead. Stayed for fireworks. Huge queues in dragon bar each evening with second bar closed.
29/08/2016 - 4/5 - review of Flambos. Prices gone up to £21.95 but food was decent.
10/10/2017 - 2/4 - review of Flambos. Scarefest menu. Usual menu replaced with £15.95 pizza pasta menu. Had to pay upfront. Very poor food. No table service. Terrible meal.
26/03/2018 - 4/5 - good stay and had a good price for the two nights. Staff at welcome were great. Mould in bathroom. A good stay though.
17/07/2017 - 1/5 - review of Flambos. Awful! Only food choices are pizza and pasta. No table service. No drinks service. What has happened!
ENCHANTED VILLAGE ———————————
10/08/2015 -5/5 - enchanted! Tree top quest was great fun with friends. Nice rooms and clean. Crooked spoon nice food but like a canteen inside and you have to order at the bar which is difficult when busy.
05/12/2015 - 4/5 - fireworks weekend. Had to move lodge due to faults. Treetop quest again good fun. Crooked spoon better than last visit. Entertainment in hotel wasn’t great.
24/08/2017 - 4/5 - review of crooked spoon. Much improved on previous visits. Now table service! Food better and a female vocalist was singing there. Server was excellent.
17/07/2018 - 3/5 - cold welcome from staff. Lots of items broken in the room. Dirty towels. No mattress protector on the bed and mattress heavily stained. No fan in the room during the heatwave extremely hot. Exposed screws in the walls. Signs in room telling you how much you would be charged if you took anything made the stay felt cheap.
WATERPARK
———————————
15/07/2008 - 5/5 - visited over two days. Spent lots of time relaxing outside in the loungers in the sun.
02/09/2012 - 3/5 - too busy long queues. Water features and guns not working. Jets not working outside in jacuzzi. £2 for a locker and you only get £1 back. £2 to hire a towel.
11/11/2014 -4/5 - not sure but felt like the water temperature has been turned down!
29/08/2016 - 3/5 - toilets disgusting. Too busy with at least an hour queue for everything.
SPA
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24/10/2007 - 4/5 stars - £10 entrance fee, nice and relaxing with seating, magazines and refreshments in the conservatory area
14/04/2009 - 4/5 -cost £18 to enter. Nice and relaxing.
25/07/2017 - 3/5 - new hotel has spoilt the spa. Glass conservatory gone. Very dark. Lack of natural light. No makeover and tatty inside. Missing tiles and items not working.
ROLLERCOASTER RESTAURANT
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13/10/2016 - 3/5 - musty smell from cleaning fluids. Dirty cutlery. Food came out different times and some went to wrong tables. Expensive and Luke warm food.
24/07/2017 - 4/5 - better than last visit. Did lunch and dinner. Burger now like a hamburger. Food was better and warmer. Still expensive though.
26/03/2018 - 4/5 - still horrible smell of cleaning fluids. Warm welcome from staff. Steaks and burgers very nice. 10 minute delay between us receiving our mains together but a good night otherwise.
04/06/2018 - 5/5 - much improved. New lighting which adds to atmosphere. Food was very good on this occasion.
16/07/2019 - 4/5 - good service. Staff said management are taking note of bad reviews and trying to improve. Food was good.
05/04/2022 - 2/5 - gone downhill again. Chemical smell inside. Dirty glasses and cutlery. Curry inedible. Burger had more mayo than burger in it. Expensive for poor food on this occasion had money off bill.