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Stargazing Pods

Craig said:
Camping Pod Application Details Released

We recently revealed on our social media pages that planning permission was being sought for the construction of 102 accommodation pods at the Alton Towers Resort.

First referred to in parent company Merlin’s Summer Trading and Strategy update in October last year, and referred to as ‘Alton Towers Barrels’, the pods are part of the group’s aim to increase accommodation capacity at each of their major theme parks to 1000 rooms.

The application replaces the previously approved plans to expand the Enchanted Village by adding 70 Woodland Lodges (known as Phase Two). Those plans, approved in 2016, would have added lodges in a similar design to the ones already operating at the resort as part of the initial development.

The location of the new pods will be on the land to the north west of the existing Enchanted Village development, as seen on the map below. The existing car park further north currently has a planning application to install permanent lighting, and will be used for guests staying at the new pods. A reception building for guests to check in will be located at the top of the site, opposite the car park.



The pods will only contain a sleeping area, and shower, changing and toilet facilities will be provided by two buildings in the centre of the site. The increased number of pods (102) in comparison to the lodge development (70 lodges) reflects the smaller footprint of the pods, and also the smaller maintenance areas required due to no individual washing/toilet facilities being provided.

The size of the pods will be similar to those seen below, with the design likely to be in keeping with the existing Enchanted Village development.



There is also a retrospective application to keep the recently erected tipi in its current location in the south west corner of the proposed site. Erected for the Christmas events last year, the tipi was originally granted permanent planning permission in an alternative location in 2016 as part of the phase 2 Enchanted Village application.
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Dam that’s my parking space gone then!
The current lodgings are provided by willerby in hull. This looks like another project for them.
 
AstroDan said:
You are totally exaggerating what I said.

I didn't say the whole of ATH was in a good place. I said that if you compare it to 10 or 15 year ago, it is on the whole better because, as I said, the majority of rooms have been refurbished/rethemed. The bathrooms are better than Travelodge ones, too. Travelodge bathrooms are white and blue, and feel like a hospital. If you honestly think that ATH bathrooms are poorer than Travelodge ones, then you are living on another planet to me, evidently.

You clearly had your eyes closed when you walked into CBeebies Land hotel. I don't disagree with the fact it's cut off, overpriced and there needs to be more higgledy-piggledy, but the entrance lobby is anything but vinyl, with the shops and central feature. The rooms are also large and spacious.

And you lick the boots of DLP in your post. Well, those Sequoia Rooms have hardly seen any change since the mid 90s either!
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LOL. Why are we even arguing the finer points of why it's bad?

We both know it's gone downhill and Merlin's quality isn't up to par of previous owners.
 
Because unlike you, I don't just point-blank slag off every damn element of the place. I always find myself wondering why you bother, but we've been there before.

You have to identify what's poor, and stop making sledgehammer comparisons and hyperbolic generalisations.

Of course ATR has gone downhill in recent years, but that doesn't stop me from actually being rational about what the issues are.

Saying that the bathrooms at ATH are worse than Travelodge ones is pure conjecture.
 
I just don't look at the place through rose tinted glasses.

As for sledgehammering - well, most of the time you if read what I write I can very easily identify whats poor. Sledgehammer criticisim followed by sledgehammer solutions. :)

Being too soft on the place, writing love letters to Nick Varney, and kissing the asses of management at Towers didn't really do much to change anything, did it?

When enough people stop supporting it, that's when things will change.

Also, lets get some photos of the ATH bathrooms and post up some comparisions with a Travelodge to put that issue to bed.
 
PeteB said:
Bathrooms, even the ones that have been replaced look awful. Travelodge provide better bathrooms
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The refurbished bathrooms are of a much higher standard than any travellodge I’ve been into. Yes parts of the original explorer rooms are now getting old but they are fine and with the moon voyage and artic rooms a lot have been replaced and completely renewed.


Back on topic I’m not sure these pods are the right idea. Can you camp properly and cook for yourself? Otherwise are they building a new restaurant otherwise I can’t see how they can cope just to get breakfast served to everyone. Then there is the issue of just providing enough space for everyone to hang out if it rains, or even an outdoor entertainment area.
 
jon81uk said:
The refurbished bathrooms are of a much higher standard than any travellodge I’ve been into. Yes parts of the original explorer rooms are now getting old but they are fine and with the moon voyage and artic rooms a lot have been replaced and completely renewed.


Back on topic I’m not sure these pods are the right idea. Can you camp properly and cook for yourself? Otherwise are they building a new restaurant otherwise I can’t see how they can cope just to get breakfast served to everyone. Then there is the issue of just providing enough space for everyone to hang out if it rains, or even an outdoor entertainment area.
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At other places that provide similar accommodation breakfast is usually not provided so I presume this will be the same as we can't see any Crooked Spoon extension.
 
There is an already approved extension to the Crooked Spoon but this is only very small.

The Crooked Spoon is already rather full for breakfast in the mornings so I cannot imagine there is capacity for another 102 rooms worth of people. I'd imagine room only bookings are the most likely option and there could be some form of kiosk somewhere for guests to purchase a coffee and breakfast item.

:)
 
The documents in the planning application state that two mobile catering units will be used to serve breakfast and evening meals ‘Street food style’.
 
Sounds like a badly thought out idea. Imagine when the accommodation is full across the resort the park shuts at 5pm and it's raining all evening. You'll be having all the people from this development and the enchanted village trying to get into an overcrowded ATH.

They need to build an entertainment complex of some sort so people have something to do in the evening.
 
AT86 said:
The documents in the planning application state that two mobile catering units will be used to serve breakfast and evening meals ‘Street food style’.
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I've just found that myself:

Front facing will be an area provided for two mobile food and beverage trailers and placed in situ when the site is operating. The trailers will deliver a breakfast offer and an evening meal in a “street food” style. There will also be hot and cold beverages whilst they are open. The mobile food units do not require planning permission, so do not form part of this planning application, but are shown indicatively on the drawings for information.

Sounds ideal for the rainy British summers!

:)
 
So more expansion with even less areas for all these extra people to go of an evening. It’s fine doing it as an outdoorsy type of accommodation with the ‘street food style’ food vans and stuff but if the weathers crap people aren’t going to want that option. Plus like has been said previously, the pods are too small to socialise in and the Crooked Spoon isn’t really a bar - so it’s yet more people to squeeze into ATH and Splash (if it’s even open!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PeteB said:
I just don't look at the place through rose tinted glasses.

As for sledgehammering - well, most of the time you if read what I write I can very easily identify whats poor. Sledgehammer criticisim followed by sledgehammer solutions. :)

Being too soft on the place, writing love letters to Nick Varney, and kissing the asses of management at Towers didn't really do much to change anything, did it?

When enough people stop supporting it, that's when things will change.

Also, lets get some photos of the ATH bathrooms and post up some comparisions with a Travelodge to put that issue to bed.
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Irony is the people you are arguing with don’t see the place through rose tinted glasses either. They criticise it but they actually pull apart the things that are bad, comment on the things that are good and give evidence to back it up.

Over exaggeration helps no one, it deminshes the impact of the things that actually need sorting. Go in to the “Sinking ship: un-love letter to Merlin” topic (start by Dan curiously enough for someone with supposed rose tinted glasses) to see all those.

Very few people on the forums think the place is overall improving, most (myself included) think it’s going downhill, but we don’t need to start making things up to demonstrate that.
 
I did see a building entitled "Reception" on the application, so maybe the EV reception is moving to the top of the site and the Crooked Spoon can be extended into the old reception space. I remember this was suggested on the EV expansion application in 2016, as well.

Also, remember that the Enchanted Tipi is also staying, so that should provide some good entertainment.
 
The details in the application states the EV reception will remain and the new reception will be for the pods only.
 
MakoMania said:
Y'all are too easily put off by the rain :rolleyes:
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Every time I have been camping it rained. At least the simple campsite I was on provided a barn for socialising in the evenings. If a basic campsite with showers in a converted milking parlour can provide a barn for drinks during wet weather then AT can.
 
These barrels sound ruddy awful. I cant see them taking much business away from local B&Bs! And can you imagine them in the summer with minimal ventilation? Urgh, no thanks. Thing that annoys me the most however, is as others have highlighted, there isn't much to do for all these new rooms! The existing hotel facilities are cramped, especially when Splash Landings is closed, there is little evening entertainment and you can only fit a certain number into ATH atrium. There is no late night bar. Treetops is closed now, theme park opening hours have been cut....... just seems totally idiotic to me as does having to park so far away and carry luggage (and those with kids) from the car all the way down to the Enchanted Village in the bad weather.

What they would be better doing is expanding Enchanted Village, but the centre of the new development, build a venue with just a bar and shift the entertainment into here. Then in ATH, turn the Atrium into a sort of Jazz venue with a band/singer offering more adult focused entertainment in the evenings. Have a small shuttle vehicle to transport guests from ATH entrance to the new venue.

The barrels are they are I think will be a huge flop. Why they just dont open Splash Landings again and lower the price of the rooms instead I dont know.

With regards the debate about the quality of the rooms in ATH and the other hotels, I agree that there has been a marked improvement in the rooms over the past few years. The bathrooms did surprise me and are pretty decent now, and yes I would agree better than a Travelodge offering. If they are continuing to replace the beds in the rooms and some of the fittings then great. Personally however, I still dont feel they represent value at some of the prices they charge.

Ive never had fault with Enchanted Village personally. The "dust" around the edges of some of the rooms I have actually found to be paint dust, left from when the walls were painted. Ive always thought the rooms were decent, just lacking in more storage and hanging space, particularly in the "kids" room. In the summer, having the option to sit outside is a nice touch.

Again, Splash Landings ive not had fault with in the past, its usually been cheap, and i tend to always get a room viewing the waterpark. Not been in CBeebies so cant comment there, but I hate the way it has affected the spa and ruined the view over the rear of ATH.

For me, the reasons I dont stay in the resort hotels are that (1) they got rid of the deposit system when booking (2) the prices are too high for the quality of product received (3) the food offerings in the hotels is extremely poor now (4) the noise in the rooms particularly in ATH.
 
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