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Stargazing Pods
- Thread starter Matt N
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- stargazing pods
jon81uk
TS Member
Providing on-site pizza delivery to room/pod/lodge through to 2am should be easy though it just needs a small kitchen and a couple of staff and the one kitchen could serve all lodges/pods easily, its just another example of Alton Towers not considering how to give five star service.
I think 2am would be a little excessive but an on-site takeaway for the hotels which is open from 5pm - 11pm say, is a great shout. Call it The Towers Takeaway, order off an app and offer pizzas, burgers and salads.
Easy really isn’t it…
jon81uk
TS Member
Yeah, maybe it only needs to be later during Scarefest and Fireworks when guests are returning from the park later, there should at least be food til midnight or maybe 1am on those days.
TroySmith1
TS Member
I mean it only needs one of the food trucks from all these Merlin events on site. Temporary fix sorted now back to the rest…
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jon81uk
TS Member
Why a temporary fix? Permanent solution would be better.
It really does sound like Merlin have taken a leaf out of Center Parcs book with their obsession to get as many "keys" [rooms] as possible in their sites.
Whilst Center Parcs would never add Stargazing Pods, they are quite happy to add exclusive lodges with games rooms, hot tubs & treehouses, whilst not extending the core facilities - including the pool which is their USP. Using CP Sherwood as an example it opened in 1987 with 650 lodges - there are now about 980 and the pool & food&beverage offering are pretty much the same size.
Back to Towers, they need to be careful as people will start to vote with their feet. When staying in their hotels / accommodation at premium prices & being told "order a takeaway, we have no restaurant capacity" is not on. I know when Cbeebies hotel opened the facilities & entertainment in there were ring-fenced for Cbeebies guests only. No idea if this is still the case.
The pricing of the Stargazing Pods for a wooden hut "experience" with what is a reportedly mediocre breakfast roll in the morning is pushing. Had the Pods been built bigger with en-suite facilities the pricing would probably be more justifiable. None of the Towers accommodation generally includes park admission either unless there is a very occasional offer on.
Whilst Center Parcs would never add Stargazing Pods, they are quite happy to add exclusive lodges with games rooms, hot tubs & treehouses, whilst not extending the core facilities - including the pool which is their USP. Using CP Sherwood as an example it opened in 1987 with 650 lodges - there are now about 980 and the pool & food&beverage offering are pretty much the same size.
Back to Towers, they need to be careful as people will start to vote with their feet. When staying in their hotels / accommodation at premium prices & being told "order a takeaway, we have no restaurant capacity" is not on. I know when Cbeebies hotel opened the facilities & entertainment in there were ring-fenced for Cbeebies guests only. No idea if this is still the case.
The pricing of the Stargazing Pods for a wooden hut "experience" with what is a reportedly mediocre breakfast roll in the morning is pushing. Had the Pods been built bigger with en-suite facilities the pricing would probably be more justifiable. None of the Towers accommodation generally includes park admission either unless there is a very occasional offer on.
Craig
TS Administrator
Mad thing is, it's specifically against the resort's own terms to bring your own food/order takeaways:
They've seen the popularity of the food vans on park, but they're still willingly letting guest's money be spent elsewhere. After a day on park where some will have had Woodcutters, RCR or Pizza Pasta - some will just want some nibbles to go with a few drinks. Sharing a pizza with the family, a bowl of chips or something simple like a panini. The fact there's not the option for this bar the frankly bizarre rule of pizzas strictly after 10pm in a resort which is now pretty damn huge is crazy.
There's masses of space for people to sit out and have some food and drink with their group in Enchanted Village or Stargazing Pods. We're (generally!) having much nicer weather as of late, the lack of quick bite/take out options bar chocolate and crisps is missing a prime opportunity for extra revenue. A grab and go picnic box would be an ideal addition, as despite the faults with the Pods, there's a shed load of space in the middle that'd be really nice with a relatively small amount of work to improve seating.
I've seen the number of people getting takeaways increase further and further as the years have gone on and the food options have got poorer or people just having difficulty getting a sensible booking time at peak periods. It's been going on for so long, yet no one has addressed it despite now getting to the point where staff outright suggest people spend their money elsewhere.
They've seen the popularity of the food vans on park, but they're still willingly letting guest's money be spent elsewhere. After a day on park where some will have had Woodcutters, RCR or Pizza Pasta - some will just want some nibbles to go with a few drinks. Sharing a pizza with the family, a bowl of chips or something simple like a panini. The fact there's not the option for this bar the frankly bizarre rule of pizzas strictly after 10pm in a resort which is now pretty damn huge is crazy.
There's masses of space for people to sit out and have some food and drink with their group in Enchanted Village or Stargazing Pods. We're (generally!) having much nicer weather as of late, the lack of quick bite/take out options bar chocolate and crisps is missing a prime opportunity for extra revenue. A grab and go picnic box would be an ideal addition, as despite the faults with the Pods, there's a shed load of space in the middle that'd be really nice with a relatively small amount of work to improve seating.
Yep - it's crazy. Common business acumen alone dictates that Merlin should be doing all they can to get guests to spend on-resort & not order-in. If Towers security don't shut the main entrance gates off Farley Lane at night in-season [suspect they don't] then the delivery drivers are just free to drive in. If they do close the main gates & security let them in... well something is wrong. Or maybe they just want to avoid complaints from guests [& associated refunds] who can't get food in the hotels?
Center Parcs by contrast is gated 24/7. They won't let any deliveries past the Arrivals Lodge unless they are a registered guest on a booking. So you can get a delivery there, but you have to walk to fetch it & then walk back to your lodge. A good deterrent as you could easily have a 15min walk each way from / back to your lodge. Food won't be too hot after that. Difference here is that about 95% of the accommodation is self-catering so guests can prepare their own meals.
Merlin / Towers should really be looking to capitalise on their "captive audience" market of overnight guests. Whilst none of us know the exact details of the deal with Aramark, you would have thought that Aramark would want to sell as much food as possible - especially at the prices they charge in the hotels. That said, it could be down to Towers rural location & associated recruitment issues. The hospitality industry as a whole is still facing recruitment issues & when Aramark are paying practically the same as a staff member could attain in Leek / Stoke, staff will vote with their feet and take the easy-transport links option.
Either way, Merlin are missing a trick with the Stargazing Pods & food / drink / entertainment offer - especially in the summer months when the weather is more likely to make them attractive. (Not sure I would fancy a cold November fireworks night in a pod, with associated walk to the toilet block when you need the facilities).
I should further add that the food offering does not have to be gourmet - just make so all guests can get something in the form of hot food. I would never visit a theme park in this country expecting the array of dining options [some excellent] at the likes of Europa Park or PhantasiaLand. Having just mentioned PhantasiaLand, I should add we had a slightly poor experience there about 8yrs ago. Checked into Ling Bao early afternoon and asked for a dinner reservation - we were offered 5:30 or 9:30pm. They were full.
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