The Hotels: A Journey

[Dave]

Just because it's hidden away in the bowels of ATH and is not something that's usually on a Thoosies to do list, this is big news now it's been confirmed.

It shows us that the resort have all but given up on trying to attract a broader range of guests and given up on quality. Alton has 5 onsite accommodation options and they can't even run a facility that many pretty basic 4 star hotels up and down the country offer.

A mid-winter break up there, including an afternoon in the waterpark, a couple of rounds of crazy golf and a few hours in the spa is something I've considered in the past. Now, with entertainment being lackluster, the accommodation looking tired and limited food options as well, there really aren't that many compelling reasons to stay on site anymore.

There was a time when you could have a decent themed experience, be greeted at a themed check - in desk, enjoy loads of entertainment, good food, a late night scare maze outside the hotel and hop on the monorail first thing the next morning to get in to the park.

Now the resort is looking more like one of those aging seaside hotels that hasn't been updated since it's glory days. I was going to say it's looking like a Britainia hotel, but even one of those I was looking at last year near Gatwick airport was able to operate a spa facility.

The resort wide downgrading process continues. Closure of Tree Top Quest, check. 4pm closures, check. Painting everything that's rotten purple, check. Removing edible food and replacing with cheap crap, check. Next project, the closure of the monorail.

That’s quite the extrapolation.

For all we know they found a structural issue with the spa that requires immediate closure and a cost benefit analysis said it just wasn’t worth it.

Just to be clear I’m not saying that’s happened but when armchair CEO’s make comments without context it’s always a little eye rolling.

I find it curious how last minute this is mind, doubt it’s part of a planned cost cutting measure unless it’s making such a loss that they have decided to move the operating costs elsewhere into the resort.

 

[Benzin]

Probably get turned into another conference room or something.

Went once, was ok but not exactly a repeat thing. Did it even have opening times that would allow you to go after park close?

 

[jon81uk]

Probably get turned into another conference room or something.

Went once, was ok but not exactly a repeat thing. Did it even have opening times that would allow you to go after park close?

Yes it was normally open to 8pm and I think sometimes to 10pm.

When we lived in the midlands we did the spa quite a few times, at £20-25 the thermal spa was good value compared to many others and the rasul mud treatment for two with three hours in the thermal spa too for about £79 was decent as well.
Was quite nice to go for fireworks Sunday, stay over on resort and do the spa Monday morning after breakfast before heading home.

 

[Matt.GC]

That’s quite the extrapolation.

For all we know they found a structural issue with the spa that requires immediate closure and a cost benefit analysis said it just wasn’t worth it.

Just to be clear I’m not saying that’s happened but when armchair CEO’s make comments without context it’s always a little eye rolling.

I would argue that the extrapolative lengths armchair fanboys go to in order to excuse decisions that result in gradual resort wide downgrading are equally eye rolling.

It's not a popular opinion because the evidence from trends are there, and have been for a number of years, recently accelerated I would argue, yet because we all want the resort to do well, there's a tendency to skirt over the bad bits and celebrate the good and mediocre? Maybe the self check-in screens were put in because the old desks were falling down? Maybe Aramark promised the very highest quality but it was embedded in the small print that they would actually do the opposite and they're just waiting for the contract to end?

That's the context.

 

[AT86]

Yes it was normally open to 8pm and I think sometimes to 10pm.

The last few years it’s been 10-5 Mon-Fri (with midweek Tuesday closures off peak) and 10-6 Sat-Sun.

 

[jon81uk]

The last few years it’s been 10-5 Mon-Fri (with midweek Tuesday closures off peak) and 10-6 Sat-Sun.

You can tell its been many years since I went to the spa last.

In fact I think it might be almost five years since I was at AT at all....

 

[LJP]

I feel like that statement shows that there currently isn't a clear plan of what to do with the space. At the moment, it feels like a decision being driven by lack of use vs cost of upkeep. I'm sure once the park have had some more time to consider it, the space will be put to good use and does open up the possibility of genuinely improving evening provision at the resort.

 

[Relife]

I feel like that statement shows that there currently isn't a clear plan of what to do with the space. At the moment, it feels like a decision being driven by lack of use vs cost of upkeep. I'm sure once the park have had some more time to consider it, the space will be put to good use and does open up the possibility of genuinely improving evening provision at the resort.

Love the optimism but we will probably get a food hall run by Aramark.

 

[Dave]

I would argue that the extrapolative lengths armchair fanboys go to in order to excuse decisions that result in gradual resort wide downgrading are equally eye rolling.

It's not a popular opinion because the evidence from trends are there, and have been for a number of years, recently accelerated I would argue, yet because we all want the resort to do well, there's a tendency to skirt over the bad bits and celebrate the good and mediocre? Maybe the self check-in screens were put in because the old desks were falling down? Maybe Aramark promised the very highest quality but it was embedded in the small print that they would actually do the opposite and they're just waiting for the contract to end?

That's the context.

Yeah I would agree and I think my posting history shows I do not fanboy the place but this is out of character even for Towers. Budget decisions are made months ahead and this is a sudden decision.

Plus nearly everything you reference occurred under the previous leadership so that has to be considered as well. Its like when everyone just knew Curse would be terrible because all the previous Merlin dark rides had been terrible, we are in too much of a state of flux with the new leadership and Lego ownership to make these correlations at present.

 

[LJP]

Yeah I would agree and I think my posting history shows I do not fanboy the place but this is out of character even for Towers. Budget decisions are made months ahead and this is a sudden decision.

Plus nearly everything you reference occurred under the previous leadership so that has to be considered as well. Its like when everyone just knew Curse would be terrible because all the previous Merlin dark rides had been terrible, we are in too much of a state of flux with the new leadership and Lego ownership to make these correlations at present.

I'm thinking a large/expensive piece of equipment has recently failed and management (looking at the potential lack of upcoming bookings) have just decided to call it a day.

 

[GaryH]

There’s a few posts popping up on towers street facebook from disgruntled ex spa staff members. Apparently some only got their contracts a few weeks ago while others were expecting to start this week and only just found out. Seems a bit of a snap decision which leads me to think something has broken or is damaged in the spa rendering it financially unviable to fix (at the moment).

 

[Tom]

Was already scraping the barrel claiming to be a resort given the opening hours of the theme park, and the minimal non-park facilities around the accommodation. Now it is even less of a destination. The 'long term' plans (if there are any) need to be realised pretty quickly.

 

[Funcone]

I know some people will jump on the Merlin bashing bandwagon, because it gets likes, but to be fair to Merlin, I think they will do their best to look after the staff who’ve lost their jobs at the Spa. If you speak to people who’ve worked for Merlin, they’ll generally tell you that Merlin are a good employer.

They’ve lobbied the government not to raise the minimum wage, because they want to provide as many jobs as possible, and they know that when the minimum wage goes up, they can’t provide as many jobs.

They hire a lot of 16 and 17 year olds, because they want to give people their first job and get them going in the workplace.

Most of their staff are on zero hour contracts, because they know that people like the flexibility.

If people turn up for work and the park’s quiet they’ll get sent home without any pay, because Merlin knows that people always enjoy a surprise day off.

A few times a year they’ll ask staff if they want to volunteer to come in on their day off for a four hour unpaid deep cleaning party. These are great ways for people who want to have a career with Merlin to stand out from the crowd, and at the end of the four hour unpaid deep cleaning party, managers will generously surprise the staff with some bags of free donuts.

They’ve outsourced a load of jobs at Aramark, because they know that people want a choice in who they work for.

They’ve slimmed down the management team, to give their frontline employees a chance to be more independent.

They deliberately don’t invite all the staff working for concessions to the staff parties, to make sure Merlin employees feel extra special.

They serve chicken nuggets and fries in the staff canteen every day, because they know that this is what young people like to eat.

They send managers around shouting at people to work faster, because it’s very motivational.

It’s their company policy not to call the police or support investigations when staff are assaulted, to make sure employees don’t have the trauma of going through a court case.

If staff are sick three times in a year they get a no re-hire status, to make sure people aren’t having to work with ill colleagues.

Unlike other parks that give staff their free tickets straight away, Merlin make staff wait for the end of their probationary period and for their manager to get round to giving them an appraisal. Staff appreciate the free tickets more if they get them half way through the season.

Merlin make sure their staff don’t have too much training or empowerment, because they don’t want to overburden staff with extra responsibility.

They constantly badger staff working on the rides to upsell Fast Track tickets, because they know that most workers relish the challenge.

When you look at the bigger picture, Merlin has a really strong track record as a top class employer. I expect the CEO is personally involved with mentoring the staff and giving them career advice.

In fact, some of the comments on here are a bit embarrassing. People obviously have no idea about the Merlin company culture. I’d say Merlin feels more like a big family than a workplace. I’m sure the CEO and the directors lie awake at night worrying about the staff they’ve let go. For them, getting rid of staff, is like getting rid of your gran.

 

[BooMT]

I did read a comment on one of the pages from a former staff member saying the closure was due to lack of investment... the spa 'wasn't up to the same standard as the rest of the resort'.

 

[Alsty]

The fact some staff were recruited only a few weeks ago suggests this is a last minute decision to close it.

If it's not then it would suggest gross incompetence on the part of management, which is also a possibility to be fair

 

[Jb85]

I actually think it's brave management. You know there will be a lot of backlash but your still prepared to close it as the product isn't of the standard you want to portray.

Hopefully something better is planned. They need to look at Center Parcs for how a resort should be presented and ran.

 

[Alsty]

I actually think it's brave management.

To recruit then close down a few weeks later?

 

[Jb85]

To recruit then close down a few weeks later?

It says to me that they thought they could hash something together but failed at the last moment.

Step forward in my view. Previous management would have opened regardless. Feel for the staff but surely its the right call?

 

[NuttySquirrel]

Potential redundancies are usually known about by top management well in advance, but because they need those people to keep doing their jobs until they pull the plug they can't say anything. They can't even do anything that would hint at change, such as a recruitment freeze. It's very poor form to hire and fire like that, however I can see why they've likely done it that way. Otherwise people would either just leave or you would have a very disgruntled workforce that might make a bad impression on your customers.

 

[Dave]

The staff in the Spa will get other jobs (Towers always have vacancies) but they won’t be the jobs they applied for (and likely have the skills for), so even if they do identify other roles the poor spa team will likely still be looking for alternative employment which is never ideal for anyone.

Potential redundancies are usually known about by top management well in advance, but because they need those people to keep doing their jobs until they pull the plug they can't say anything. They can't even do anything that would hint at change, such as a recruitment freeze. It's very poor form to hire and fire like that, however I can see why they've likely done it that way. Otherwise people would either just leave or you would have a very disgruntled workforce that might make a bad impression on your customers.

If you can offer another role you are not making someone redundant. It’s also likely most of the team haven’t been employed long enough to qualify.

Merlin rarely employ people long enough for things like redundancy. A Merlin employee who manages longer than 2 years outside management is a rare beast.