Re: Thorpe Park - Temporary shipping container hotel to be built
I do kind of agree that it's becoming a little tiresome. There's nothing wrong with targeting a specific demographic. Be it adults, teenagers, children, or families. But Thorpe are using their target audience very heavily lately, and frankly, it comes across as simply cutting corners and as an easy way to do a lower quality job of things.
For example, it's all well and good saying this shipping container accommodation fits the target group. But then, if Thorpe had built a proper hotel, even something like a Travelodge, does that mean that the target audience would not stop there? Both Alton's hotels are family oriented, but it doesn't stop other groups from stopping there, as at the end of the day they are both fairly high quality and comfortable establishments. Whereas here Thorpe have said, go for the cheapest nastiest thing, the target market will sleep anywhere. It doesn't matter about the others.
They are becoming lazy I fear, and relying on their target demographic to help make the cheapest installations, and cut the corners where they can. It's a similar tale at Towers, where Merlin and management seem to be applying the logic of "we're still the best the UK has got. We can get away with leaving it".
All parks within the Merlin portfolio need to take a good long look at themselves and consider their future. They cannot continue with this attitude they have of cutting corners while trying to use their brand/audience/market/name to uphold themselves. The only parks who can truly rely on any of those are the likes of Disney and Universal. Look at DLP. They've operated at a poor turnover for many years now, and some areas of the park are seriously lacking in new investment. But at the same time they pipe thousands of euros into the upkeep of their attractions they already have. Sure, people will continue to visit in more or less any state, just because it's Disney. Merlin seem to think that they too can pull this off, but the simple fact is that without the basis and upkeep they can't.
Both Alton and Thorpe are guilty of this, and it's a poor attitude which is in turn driving three of the UKs largest theme parks onto the rocks if you ask me. It needs to change ???
