Warwick castle

[jon81uk]

Sorry to bump the topic, but I have just seen that they are building a hotel, was this know about? just seen a post on the MMM insta

A quick google finds this

Warwick Castle's hotel and restaurant plans to be discussed

Warwick Castle says the 60-room hotel will bring more visitors into the town.

www.bbc.co.uk

Warwick Castle hotel secures planning permission

A new 60-bedroom hotel is to open at Warwick Castle after councillors approved plans this week.

www.thecaterer.com

Plans for 60-bed hotel at Warwick Castle officially submitted

The plans also include an extension to the current Knight’s Village restaurant so that it would also provide food for the hotel

www.warwickshireworld.com

Planning permission is here https://planningdocuments.warwickdc...activeTab=documents&keyVal=_WARWI_DCAPR_90585

 

[siralgenon]

I mean 'why' is the question that springs to mine. You'd think Thorpe Park would be further up the list.

 

[Jb85]

To be fair if it's priced correctly it makes sense. Just off the motorway, lots of historic places around to visit.

And Warwick itself isn't brimming with hotels. Unlike Stratford nearby

 

[jon81uk]

I mean 'why' is the question that springs to mine. You'd think Thorpe Park would be further up the list.

Warwick Castle attracts families with more disposable income. Thorpe Park’s target audience isn’t as young so are more likely to have day trips.

 

[AT86]

Warwick is also a year round attraction. I think one of the issues stopping them spending on a full hotel at Thorpe is they haven’t worked out how to create demand for stays in the off season for the teen thrill market.

 

[jon81uk]

The only issue I can see with the plans is if there will be enough on-site restaurant capacity, they are doing a small extension for a bar to the existing Knights Village restaurant but that will now serve the existing lodges and tents and the new hotel. For dinner many people might choose to walk into the town and use an independent restaurant, but for breakfast they do need to make sure there is capacity to offer it to everyone within a few hours.

Also as a more general feeling (and this potentially applies to all the Merlin group attractions) but Warwick Castle 20-30 years ago felt like it used the best of the Tussauds group talent to make attractions, but many of those waxwork based attractions haven't changed in 25 years. I guess the story they tell is still valid is it happened so long ago, so why change something that isn't broke. But it feels like many the additions since Merlin bought Tussauds either use an IP or copy something from the theme parks, such as replacing the excellent undercroft restaurant with pizza buffet. Yes they still do the jousting and falconry shows but the whole offering feels a bit more "theme park" than it did even under Tussauds ownership.

 

[pluk]

Warwick is also a year round attraction. I think one of the issues stopping them spending on a full hotel at Thorpe is they haven’t worked out how to create demand for stays in the off season for the teen thrill market

Where as Chessington has its zoo and Sealife to generate a bit of off season visitation. A thrill level water park at Thorpe would resolve that problem. They are building the water park at the wrong site!

I can imagine a hotel at Warwick Castle working well with the location and visitor profile.

 

[BooMT]

Home from a stay at Warwick Castle Lodges and in brief: I think this is a shining jewel in Merlins crown. Such a high quality & enjoyable experience across the board - trip report pending.

Additionally, the new Hotel allegedly opens in March (it was reported Dec 23) according to a staff member who asked if we'd be returning next year to try it out - no work was being carried out on the days we were there but all the concrete foundations are in! If their existing accommodation offering is anything to go by, it should be worth a stay!