Alton towers hotels

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theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
1 night before park.worth it? If so which.

Edited by theplayingmantis on Tuesday 20th August 21:29

TownIdiot

1,021 posts

4 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
With or without kids?

theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
of course. wouldnt be going otherwise!

edit to be more precise, 2 ten and unders, i'm flying solo though.

Edited by theplayingmantis on Tuesday 20th August 21:46

rustyuk

4,655 posts

216 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
I'm guessing the Cbeebies Hotel would be best for u10s

omniflow

2,781 posts

156 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
Check opening times and compare with driving time from where you live.

When we went in May, the original plan was to stay over the night before, but we abandoned this idea, left early in the morning and then stopped over on the way home. We got there just after 10am, and by 3pm were worn out and ready to leave.

We have previously stayed at Splash Landings and done the Water Park in the afternoon, before a full day in the park the next day. The hotel is tolerable, as is the food and the "entertainment". The Water Park is fine if you've never been to a proper Water Park - if you have it is bitterly disappointing.




theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
rustyuk said:
I'm guessing the Cbeebies Hotel would be best for u10s
8 and 10 so cbeebies a no, there past that, well more so i am...

theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
omniflow said:
Check opening times and compare with driving time from where you live.

When we went in May, the original plan was to stay over the night before, but we abandoned this idea, left early in the morning and then stopped over on the way home. We got there just after 10am, and by 3pm were worn out and ready to leave.

We have previously stayed at Splash Landings and done the Water Park in the afternoon, before a full day in the park the next day. The hotel is tolerable, as is the food and the "entertainment". The Water Park is fine if you've never been to a proper Water Park - if you have it is bitterly disappointing.
thanks thats useful, had been idea to to the wp but involves more time away and didnt look worth it, so yes we would have been disappointed having been to actual waterparks.

3 hour drive or so, not sure if the early park entry is worth staying over night before for. surprised it shuts at 5pm as well given its summer. was under impression theme parks had late openings in the summer hols in clement weather at least.


JQ

5,951 posts

184 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
Be careful. We stayed over the night before several years ago for the early entry and half the rides weren’t open during the extra hour. It was a complete waste for that purpose.

The food in the hotel was pretty terrible.

We did it once and have never done it since. We’re around 2 hours drive from the resort.

What’s the price difference between staying in the hotel and buying fast pass tickets. We went last year and got on 5 rides, not a great day. I’d rather pay for fast pass than the hotel but my kids want to do all the big rides, hence the big queues.

theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
hadnt considered that, didnt want to splurge much, but probably makes sense over a pointless (other than getting a bit more lie in) hotel especially if not all rides are open early.

also how busy is it on a weekday school holiday...bourton on the water, lunchtime on a summer saturday busy? eek

JQ

5,951 posts

184 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
Might be worth checking on rides being open as it was several years ago and things may have changed. I made a complaint at the time, others may have done the same.

As for last year, it was a weekday in the summer holidays. It was very busy but the problems were compounded by rides constantly closing and opening again. It was very frustrating, but hopefully things may have improved.

andy118run

908 posts

211 months

Tuesday 20th August
quotequote all
I'm sad enough to admit I've stayed in all of the resort hotels, multiple times over the last 10-12 years or so.

My kids are now 8 and 14 but we still do it perhaps once a year now. Must admit we rarely bother with park tickets as the hotel and waterpark tend to be a nice little overnight trip for us (we are probably easily pleased).

There are so many room choices across the hotels but I can't say I've ever paid for the more expensive and probably larger rooms or suites with the various themes (I think there's a 'Coca Cola' room now among others)

So based on the standard rooms -
I tend to avoid Splash Landings hotel as I'm not keen on the Beech comber rooms.
C Beebies hotel is ok and exclusively for their guests only, whereas the other hotels can be accessed by all guests.
The Lodges are not bad at all and very pleasant if the weather is good as they have little play areas dotted around, but possibly more for younger kids.
The star gazer pods are basic, small and I'd avoid.

My go-to hotel is the Alton Towers hotel itself. Usually paying 20 or 30 pounds more for the slightly better Moon Voyager rooms (think the basic ones are Sir John Arelegon or something like that).
We usually eat at the evening buffet in the splash landings hotel as the Alton Towers one has a limited menu. Food is hit and miss but bearable. All hotels tend to have some sort of evening entertainment such as singers or shows. All a bit Hi-di-hi!!

The Splash park is ok if you get in when they open first thing but they tend to terribly overbook so if you go later it can be pretty horrendous. Think I gave it 1/5 last time on tripadvisor as it pi++sed me off so much.

Overall, I can't not recommend it as I've been so many times and my kids seem to enjoy...and that's the main thing!


theplayingmantis

Original Poster:

4,250 posts

87 months

Wednesday 21st August
quotequote all
Thanks very useful

JimmyConwayNW

3,121 posts

130 months

Wednesday 21st August
quotequote all
Stayed at one of the hotels once Cbeebies one for the kids birthday. Food was utterly atrocious. Breakfast awful.

If I was to do it again I would just stay in Stoke or Derby at a hotel with a pool and travel across as you would be within 30-45 mins.