Alton Towers Hotel......5 fun things to look out for...

Alton Towers is one of the UK’s biggest tourist attractions with its Theme Park having a large collection of state of the art Coasters which draws massive crowds daily. Located deep within the Staffordshire countryside it is not an easy journey to get there but that doesn't deter it being the mecca of British thrill seekers.

Developments to the site have not only seen continued introductions of more and more extreme rides such as the recent 14 looped “The Smiler” but it can also boast about it’s two on- site hotels and it’s own indoor water park.
 

Alton Towers hotel, opened in 1996, was joined in 2003 by Splash Landing Hotel and water park - Cariba Creek - meaning accommodation is just a 10 minute woodland walk or a 2 minute monorail journey away from the Theme Park.








 

Staying at either hotel gives the added privilege of early access to the theme park, a hour earlier than the general paying public. This gives residents the chance to hop on the selected rides open, before the inevitable long queues form during the day. The hotels offer excellent family accommodation with the addition of on-site themed restaurants plus entertainment on an evening to suit both young and old. If the weather allows the rear of the hotel hosts a beautiful man made lake with a large seating area, a perfect place to relax and calm down after your day of fast rides, recovering from all the screams and scares.

The Alton Towers hotel has the theme of an adventurists house with the large and eye catching Time Machine, a boat come balloon contraption, being the centrepiece of the hotel, rising from the bottom floor to the top in the centre of the open plan staircases.

In turn there are a number of quirky things to provide a bit of fun around the hotel which are less obvious and could easily be missed, so keep you eye out if staying there to increase the fun….

1 – You can ring my bell!! Look out for the door bell at the front entrance – Press the bell as the sign
suggests and you will be greeted by the booming voice of Sir Algernon Alton, the hotels themed character. An eccentric Explorer and Inventor Sir Algernon bellows a number of different statements that echo through the lobby when entering.  

 

2- Parking for the privileged - If you are lucky enough to be staying in one of the sponsored themed rooms be sure to make use of the reserved Car Park spaces at the front of the hotel. You may even see you name on the board giving you your own personalised parking space.

 

3- Lift off – The lifts too are included in the theme with its wooden panels adding to the antique like stately home effect, but add in booming, inspiring epic film type music and flashing lights giving your short but fast journey a magical feeling.

4- Mirror, Mirror On the wall – Taking a visit to the communal toilets will give you the chance to see who the fairest of them all is….step on the coloured tile in front of the mirror and a message will be relayed. From all accounts the message received in the ladies is far more complimentary than in the men’s…unless of course the message about my qualities was actually genuine….

 

 

 

 

5 – Look Down- Look out for the beautifully coloured and illustrated carpets around the hotel, particularly in the corridor that connects Alton Towers hotel to the Splash Landings buildings where the theme changes from Explorer to Seaside. The gradual merging of the two with the introduction of a sand effect is superb and gets you in a sea faring mood as you enter the Splash Landing
environment.

Admitably it is not cheap to stay or eat within the hotel but it is a magical Disneyesque experience not normally available in the UK, a perfect chance to enhance your visit to the Theme Park.