The first ever CBeebies Land Hotel is set to open at Alton Towers Resort next year, as the Resort confirmed the theme of their new hotel in an announcement via their social media channels earlier today (27th July 2016).
Currently under construction to the rear of the Alton Towers Hotel Gardens, the new hotel will feature a total 76 rooms over 4 floors, 42 of which will be standard rooms themed around the CBeebies Bugbies (the playful yellow blobs currently seen predominantly on Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure), whilst 26 rooms will be premium rooms themed to a range of popular CBeebies shows, including Something Special and Swashbuckle. There will also be a number of fully accessible rooms which have been designed to meet the needs of guests with special requirements. Sleeping up to seven people, every room has been designed to be toddler friendly with a range of features including bathroom steps to help them reach the sink, children’s toilet seats, baby baths, and a cot. All rooms will feature a separate area for children and parents.
In addition to the fully themed rooms the new hotel will feature a year round entertainment programme from live shows and story time, to character meet and greets and CBeebies games. The area will also facilitate self-play, with an entertainment wall, alongside a range of interactive play items. The hotel will have its own dedicated entrance where guests will be greeted by the CBeebies Land plane and a brightly coloured lit rainbow archway, and reception area which will include a central CBeebies Bugbie storybook feature, complete with interactive lights and audio, as well as a 200 cover restaurant. Provided construction of the new accommodation remains on track, the Resort’s latest hotel is set to open for summer 2017 with rooms costing from £200 based on four people sharing, a cost which places the hotel at the premium end of the Resort’s accommodation.
The addition of the CBeebies Land Hotel will further add to the range of accommodation already on offer at the Resort and follows on from the opening of the Enchanted Village in April 2015. It provides the next step in the development of the Resort’s strategy to develop Alton Towers Resort as a short break destination, a strategy which is also being replicated across Merlin’s UK Theme Park Division and will see 2000 additional rooms added to Merlin’s Theme Park Resorts by 2020, including an extension to the Enchanted Village at Alton Towers Resort. Speaking about the new hotel, Justin Platt, Managing Director, Resort Theme Parks, said:
This is another milestone in our broader accommodation strategy as we continue to seek opportunities to transform our theme parks into short break destinations. We are delighted to build on our successful partnership with BBC Worldwide in developing this unique product that is specifically designed to appeal to the young family market and extend the CBeebies Land experience at Alton Towers.
Whilst Stephen Davies, Director of Live Events, BBC Worldwide added:
We’ve been delighted with the success of CBeebies Land at Alton Towers and the new CBeebies Land Hotel fully demonstrates the BBC Worldwide Live Entertainment strategy, by extending the CBeebies experience for visitors and creating a fully immersive and interactive environment. The Hotel is a perfect addition to the Land, lighting up little learners and providing pre-schoolers and their families a truly magical experience that they’ll never forget.
Gill Riley, Marketing Director at Alton Towers Resort, also commented:
The CBeebies Land Hotel is a hugely exciting new development for us and there will be nowhere else like it! With an existing range of unique accommodation and the amazing CBeebies Land already here at the Resort, combining the two is going to create a fully themed hotel experience where everything is exclusively designed for young families. Little ones will be mesmerised with the sounds, colours, entertainment and of course their favourite characters that will feature throughout the hotel. Families really will be able to spend an amazing short break immersed in the world of CBeebies!
This latest addition to the Resort’s offering will complement the CBeebies Land area which opened within the Theme Park in May 2014 and has proved hugely popular with young families. The area was expanded for the 2015 season with the addition of Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure, and 2017 will see a further addition to the area with the opening of a new flat ride, thought to be themed to Go Jetters.
What are your thoughts on the Resort’s latest addition to the accommodation offering? Have your say over on the Attraction Source Forum. We’ll be closely following construction of the new CBeebies Land Hotel and will bring you all the latest developments.
