Staying at Alton Towers

We’ve visited Alton Towers several times before as a day trip, but staying on-site the night before was a great experience, making our trip feel much more relaxed and special for the kids and adults alike.

The resort has a really good mix of accommodation options depending on what suits your family best. There’s the main Alton Towers Hotel with themed rooms and evening entertainment; the tropical-style Splash Landings Hotel which is ideal if you’re planning to visit the waterpark which it directly overlooks; the CBeebies Land Hotel themed brilliantly for younger children; Stargazing Pods (effectively glamping) for a more budget-friendly stay, and then there’s the Enchanted Village area with its cosy Woodland Lodges and a handful of luxury treehouses with their own private hot tubs.

Our accommodation

We chose the Woodland Lodge option which we thought looked the most unique and family friendly, as well as the convenient availability of five-bed options (something as a family of five we sometimes struggle to find).

We arrived quite late at night due to a long drive from home, so arrived in darkness. Checking in was easy via a self-service machine, and we then made our way to our lodge. The Enchanted Village area has a lovely woodland fantasy atmosphere with fairy lights, little hidden doors and quirky details everywhere – it’s a bit like stepping into a storybook.

The lodge itself was cosy, warm, clean and welcoming. It wasn’t massive but had easily enough room for all five of us without feeling cramped. Our beds were comfy and the children were quite happy with their bunk beds (with the third on a pull-out trundle). Like the wider village, there were lots of clever little details around the room — woodland-style lighting, carved-effect furniture, and small magical touches – which made it feel far more immersive than a standard hotel and would make this a really exciting place for younger kids to spend a night or two.

Although we didn’t get a lot of chance to use it, there’s plenty of safe outdoor space for youngsters to burn off energy before bedtime or first thing in the morning, including small play areas with climbing equipment and so on. The whole place has a very relaxed and family friendly vibe which makes it easy to unwind.

Food and drink

We had breakfast the next morning at The Crooked Spoon and really enjoyed it. This is included with your stay, though booking is recommended especially if you’re planning to go at peak times. We didn’t have chance to book thanks to our late arrival but on our visit this wasn’t an issue and there was plenty of space.

The restaurant fits perfectly with the Enchanted Village theme, with quirky décor and lots of little details on the walls. Breakfast was buffet-style with a good selection to suit all tastes: freshly cooked hot breakfast, cereals, pastries, fruit and drinks. The atmosphere was very chilled and family friendly and it was just what we needed before heading into the park for a full day of rides.

Now onto the park…

The big advantage of staying at Alton Towers Resort is, of course, the convenience for visiting the theme park the next day. Not having to deal with morning traffic, long queues to park, or carrying everything back and forth from the car made a huge difference. We could simply wake up, enjoy breakfast at leisure, and stroll straight to the park entrance feeling relaxed and ready for the day – it felt like a real luxury.

Guests staying at the resort also benefit from being able to use a separate park entrance near the hotels, open from 0930, meaning we were well inside the park and at the front of the queue for our first big ride (Galactica) before most people were even past the entrance booths at the far end of the park – what a win! Evidently this also helped us make the most of our time at Alton Towers by being there early and staying, as we did, until the very last minute.

Alton Towers itself needs no introduction as one of the UK’s biggest and best theme parks, home to famous rollercoasters including Nemesis Reborn, Wicker Man, The Smiler and TH13TEEN. There’s a great mix of rides including more accessible family coasters like the Runaway Mine Train (though sadly that one wasn’t open when we visited), not to mention the well-designed CBeebies Land with attractions themed around programmes like Bluey, Octonauts, Hey Duggee and In The Night Garden. And there are also interactive play areas and live shows perfect for those with younger children. So there really is something for everyone.

Wicker Man was probably our personal family highlight; the atmosphere around the ride is incredible, and because it’s a wooden coaster it feels fast, rough and genuinely exciting without being too extreme for our youngest child. The Smiler was also brilliant though with its incredible 14 inversions.

In summary..

Staying at Alton Towers Resort was a brilliant experience and helped turn our trip from a standard theme park visit into a proper mini holiday.

As parents, it was a really convenient and easy way to eliminate the usual need for an early start to get there on time and avoid long queues on arrival, and so really did elevate our experience at the park itself as we were much more relaxed and well-rested than we’d otherwise have been. Meanwhile for the kids, staying in a themed lodge within walking distance of the theme park was itself an exciting additional layer to our trip.

We’d recommend a short break here to anyone.. next time we’re thinking we’d choose a stay at Splash Landings Hotel so we can use the incredible waterpark too!

Inspired to book your own visit?  Check prices and availability at the official Alton Towers website.  Or you can find out more via our full Alton Towers Resort listing.