Alton expansion

Andy Hine MBE · Alton expansion

ALTON Towers is considering building a third hotel as part of a multi-million pound, 10-year plan to consolidate the resort's position as the country's number one theme park.

Parent company Merlin Entertainments is to outline the proposals to the district council within the next two months.

The blueprint will include a substantial investment in new rides, infrastructure and heritage features, as well as the provision of further on-site accommodation.

The resort is currently responsible for 2,900 jobs – and £38 million of income – in the local economy.

A third hotel would provide a major jobs boost for the area.

Alton Towers took on 240 staff to run Splash Landings when that hotel opened in 2003.

At present, a total of 1,594 guests can be accommodated on-site every night, in the 13-year-old 175-room Alton Towers Hotel and at Splash Landings itself, which has 216-rooms and also features an indoor water park.

Alton Towers' corporate communications manager Liz Greenwood said: "We have conducted a very detailed economic impact survey which looks at how our business affects those around us and the wider district and county.

"Over the next 10 years, many millions of pounds will be invested in the resort – on its infrastructure, rides, attractions, heritage, the house and peripheral activities, as well as further accommodation."

Ms Greenwood added: "Ten per cent of our total guests spend the night with us, which means there is a huge marketing opportunity for local accommodation providers to tap into.

"During the winter months we deal with conference and trade bookings, meaning both hotels are currently fully booked all year round, not only when the resort is open.

"We are trying to reposition ourselves from a teenage market to cater for families.

"In trying to encourage families to stay for longer, there is a need to provide further accommodation of some kind."

Ms Greenwood said the resort would seek to do more than just erect "world class" roller-coasters – such as the Corkscrew's replacement for 2010, "Secret Weapon Six" – to entice thrill-seekers from all over the UK.

She said: "In 2008, we worked extremely hard to attract families and we were very successful – growing in this sector from 35 per cent to 50 per cent of our total volume.

"Now, 75 per cent of our rides and attractions are suitable for children under 10."

Alton Towers attracted around 2.5 million visitors last year – accounting for approximately half of all visitor trips to the Moorlands – and it is hoped that it will be able to repeat its success this season.

Ms Greenwood said: "It is quite difficult to make a judgement yet but early indications are good and we are cautiously optimistic.

"With the credit crunch, we believe more British people are staying in the UK and visiting attractions which offer value for money, for which Alton Towers has a very good reputation and also offers a fantastic experience.

"And even though we don't pro-actively market ourselves abroad, the relative strength of the euro against the pound may mean more European visitors are coming to the area as a whole."

Liz Bradley, owner of Chained Oak bed and breakfast, in Farley Lane, Alton, reckoned that her appeal to a different clientele would mean an additional hotel would not cause too much disruption.

She said: "We get a lot of passing trade and if Alton Towers can keep encouraging customers to the Staffordshire Moorlands, we should be OK.

"But I'm afraid a further hotel could really have an impact on bed and breakfasts further outside the village."

The chairman of Alton Parish Council, Tony Moult, said he remained cautious on how any future development would effect smaller businesses.

He said: "I don't think those running bed and breakfasts would be too happy with the idea of competition from a third hotel.

"There is a lot of room for investment Alton Towers could make in the village, such as pedestrian crossings, which I hope can be included in their 10-year plan."

c anderson

Looks as if they will do some serious expansion, how about a road bypassing the village ?

Happy Helen

Sounds wonderful especially as the park could do with a complete makeover.

Over the years different rides have come and gone, the Corkscrew lasting the longest. The coaster that is replacing it should be a good one. So maybe an extra trip next year would be one to think about when it opens hopefully next March, as that is usually the case when new rides especially coasters open, as we would be the first to ride it !

Jiffy

Has anyone gone to the Alton Towers Long Term Plan Exhibition today or planning going tomorrow, I wanted to go but I'm on my stag do in Blackpool.

Sir_LANs-a-lot

I'm a bit curious as to the need for another hotel and have some questions:

Is there really a need for a further hotel in the resort?

What sort of occupancy throughout the season do the existing ones have?

Are they at capacity all the time?

What do the local guest houses make of this? effectively potentially losing their trade to AT?

Don't misunderstand me - I'm all for investment in the park, but as a guest I would prefer to see investment in rides and in-park attractions (if there were more of these, it would surely thin the queue lines down by default which means I can fit more into my stay which in turn would mean a happier customer much more likely to recommend it to friends as a venue to visit...)

Just my $0.02 Wink

smiler

I wanted to go but cant make it due to work. Ive heard bout the 3rd hotel for many years so not a shock realy but everytime I go to the Hotels 99% they are full. During the cloused season the hotels does push the boat out in makeing it xmas fun by putting rides in the car parks and other attractions in. Then special guess invites also bring the croweds in. Project dolphin was the name of this 10 year plan when tussauds had it but not sure whats it called now.

Nemesis Nick

Magic

smiler

Alton Towers will soon submit a long term plan to the local authorities after a consultation event was held for the public to see the "vision" for the resort over the next decade. Some of the things we are likely to see are as follows, but it must be stressed that NOTHING (apart from the new rollercoaster in 2010) is yet set in stone.

- Relocation of Spinball Whizzer
- Landscaped car parking
- Extension of the theme park beyond Air, to include a new entrance and entertainments complex
- Several new medium to large rides/attractions, of which three could be rollercoasters
- Limited theme park operations in Winter
- Increased focus on entertainments
- Re-themes and Refreshes in several areas in the park
- New accommodation: hotels AND lower budget is being looked at
- Further investment in the heritage of the site
- Woodland management

The consultation did not provide specific details on which rides are likely to be replaced (i.e. no mention of Black Hole site) but a map highlighted likely areas for development.

bradpeet

bluea61

coaster-andy

Spinball Whizzer has always been in th wrong place. It is a low capacity ride sat next to entrance of the park. Move it but not in park to Legoland.

On Woody for Alton never comes to mind.