January 6, 201213 yr comment_129605 I have heard there will be a water bus service from the hotel to around where Vortex is, cant see it being Saw Alive though, its not even a proper boat anymore and sits on stilts.Just to backup Marc's about the boat link it's illustrated here: http://www.totalthor...tdpoverview.jpg (Credit to Total Thorpe Park)Dependant upon how busy the service would be I should imagine they would use something like this :-Is the viking longboat still knocking around?
January 22, 201213 yr comment_130609 Surely if it lands near vortex they will need a need a new entrance and also a link for those traveling straight from the car park rather than the park? Wouldn't it be easier for the boat to go straight to the car park area and allow people to enter through the normal entrance?
January 22, 201213 yr comment_130611 I think the idea would be as an 'exclusive' mode of transport for hotel guests, allowing them to skip admissions completly and maybe, even before park opening.
February 3, 201213 yr comment_131266 The only problem I can see is that as there is so much local competition, the hotel is going to have to have an amazing unique selling point. There's travelodges/premier inns/BnB's/etc in all of the local towns (feltham, sunbury, staines, chertsey), some with fairly cheap prices. So what is going to be so special that guests choose it over one of the alternatives? Except for the fact you are right there at the park of course :PRJ
February 4, 201213 yr comment_131327 I think the main key selling point would be lakeside view of an extremely well known theme park. Along with this I'm sure the park would of planned to not have a plain looking hotel alike the Holiday Inn at Chessington. Along with this people would find that the less travelling they do the better. If you are coming from far away (not that I'm saying that Chertsey or Staines are particularly far away) the less travelling you do the less stressful the trip becomes.
February 6, 201213 yr comment_131420 Whilst this is the original plan for the hotel, and apart from it's location I believe that the 'theme' may have changed to a much more quirky, Thorpe brand of thrills.As we wait for details on the newer version of that however, I thought that I would share some of this info from when the original application went in..
June 12, 201312 yr comment_160643 This thread may have started in 2006 and we still don't have a permanent hotel, but the previous plans have been resubmitted with 'Minor Amendments'. I have not looked through yet to see what those amendments might be, but I guess minor must mean not much. Could it finally be happening, or is this just a way to stop the approved plans lapsing?
June 13, 201312 yr comment_160645 I can't see the link you've posted Pluk; however anyone's who's stopped in Crash Pad may well be aware that a significant gravelled space has been left between the park and the container building; where IMO another block could be added in the future... so I'd be curious as to why they'd bother setting it out like that if the Hotel plans are still in the pipeline?
June 13, 201312 yr comment_160651 I had a brief read through that yesterday, and I think it was something to do with fears over drainage of waste and such, and needed further consultation before proceeding. The applications say how they've had the further consultation and there are no fears over it from third party sources, or at least that's what I vaguely understood from it. They want 'approval' asap as well; presumably so construction can start? I can't see the link you've posted Pluk; however anyone's who's stopped in Crash Pad may well be aware that a significant gravelled space has been left between the park and the container building; where IMO another block could be added in the future... so I'd be curious as to why they'd bother setting it out like that if the Hotel plans are still in the pipeline? I think what's happened is they've only built half of the rooms they applied for, just to in case they weren't too popular (makes sense really due to the risk involved and the cost it would involve having the second 'block'). As Snoozeboxes can be built in something silly like 2 days, if the further rooms are needed, they can quite easily be built with next to no hassle.
June 13, 201312 yr comment_160653 I think what's happened is they've only built half of the rooms they applied for, just to in case they weren't too popular (makes sense really due to the risk involved and the cost it would involve having the second 'block'). As Snoozeboxes can be built in something silly like 2 days, if the further rooms are needed, they can quite easily be built with next to no hassle. Indeed thats the case, you can even see they have built the bridge over that way to accommodate it if its built.
June 13, 201312 yr comment_160659 A glance through shows the document has the same proposal description as before (Layout and scale for a 250 bed hotel, incorporating leisure suite and spa, conference facilities, restaurants, bars and parking). The change in conditions they are submitting for is "To allow progression of the scheme on a phased basis along with some minor changes to the layout of the footprint of the hotel" (not altering the approved area of 8,8095 sq m). This document lists the amendments in regards to the phased application, but gives no indication of what those phases might be. Other than the parking amendment splitting the phase 1 requirement of 248 cars from the whole development of 375 cars, which may give some indication of the size of the phase 1 (around two thirds of the total proposal). There are a few documents that will not open for me, there might be more explicit detail in there somewhere, but overall the point of this seems to be to test the market with a smaller development while leaving options open to expand quite quickly. EDIT The fourth plan on this link show phase 2 to be the northernmost block beyond the health club, the tip of the westerly wing towards the water and the whole of the southernmost wing towards the water. Seems strange to spread the phase across the site like this, you'd think it would be easier to lop off a single chunk.
June 13, 201312 yr comment_160662 From what ive read, the first phase is around 150 rooms, which is already a fairly decent sized hotel for Thorpe, and depending on its success they will add the additional 100 rooms.
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183333 http://thorpeparkmania.co.uk/news/16-05-2014/Resort-Submit-Hotel-Plans Plans for new hotel have been released
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183334 ^Was literally just about to post that. It looks pretty swish in my opinion. Here's that that 2018, 12 whole years after the original plans were submitted, will finally be the year the Thorpe Park Hotel is finally open!
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183335 How many re-submissions has it been so far? Hopefully *fingers crossed* they will finally get to build it!
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183336 I hope this goes ahead, as it would see the back of those blasted shipping containers for good!
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183337 I hope this goes ahead, as it would see the back of those blasted shipping containers for good! Don't think so, I'm sure the Shark Hotel would be used as a cheaper option accommodation.
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183339 Based on the plans, the hotel looks really nice and am loving how that the park basing a number of recent additions on the water/nautical theme which suites the park's image well. I'm also liking the general improvements as well, such as the new drop off area which should be an improvement on the existing one. Hopefully it will actually be happening it's been eight years since these plans have started now.
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183353 I love the boat to the park, just because it's so utterly pointless because the hotel is only 5 minute walk from the main entrance anyway... Assuming it docks at like, Saw Alive or sommat daft like that, it would probably take just as long to walk it as it would to boat it there... And for most of the day would remain unused by the majority of guests... Not exactly cost considerate is it? The hotel itself once again looks nice though, hopefully they actually build it this time around...
May 16, 201411 yr comment_183373 The Shark Hotel only has temporary permission though until either the 24th February 2024 or when the hotel is built, whichever comes first (the shark structure being built also has the same temporary permission). So they'd have to reapply to have the Shark Hotel stay alongside the hotel and if they do and it is popular they won't want to get rid of it as that would be stupid if it's making money. And if that does happen then we've lost prime roller coaster land which they specifically created for a large coaster. Which they also keep saying is the long term aim for that island, so although I don't dislike the Shark Hotel as such it should leave when the main hotel opens.
May 17, 201411 yr comment_183394 Love the look at this, the plans seem far more detailed than the plans we saw before, looks really promising. Its clear if you read through the plans the park have never really given up on the idea of this and the Crash Pad / Shark Hotel were only ever there to fill a gap till they were ready to install the full hotel.
May 17, 201411 yr comment_183398 The Shark Hotel only has temporary permission though until either the 24th February 2024 or when the hotel is built, whichever comes first (the shark structure being built also has the same temporary permission). So they'd have to reapply to have the Shark Hotel stay alongside the hotel and if they do and it is popular they won't want to get rid of it as that would be stupid if it's making money. This is an interesting point actually. Thorpe had that condition enforced upon them when the council approved the extension of the Crash Pad's stay until 2024, saying that there "shall not be any more than 250 bedrooms available...at any one time", with the reason given being "to prevent over development". However, since (presumably) Spring 2018 shall be the finished first phase, there would likely be only 150 rooms in the 'Thorpe Park Hotel' at the time. This would mean the park can then have both Shark Hotel and Thorpe Hotel at once (offering a cheaper alternative and a more expensive one) until the second phase is complete and the final 100 rooms are added in. This is particularly good for the park since full funding for the hotel - which I would guess would mean for the second phase - is unlikely to be available until 2020. The way I could see it working out is like this: -Now until 2018 - Thorpe Shark Hotel is the only hotel on site, with up to 184 rooms. -Spring 2018 - Thorpe Park Hotel opens with 150 rooms. Thorpe Shark Hotel remains open with up to 100 rooms (which I believe is about how many they have at the moment? ). -By 2024 (though possibly earlier) - Thorpe Park Hotel is completely finished, and Thorpe Shark is removed. It's been a very, very long haul for Thorpe, and I doubt they even anticipated it would take so long. However, what should be kept in mind is that not all the delays have been down to Thorpe - yeah, there's been the cost, but there's been logistical troubles and concerns raised by the council / other parties involved. However, these plans are the real deal. These give a lot more design detail then any other plans for the hotel (in fact, for most other planning applications in general - it's not often you see 2 pages of plans on the council's website y'know!) and have to be handed over to RBC in early June. This IS happening!
December 2, 20159 yr comment_224181 Low-key news, but Thorpe recently submitted an Invertebrate Report to the council, outlining all the different species of invertebrates on the proposed hotel site. The report, from an external company, says that with sufficient on-going landscaping management of a field near the hotel (which Thorpe have agreed to), there should be minimal disruption to wildlife, and perhaps even an increase. This was the last report that Thorpe needed to do and send to the council before they could go ahead with the hotel. All seems positive, and the council will no doubt give the green light. tl;dr: Hotel work will start next year.
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