The Crash Pad

[Marc]

^ This

Although I expect the uptake to be pretty high on this like it is fastrack

[Graeme]

Rip off, won't be staying, the end.

[pluk]

A random Sunday night in September when I'm always off work for a couple of weeks:

- £170 for a crash pad.

- £60 for a double room, the Crown Hotel, 7 miles away.

Add two park tickets for £40 in total, I'll keep the £70 quid in my pocket thanks. Well, I won't, I'll drive home and keep the £130 in my pocket.

[AstroDan]

Just done some comparisons using the Annual Pass Rate.

THORPE PARK Crash Pad: Saturday, 27th April: £175 / 4 = £43.75pp

Alton Towers Splash Landings: Saturday, 27th April: £147 / 4 = £36.75pp

That is all.

Is it just me, or would you expect The Crash Pad to be significantly cheaper to stay at than AT's hotels?

[TPJames]

Is it just me, or would you expect The Crash Pad to be significantly cheaper to stay at than AT's hotels?

Yea I suppose you would expect this seeing as AT hotel is sort of more posh(in a way) and is permanent unlike, thorpe's! However, with thorpe you are getting extras(the entertainment!)

[Benin]

Technically, Alton have entertainment...

And more than 2 square metres of space in their rooms...

[AstroDan]

You get entertainment at Alton Towers too. In fact, you get several forms of entertainment for each age group...

Very young: Pirate Show, Ringo's Story Time, Ice Age Meet and Greets

Children: Paradise Plumbers Disco

Family/older: Live Music/Band

[Sidders]

Playing Devil's advocate here, but Thorpe's price does include park entry and breakfast...

[pluk]

Alton were doing a room for two with breakfast and park entry for £99 off peak last season, that's the kind of price I was expecting for the crashpad.

I wouldn't consider paying much/any more than that. That would be £30 per person per night for a room with breakfast which would seem fair. If they fill them up at these prices then fair enough, but I'll be amazed if they do. In traditional Merlin style I think they have been priced to be discounted, so they look so much better value when they knock money off down the line.

[AstroDan]

Playing Devil's advocate here, but Thorpe's price does include park entry and breakfast...

No. The price I quoted was the Annual pass B&B only price. The price with entry is higher.

[Marc]

It's all about demand isn't it?

Alton were pretty much giving away rooms this season to try fill the hotels, Thorpe for now clearly feel they are pitching at a price people will be happy to pay.

I've no doubt in the quieter times / depending how the season goes we will see deals making it much more reasonable at Tp too..

[Fred]

Yeah I'm sure they've done their market research - they'll know their target market doesn't have any money, and if they cannot afford towers hotel prices and there's many many budget hotels around Staines.

Now this is why they've set them higher!

[Marc]

No money but the most profitable park.. Hmm

[Fred]

Because it hasn't a zoo or an estate costing them fortunes?

I bet you, if you looked at average guest expenditure, they won't have anything near as much as the average guest of the other parks. Towers goes for the same market, exact same market, during offpeak time. If they had to go £99 for two, with park entry, god knows how thorpe can expect anything more.

[Dodge2002]

The thing that saddens me, is that if the price puts people off from bothering with this, we'll never actually get to see the real hotel.

[AstroDan]

Towers had a pretty good level of take up in the hotels this year; hence why they're pushing forward with more accommodation for 2014/2015.

The cheap rooms at off peak times at AT is quite normal, and has been the case for years and years.

I once had a room in December 2006 for £9.99!

[Marc]

Don't forget Thoroe are new to this, they will test the water and find the sweet spot m, they will allways go in high and lower the price according to demand

[Graeme]

Just done some comparisons using the Annual Pass Rate.

THORPE PARK Crash Pad: Saturday, 27th April: £175 / 4 = £43.75pp

Alton Towers Splash Landings: Saturday, 27th April: £147 / 4 = £36.75pp

That is all.

Is it just me, or would you expect The Crash Pad to be significantly cheaper to stay at than AT's hotels?

It's a no brainer, even though it means me driving an extra 160 miles, I'd much prefer to stay in splash at the rates quoted above. I think they've priced themselves way too high, even a premier inn locally is far cheaper and I'd imagine far more comfortable. I would expect prices to be around £100 for a room that sleeps 4 when all is said and told

[AJ]

Now I have to admit - the prices are deemed quite high bearing in mind you'll be sleeping in temporary accommodation and at the end of the day this is no 4/5 star hotel. However as Marc says starting off high and then reducing it in the future will make it seem better value when you see the 50% off to sell you the rooms etc

on a business point of view might as well start high and then go low so people will be like wow look how much discount rather than start low and then raise the prices and have people turning around and complaining the prices are going up to quick!

[Dodge2002]

To be honest, it makes me wonder how much Snoozebox are actually charging Merlin to rent these rooms.

With running fees, monthly rent, sewage disposal and water supply(I assume these aren't plumbed in?), mandatory maintenance and upkeep(just because Merlin don't bother, Snoozebox might actually care). They probably are paying more than it would to upkeep a real hotel.

[BigBobJones]

It doesn't bother me as I will never stay in them, but lets see what happens, this could be the start of Thorpe becoming a Resort or just testing the water.

[Fred]

They had job adverts up last year for a PR person - the goal is to turn thorpe into a resort using snoozebox. So yeah, resort status from this year apparently.

Ha.

[d.m.k]

Having a look at the booking system, pricing up a few random dates across the year, I am actually disgusted at the price they think they can charge. I honestly hope, that with time, these prices decrease. In my opinion, however, this will not happen.

It may be on the outskirts of London but this place is a temporary hotel. I have experienced Snoozebox customer service before, be prepared for Holiday Inn style, but the staff are just younger and less inclined to help. There is no contest here, the Tower's hotels offer MUCH better value for money!

I think it's a massive shame that they have embarrassed themselves, equal to Storm Surge standards

[TPJames]

Having a look at the booking system, pricing up a few random dates across the year, I am actually disgusted at the price they think they can charge. I honestly hope, that with time, these prices decrease. In my opinion, however, this will not happen.

Mate, thorpe park prices go up every year, this resulted in me getting an annual pass due to the horrible pricing(£45) per visit! It is going to go up even more next year and no doubt the crash pad will do this aswell! I don't know how they think they can get away with this although I love thorpe park and the rides.

[d.m.k]

Mate, thorpe park prices go up every year, this resulted in me getting an annual pass due to the horrible pricing(£45) per visit! It is going to go up even more next year and no doubt the crash pad will do this aswell! I don't know how they think they can get away with this although I love thorpe park and the rides.

I've been an annual pass holder for 7 years. In that long time, I've seen some ridiculous pricing strategies, but The Crash Pad really is taking the biscuit. As I said, I believe it to be very unlikely that the prices will deflate. The price they are charging for peak times is what I would have expected if they would have built a multi-million pound themed hotel.

But, just like you have said, I do love the parks and I hate to Merlin-bash. One positive, the idea of a "crash pad" does suit Thorpe very well. I just hope they get the guests through the doors!