Review – CBeebies Land Hotel – Bugbies Room

CBeebies Land has delighted families at Alton Towers Resort for several years now. At the beginning of the season it re-opened with the addition of a new ride and a new attraction. Alton Towers Resort have extended their younger family offering with the introduction of the CBeebies Land Hotel.

Location

The CBeebies Land Hotel is located next to the Enchanted Village and Alton Towers Hotel. It has its own entrance and car-park for residents. Outside the hotel the fun begins with a massive rainbow stretched over the entrance. There’s a themed centrepiece with a Bugbies Aeroplane for little (and big) kids outside to sit in and take flight.

Reception Area

Moving inside you’re into the reception area. It’s worth noting that for now at least, the CBeebies Land Hotel is a residents only hotel. You can’t drop in like the other resort hotels (I’ll explain why in a bit). So, don’t take your smalls for a look unless you’re staying – you’ll be turned away.

The Reception Area is utterly captivating. In the centre is a massive storybook with a brightly coloured swirl spinning around. The book has sensors in it that change the lights and sounds of the swirl. Around the edge of the reception are little ‘houses’ for the children to interact with. There’s also a CBeebies themed shop and of course the reception desk.

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There are some small steps at the reception so the kids don’t feel left out of the check in procedure. Parents staying in the hotel are given key cards on a CBeebies Lanyard. The kids get a CBeebies ‘snap’ wristband to wear. This identifies you as Hotel residents, and the keycards give you access to your room as well as the lifts, stairs and corridors.

When Reception is busy the entertainment team will come out and keep kids entertained. James particularly enjoyed meeting ‘Little Monster’ from CBeebies who kept him happy while I checked in.

Musical Meadow

Moving through the Reception and Lift Lobby you’re into the Musical Meadow. This is the main entertainment area of the Hotel. There’s a selection of seating and tables, and beanbags directly in front of the screen / performance area. In the opposite end of the Musical Meadow is a little bar, where you can grab a quick drink.

The Musical Meadow is a slightly ‘calmer’ area than the main reception. It’s themed like a meadow, with trees around the edges, and a ceiling lined with leaves.

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This really is the heart of the CBeebies Land Hotel. There’s a whopping 14 hours of entertainment happening here. With meet and greets with CBeebies Characters to shows that are inspired by CBeebies favourites. The shows are very cleverly done, the actors interact with pre-recorded footage of the CBeebies stars. It mashes up live action with familiar faces. The entertainment team are extremely slick and well versed entertaining the kids.

Some of the shows are loud and brash, others a quieter and calmer. The entertainment offering is exclusive for Hotel guests. If the Hotel was open to all, anyone could slip in and watch the shows. Only those who have paid for the Hotel get to watch.

The Windmill Restaurant

As you move through the Musical Meadow you enter the CBeebies Land Hotel’s restaurant – The Windmill Restaurant.

It’s split into three sections, The Library, The Windmill and The Castle. There are a selection of tables and booths for you to sit in. In the centre of the restaurant is a giant spinning Windmill with a salad bar around it. You’re more than welcome to grab a bowl and pick from it. It’s a decent salad bar with lots to choose from – think an upmarket version of what you’d find in Pizza Hut.

The Windmill Restaurant has a family friendly menu – which specialises in Pizzas. Children are given a sheet with a ‘blank’ pizza and a selection of topping ‘stickers’. They can then create their own pizza on paper, and the waiting staff will take this to the chefs to prepare. The pizzas all use a sauce with 10 hidden vegetables (and it tastes superb), and bases made with 60% wholemeal flour and 40% white flour.

The rest of the menu should satisfy even the most fussy of eaters. However, I’d like to have seen one or two more veggie options. I had a pizza, and really enjoyed it. It’s all very reasonably priced too, it was just shy of £50 for three of us. You can take a look at the dinner menu below.

They also serve a buffet style breakfast in the morning with a selection of hot and cold food. It’s not the best breakfast you’ll ever eat. However, it’s perfectly good to fill up on before your 1 hour extra ride time in CBeebies Land before the park opens!

So.. Next we move upstairs to the Bedroom – click onto page two to read about those.