Alton Towers Resort’s new Stargazing Pod Launch*

We were invited to the launch of Alton Towers Resort’s new Stargazing Pods last week and had the chance to stay in this newly built eco pods and check out the place for ourselves. Set around a village green, the minimalist pods which weighs 1-tonne are aimed at families/friends on a budget and who want to spend more time enjoying the British outdoors.  One of the advantage of staying in the pods is that, you could check out in the morning, and take the early train ride to the park so you are the first ones there as it is just a stone’s throw away from the Alton Tower theme park.  The pods consist of a double bed and 2 single bed hence can hold up to a party of 4.  These pods have heaters, plug sockets and free wifi as well. Read on to find out if we enjoyed our stay and what we thought of the pods.

Getting to the pods is relatively easy, just follow the signs for the Stargazing Pods and Enchanted Village from the main entrance and park up at Car Park J (which is the closest carpark). Next, head to the Reception desk to check in, you will be given a special wooden key (a £10 deposit is required for the key). In the above photo, my husband is wearing the Peter Storm Men’s Torrent Waterproof Jacket while I am wearing the Regatta Woman’s Basilia Jacket from Millets which kept us warm in the evenings and cool when it was sunny at the theme park.

We checked into the pod around 4pm, got ourselves settled (we had enough space to store 2 small inflight luggage bags). The pods are large enough to fit in a family of up to 4 people as there is a double bed and 2 single beds in the pod.  We loved the eco designs of the pods and this gave us the chance to spend time in the Great British outdoors and be close to nature but still have all our creature comforts such as heaters, wifi, plug sockets and a nice comfy bed.

Kids were super excited as they got a chance to run around the village green, they picked up some maps from the Reception and were already planning which rides they were gonna get on the next day.  Both Madeline and Thomas had their 20L Daysack from Millets in their favourite colours as well as  the Peter Storm Half Zip Fleece to keep them warm from Millets.

We next headed to the Tipi for some drinks and live music. Kids also had the chance to meet up with Sir Algenon and his team for a chat and photo session.  Soon after, we had a self-service buffet dinner (dinner is usually not available in the tipi, you would need to pre-book your dinner at one of their hotels which is just walking distance away).

After dinner, we listened to some more fantastic music then headed to the village green as kids loved running around at the outdoor play area and looking through the telescopes.  We had the chance to head out to enjoy the night sky and used the telescopes to see the stars and the constellations (which our kids enjoyed very much).  We also used an app on the phone called Sky Map to help us identify the stars and constellations using the mobile phone. Mark Thompson, the astronomer and Stargazing LIVE co-host made a special appearance and showed us how to spot constellations in the night sky above Alton following new research that reveals that more than 30 per cent of Brits cannot identify a single constellation in the night sky.

We next attended the opening ceremony which finished off with a special firework display. It was a cold night, but luckily there was a lot of throw blankets available in the tipi for us to keep warm. The music went on at the Tipi bar till 10pm but we soon decided to settle in for the night. Here’s a lovely shot of the firework.

After a long and eventful day, we decided to head back to the pod to have a good rest before waking up the next morning bright and early just in time to pick up our take away breakfast bap and a hot drink. We sat down at one of the benches (or you can go back to your pod to have your breakfast as you only need to check-out at 10am) and enjoyed our breakfast before we went to the theme park as we had early access to selected rides.

Did we enjoy our stay in the pods?

We totally loved staying in our pod which took a day to be built and was constructed in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, at the factory of Hawthorne Forest Products. The fact that the timber is sustainably sourced European Whitewood from Finland made our stay even better.  The pod reminded me of Dr Who’s time machine, looks small on the outside, but is quite large in the inside.  There are about 102 pods around, but we did not feel the place was overcrowded when we were there (at it was almost full occupancy). Their toilets had proper hot/cold water, was large enough for me to get in with my 2 kids and easily shower them. There was also a long stool in the shower room to place items and hair dryers available as well.  I also loved that there were different varieties of trees and bushes around (nearly 900 trees and bushes have been planted in total), so we felt like we were in a secluded forest area. I woke up at 3am to get the kids to the toilet and the are area was well lighted and I felt safe.  Would recommend you to bring along a torch with you as our kids loved exploring the place in the middle of the night.

Here’s a short 6-minute video of our stay there:

We all slept comfortably in the night, the beds were comfy. Our pods also came with duvet set as well as towels. The only negatives I can think off is if you are really tall ie more than 6 feet, then sleeping in the double bed might be a little uncomfortable for you as your feet would be touching the walls. No hot drinks were available in the Tipi on the night we were there and I could have done with one, so bring along a small kettle (as there are power sockets in the pods) or walk over one of the other hotels (Alton Towers Hotel, Splash Landings Hotel or CBeebies Land Hotel) if you want a hot drink on the day.  Although wifi is free and available, we did not get a strong signal in our pod (we did inform the team and hopefully this has been rectified).  Now the most important question, would we head back there again to stay at the pods? Oh yes we definitely would!  It is a great way to explore the outdoors on a budget and with all the comforts.  We all loved the whole experience and can’t wait to head back again!

How much does it cost to stay in the Pods?

Priced start from just £88 for up to four people. To book your stay at the Stargazing Pods, guests can visit Alton tower’s website for more details.

Where do I park?

1. Head to Alton Towers and turn left at the signs for Stargazing Pods and Enchanted Village.
2. This will take you to Cark Park J

What’s included in the package?

Where is Alton Towers?
Farley Ln
Alton
Stoke-on-Trent
ST10 4DB
Staffordshire

Stargazing Pods Factsheet

About Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson has over 20 years of experience in observational astronomy and is a strong advocate of getting families outside looking up at the night sky. He champions the benefits of looking up at the night sky and shares his top 5 tips to get us all gazing up:

1. Get the gear – the secret is to use a torch that gives off a dim red light
2. Get a star chart – stargazing apps can show you the night sky from your location, any time of year, day or night
3. Look Up – armed with your torch and star chart you can look up and start learning your way around the night sky
4. Join a stargazing gang – a fun way to boost your new hobby and make lots of new friends
5. Buy a telescope or binoculars – take it to the next level for the best way to view the moon and stars

You may also want to read this:

Mediaeval Luxury Family Glamping Getaway at Warwick Castle

Family Day out at Legoland Discovery Centre, Manchester

Review: Family Day Out at Trentham Monkey Forest

*We were invited to stay the night at the Stargazing Pod during the launch in return for a blog feature