This weekend we spent a very fun (yet blustery) weekend in Blackpool - home of long sandy beaches, donkeys and more then their fair share of piers! We were invited to try out the family-friendliness of The Cliffs Hotel which is part of the Choice Hotels selection.
The Cliffs Hotel is a large, family-friendly hotel to the north of the town centre and it is ideally located directly on the seafront on the Queens Promenade. The hotel features an on-site leisure club with a pool, jacuzzi, sauna and fitness room as well as a kids club for children over 4 years old. There are also beauty treatment rooms - I really wish we had been staying for longer so that I could have tried them out!
We found the location of The Cliffs Hotel to be absolutely ideal, it was far enough away from the bustle and noise of the very centre of town to offer a little peace but with a taxi rank, a tram stop and a bus stop directly outside the hotel lobby, it was incredibly easy to get to all of the major attractions. We paid £4.50 each for an adult day pass for the trams and buses and were able to hop on and off the trams all the way along the seafront from the north shore, to the south shore.
The hotel was well above our expectations in terms of comfort, quality and welcome. We loved our time in the swimming pool and my girls were keen to join in with the kids activities on offer which included pizza-making! But we had lots to do and see during the day so we didn't spend much of our day inside! We took the tram down to the Pleasure Beach for a look around, strolled along the seafront to see the donkies on the beach, took some rides on the south pier, browsed the amusements on the central pier, visited the tower, had lunch at Coral Beach and then an ice cream! There is more than enough to keep you occupied for several days in Blackpool and if you are staying for a while it would make sense to buy combined tickets for the big attractions to save money.
Our favourite part of The Cliffs Hotel was the food which was, on the whole, excellent. We were allocated our own table in the large dining room that we returned to each day. Breakfast was a brilliant buffet with hot food, cereals and plenty of fresh fruit and yoghurt. Dinner took the format of a self-service starter (the choices were mind-blowing) followed by a choice of around three main courses, followed by a buffet-style dessert. The children could choose from a dedicated kids menu or a smaller portion of any of the main dinner dishes - this suited both of our girls. I thought the quality of the desserts on offer was particularly impressive. I don't think I've ever been to a hotel buffet in the UK that was as comprehensive while still maintaining the quality of food.
Before dinner we enjoyed a drink in one of the hotel bars which had a great view over the sea; we found the bar to be large, comfy and very welcoming to families. In the evening there was a good choice of entertainment at The Cliffs Hotel - this is not really our cup of tea so we chilled out in front of the TV and watched Eurovision with two very tired little girls.
We had a wonderful time in Blackpool at The Cliffs Hotel and I'm so glad that I managed to take the girls to visit one of the UK's classic seaside resorts - here are some of our highlights!
Choice Hotels have a number of hotels in Blackpool and the Lake District.
The Cliffs Hotel is a large, family-friendly hotel to the north of the town centre and it is ideally located directly on the seafront on the Queens Promenade. The hotel features an on-site leisure club with a pool, jacuzzi, sauna and fitness room as well as a kids club for children over 4 years old. There are also beauty treatment rooms - I really wish we had been staying for longer so that I could have tried them out!
We found the location of The Cliffs Hotel to be absolutely ideal, it was far enough away from the bustle and noise of the very centre of town to offer a little peace but with a taxi rank, a tram stop and a bus stop directly outside the hotel lobby, it was incredibly easy to get to all of the major attractions. We paid £4.50 each for an adult day pass for the trams and buses and were able to hop on and off the trams all the way along the seafront from the north shore, to the south shore.
The hotel was well above our expectations in terms of comfort, quality and welcome. We loved our time in the swimming pool and my girls were keen to join in with the kids activities on offer which included pizza-making! But we had lots to do and see during the day so we didn't spend much of our day inside! We took the tram down to the Pleasure Beach for a look around, strolled along the seafront to see the donkies on the beach, took some rides on the south pier, browsed the amusements on the central pier, visited the tower, had lunch at Coral Beach and then an ice cream! There is more than enough to keep you occupied for several days in Blackpool and if you are staying for a while it would make sense to buy combined tickets for the big attractions to save money.
Our favourite part of The Cliffs Hotel was the food which was, on the whole, excellent. We were allocated our own table in the large dining room that we returned to each day. Breakfast was a brilliant buffet with hot food, cereals and plenty of fresh fruit and yoghurt. Dinner took the format of a self-service starter (the choices were mind-blowing) followed by a choice of around three main courses, followed by a buffet-style dessert. The children could choose from a dedicated kids menu or a smaller portion of any of the main dinner dishes - this suited both of our girls. I thought the quality of the desserts on offer was particularly impressive. I don't think I've ever been to a hotel buffet in the UK that was as comprehensive while still maintaining the quality of food.
Before dinner we enjoyed a drink in one of the hotel bars which had a great view over the sea; we found the bar to be large, comfy and very welcoming to families. In the evening there was a good choice of entertainment at The Cliffs Hotel - this is not really our cup of tea so we chilled out in front of the TV and watched Eurovision with two very tired little girls.
We had a wonderful time in Blackpool at The Cliffs Hotel and I'm so glad that I managed to take the girls to visit one of the UK's classic seaside resorts - here are some of our highlights!
Choice Hotels have a number of hotels in Blackpool and the Lake District.
