Alton Towers Hotel and Scarefest review: a hair-raising stay at the UK’s biggest theme park

Our verdict

Alton Towers isn’t just a theme park, it’s Britain’s closest thing to Disneyland, only with more drizzle and actual ducks. It’s the biggest, loudest and arguably the best, with enough going on to entertain adults and children of every age. 

Each autumn, the resort stages Scarefest for Halloween, and this year’s highlight is the Scare Maze. If you’re used to lacklustre spooky-season events you’ll be both impressed and properly terrified. 

The maze ushers you into a dim house of corridors populated by shrieking, unidentified things that run at you, hobbled crones pointing ominously and an assortment of jump scares we won’t spoil. It’s equal parts hilarious and discombobulating, and absolutely worth the queue. For smaller kids, Trick O’ Treat Town is a gentler delight: knock on doors and be greeted by weird and wonderful residents offering treats.

We stayed at the Alton Towers Hotel in a space-themed Moon Voyage room, which sleeps four and has a separate children’s area with its own TV - ideal for salvaging a few parental minutes in peace. 

Alton Towers is a superb day out and staying overnight at the hotel extends the fun. Queues can be long, so if it’s in your budget a Fastrack pass will save you hours; another handy trick is to hit the popular rides at lunchtime when queues dip. 

Overall it’s a magical blend of fun, frights and organised pandemonium. A guaranteed memorable getaway, and we loved every minute.

How we tested

My kids taking a breather in between scares

We visited as an absolutely fearless, hands-in-the-air-on-the-rollercoasters family of four, with two kids aged 13 and 10. We stayed overnight at the Alton Towers Hotel and spent a day exploring the theme park. We tried as many rides and attractions as we could and fully immersed ourselves in the Halloween Scarefest activities.

What are the rooms like at the Alton Towers Hotel?

Bunk beds in our Moon Voyage room

The Alton Towers Hotel rooms are whimsical and family-friendly. Think bunk beds that make kids feel like captains of a ship, interactive magical lighting, and decor that makes adults feel like they’ve been transported into a fairy tale (or a slightly weird version of one). 

Rooms are big enough for a family of four and bathrooms are practical for children’s speed-baths. Some rooms overlook the gardens, which is perfect if you need a quiet moment away from hyperactive offspring or, you know, overexcited dads. 

The giant teddy comes as standard in the Moon Voyage room

We stayed in the Moon Voyage room which comes with a separate kids’ area fitted with a TV.

Note that if you're travelling with a baby, cots are available on request but you’ll need to take your own cot bedding.

What facilities are on offer?

Public areas are dotted with quirky features

The Alton Towers Hotel is home to the The Secret Garden Restaurant and the Dragon’s Bar, and there’s free evening entertainment on offer for all guests (typically live music and kids’ entertainment). It’s one of three on-site hotels: it sits between Splash Landings Hotel, with its adjacent waterpark, and CBeebies Land Hotel which is perfect for toddlers with its in-room play areas and character meet-and-greets.  

You’ll likely spend most of your time at Alton Towers Resort itself and the hotel is just a few minutes walk from the monorail station which connects to the hotels and car parks to rides and attractions. 

Scarefest attractions at Alton Towers Resort

The theme park genuinely does have something for everyone: toddlers will go crazy for CBeebies Land; older children and thrill-seekers will love Nemesis Reborn and Wicker Man; and our family favourite, The Smiler - the world’s first 14-loop coaster - manages to cram a frankly alarming number of loops into its 85mph run.

Scarefest runs until 9pm so you can ride the coasters - including our favourite, The Smiler - after-dark

What’s the food like?

The hotel's Secret Garden Restaurant

The breakfast buffet at the Alton Towers Hotel is fine, with hot food, pastries, cereal and fruit on offer. For dinner on Friday evening, we visited The Secret Garden Restaurant within the hotel, and, while the staff were lovely and everyone was clearly trying their best, it was really not an enjoyable experience. Service was chaotic with mains coming out at different times, dishes forgotten. If you’ve small, hungry and tired children you’ll not welcome the glacial pace. And while the food was okay, it didn’t justify the hefty price tag that had more in common with a fine dining experience. 

If you’re unable to go off site for food, then the Little Explorers Café in CBeebies Land is a better bet but note that it shuts at 6pm. 

Inside the park, there’s a mix of fast food outlets, snack carts and restaurants but beware that it’s all quite expensive.

What’s included in the price of an overnight stay at the Alton Towers Hotel?

• Overnight accommodation in a themed room

• Buffet breakfast 

• Evening entertainment 

• Round of golf at the Extraordinary Mini Golf crazy golf course

• Free on-site parking

What is there to do nearby?

A view of the fountain outside Alton Towers Hotel

Alton Towers Resort is the main attraction and frankly you’ll need at least a whole day to get around it, but Trentham, with its award-winning gardens, woodland and shopping village is a 30-minute drive away. The Peak District National Park can be reached within around half an hour for some wholesome exploring away from the rides. 

About the author 

Becky K has worked at Mumsnet for eight years and is passionate about comprehensive and trustworthy reviews for parents.

Originally from Ireland, Becky studied BSc Psychology at the University of London before returning to Dublin City University to earn her Masters degree in Journalism. She began her career on the news desks of several Dublin publications and worked in press relations and journalism in NYC and Australia before somehow tiring of endless beaches and blue skies, and returning to the UK.

A mum of two school-age children, Becky enjoys finding new and unusual days out that don’t cost the earth. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, reading, true-crime podcasts and ancient history.

About the editor 

Rachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on family travel.

She has written hotel reviews, features and destination guides for top publications including the Guardian, Four Seasons Magazine, Travelzoo, Visit Britain and Visit London. She loves nothing more than researching and writing about fun things for families to do in destinations near and far, as well as trawling the Mumsnet holiday forum for inspiration for her next trip away with her husband and two kids. 

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet hotel reviews are written by real people after extensive hands-on testing. We travel with children to test out how each property caters to families and assess whether it's genuinely geared up for kids. We test the beds, amenities and food, and explore the local area to highlight stand-out features and address any concerns. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. We may be hosted on a complimentary basis and sometimes we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage and we will only ever publish an honest review.