Alton Towers Almanac: Gallery: Opening Shambles

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ATA › Gallery › Resort Guide › Splash Landings Hotel › Opening Shambles

When Splash Landings opened on 1st June 2003, the entire building was unfinished. After reports of parts of the hotel being unfinished we went for a look round 2 days later.

The sign on the hotel roundabout which indicates the Splash Landings drive, complete, illuminated, nice. So far, so good...

From The Alton Towers Hotel car park an open gate revealed something resembling a building site, scaffolding surrounding parts of the new Splash Landings Hotel.

A closer look at all the building materials lying around in the previous shot. This type of scene is typical around the hotel's exterior.

Scaffolding around one of the water flumes, the new connecting walkway just behind. If you're wondering, the patch on the flume says 'Diversion' with an arrow pointing up the flume.

Just around the corner and a large amount of exterior work on the hotel is awaiting completion. Does the place look like it should be open to you?

Even the entrance area to the Splash Landings Hotel hasn't been completed on time. It's not like first impressions count or anything...

On the left of the hotel entrance plastic sheeting obscures work taking place on the outdoor seating for the bars and restaurants.

Large areas of paving to the right of the entrance are not yet completed.

Various structures around the hotel are yet to be completed and more unfinished paving.

Water should be running down this focal water feature located in front of the entrance. Instead trailing wires run to it, black polythene, tools and parts lie around it.

A number of holes like this can be found around the entrance area. They aren't fenced off and I imagine could prove dangerous to any young children about.

The first thing I noticed once I walked into to hotel was the ladder and tins of paint in the foyer area, work on the ceiling wasn't finished.

Large windows in the hotel foyer area give you an excellent view of the unfinished Cariba Creek waterpark, with only 1 pool containing water and one water feature working (shown).

A worker sticks tape on faults whilst walking the route of the unfinished Master Blaster water rollercoaster, the star attraction of Cariba Creek.

Tools, equipment and materials sit in the channel of the Master Blaster water rollercoaster.

Scaffolding and building materials still surround parts of the Master Blaster. Various debris lies on the roof of the ride.

Work continues elsewhere in Cariba Creek waterpark.

The outdoors section of the Cariba Creek waterpark, clearly a LOT of work to be done before this is anywhere near ready!

Heading down a set of steps and more tools, bits of equipment, materials and paint are lying about on the floor.

As the signs state, the paint on the restaurant entrance desk is wet. 2 weeks bad weather stopped this being painted on time did it?

Scaffolding poles lie on the floor just inside the entrance to the restaurant. Just a small trip hazard...

More wet paint on the doors to the games arcade (which is no doubt another way to extract as much money from guests as possible).

Here and in many places around the hotel you'll find trailing cables and tools lying around.

The lifts haven't been completed yet so guests are having to use the stairs (more on those later) - it seems they've used a little initiative here and placed barriers to stop guests falling down open lift shafts.

Bits of rubbish and pots of paint/paste/etc. lie in corners around the hotel. Not particularly dangerous but looks terrible for a £220/night hotel.

Towers, wallpaper, paint, rollers, adhesive and brushes lie on a window without a sill, and some rather filthy glass. Looks very unsightly.

Guests are having to use the stairs due to the non-functioning lifts, whilst doing so they're met by ladders and unfinished wallpapering hanging from the walls.

A room with a quarry view, only at Alton Towers' Splash Landings Hotel...

The presence of the builders is still very much evident from the monorail with all manner of materials and portacabins in the car park.

Another shot from the monorail showing slightly further along the car park.

What a mess...!

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