A POPULAR English seaside theme park has revealed plans to open its own hotel.
Adventure Island in Southend-on-Sea, Essex – named the best seaside attraction in the south by the UK Theme Park Awards last year – wants to build the accommodation right by its entrance.
The hotel would have seven rooms and be above the Sands By The Sea fish and chips restaurant.
Currently, the space above the fish and chips restaurant is an empty office that was previously used by Radio Essex.
Few other details have been revealed about the hotel, but SKArchitects – who are behind the project – shared that the accommodation is a “unique” waterfront spot, with a restaurant below and 24-hour staffing at the theme park.
Guests would also have access to the nearby Three Shells Beach and views of the Thames Estuary.
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According to the Southend Echo, Matt Dent, Southend Labour councillor for business, culture, tourism and music, said: “I can certainly see the advantages of providing more tourism accommodation on the seafront, particularly having it basically inside the park.
“That is going to be a huge draw and major selling point to families looking to make the most of the abundant offerings at the seafront.”
Recent data from credit card company Aqua revealed the UK’s top 10 affordable theme parks and named Adventure Island in eighth place.
The park is free to enter, but to go on the rides you’ll need to buy a wristband, which is either £25 online or £28 on the gate.
In total, there are 40 rides to explore, including seven rollercoasters such as Rage, which boasts several twists and turns.
If you were to break down the cost of a £25 wristband, each ride would be as little as 63p to go on.
The park also has a couple of waterslides, as well as rides for smaller kids such as a carousel, small land train and a soft play area.
Today, if you wanted to visit Adventure Island and stay close to the theme park, you’d have to book into one of the hotels or B&Bs along the seafront.
Nearby options include The Palace Hotel from £102 a night and just steps away from the entrance of the pier or The Hope Hotel, which sits at the end of Southend Beach and costs from £85 a night.
A number of other hotels around the UK have hotels near the entrance, including Alton Towers, which has the Alton Towers Hotel, Splash Landings Hotel and the CBeebies Land Hotel, all within the entrance plaza.