Where to stay if you're taking the family to Alton Towers
Planning a trip for the family to visit Britain's largest theme park? You'll want to know the best places to stay near Alton Towers and we've rounded up the loveliest spots - from family-friendly hotels to affordable places with hot tubs.
As one of the most-visited theme parks in the UK, Alton Towers Resort offers one of the best family holidays in the UK, as well as a place to take the kids before they grow up. It's home to CBeebies Land for the little ones, a host of rollercoasters like Wicker Man and The Smiler for thrill-seeking teens and restaurants and a spa the adults will love.
It may seem like a little world in itself, with its rollercoasters and other rides, a water park, hotel complex and more, but the Alton Towers Resort happens to be surrounded by some of central Britain’s loveliest countryside, in the form of the Staffordshire Moors and the Peak District.
A trip to the Alton Towers Resort doesn’t have to be about staying on-site and full immersion in the theme-park furore. There's an array of hotels and self-catering properties close by that allow you to make the most of your time here.
You could combine the theme park with days out exploring the region’s rivers and ravines, its epic walking and cycling trails on blissfully uncrowded disused rail lines, and its country estates – the latter including iconic Chatsworth House.
At beautiful Chatsworth House, there is a farmyard, adventure playground and a roster of family-friendly events throughout the year, including Bonfire Night fireworks spectaculars and a Christmas market.
Looking for more animal encounters on your next family break? Check out our favourite places to stay near Longleat.
(Courtesy of Alton Towers Resort/Jon Parker Lee)
In the pretty riverside village of Ellaston just a nine-minute drive from the Alton Towers Resort, The Duncombe Arms is a charming pub with rooms, plus two self-catering cottages each sleeping up to six. All 10 homely rooms come with artisan wallpaper, indulgent fabrics, coffee machines and supplies of homemade biscuits; two are for families.
The pub dining has received accolades as some of the best in the country, with bar classics mixed with more adventurous modern British dishes, much of it based on produce from local Dunwood Farm in the heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands.
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Less than 25 minutes north of Alton Towers in a plum spot in the Peak District National Park, this boutique glamping site is a calm retreat from the theme park, with gorgeous footpaths right from its gate and an array of pubs, village shops and a farm shop all within walking distance.
Scaldersitch Farm's four pretty tipis with their fairylights and lanterns sleep up to five and have rustic wooden furnishings, faux fur throws, sheepskin rugs, wood-burning stoves and wood-fired hot tubs for the full-on cosy effect, plus those all-important coffee makers.
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If you’re looking for something a little more conventional, this good-value option by the global chain that has a bright, inviting feel - especially in its airy, colourful restaurant - try Hilton Garden Inn Stoke on Trent. Queen rooms with sofa beds sleep up to three, while parties of four can choose between twin and king family rooms; decor is clean-lined and minimalist.
The location is also great for Waterworld aqua park, Stoke Ski Centre and Trentham Monkey Forest.
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A 25-minute easy drive east of Alton Towers, in the pretty Derbyshire Dales market town of Ashbourne with its winding cobbled streets, this stylish country-house hotel opened includes treehouses among its enticing accommodation.
Nestled in ancient woodland within Wildhive Callow Hall's grounds and sleeping five, they feature bijou kitchens and copper bathtubs out on the decking. The chic but laidback restaurant serves tasty fare based on local produce such as Peak District Dovedale Cheese.
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This snug and welcoming cottage occupies, as the name suggests, an old stone stable, and despite its peaceful rural setting is less than five minutes’ drive from the theme park. Original features at The Stables at Cotton, including exposed beams and stonework go hand in hand with modern comforts including a log-burning stove and underfloor heating.
You’re right beside The Star at Cotton gastropub, on the edge of Cotton Dell nature reserve, and steps from a walking path along an old rail line with a tea room, pubs and farm shop.
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Around 40 minutes south of Alton Towers in the village of Hamstall Ridware, this listed coaching inn dating back to 1827 offers great-value accommodation in seven simple, comfortable rooms of which three are perfect for families (one comes with a double whirlpool bath).
The Shoulder of Mutton Inn's unpretentious restaurant serves local and global favourites ranging from Scotch eggs to satay belly pork, while the lively pub has a beer garden and a games room.
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This beguiling B&B 35 minutes by road east of the Alton Towers Resort in countryside just outside Derby occupies a handsome Georgian house designed by Robert Adam, then Architect of the King’s Works. Family-owned since the start of the pandemic, The Kedleston Country House offers just five quietly elegant rooms, three with roll-top baths and all with bathrobes and slippers for guest use.
The family suite, The Scarsdale, sleeps three in a king-size bed and a single. Unusually for a B&B, there’s an on-site restaurant, The Stag, using seasonal ingredients either homegrown or from within a 25-mile radius.
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In the hillside village of Kirk Ireton, 30 minutes east of Alton Towers, this pretty little stone abode comes with chic, uncluttered interiors and a walled garden ideal for alfresco dining in clement weather, and a log burner with logs and kindling provided in the cooler months.
As well as being close to the theme park, Briar Cottage is right near Carsington Water reservoir with its sailing and other water sports, and surrounded by brilliant cycling and walking trails.
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Less than 25 minutes northwest of Alton Towers, in Staffordshire Moorlands countryside just outside Stoke-on-Trent, this little collection of painted shepherd’s huts each has double bed, a table that drops to make a single bed and a separate wet room with toilet.
Glamping at Holly Grove Farm also offers barbecue facilities and some basic kitchen equipment for limited self catering. Among great local dining options are the Stafford Arms in the nearby village of Bagnall.
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This village pub in peaceful Marston Montgomery, 15 minutes southeast of the Alton Towers Resort, towards Derby, has just seven charming rooms with pleasing designer fabrics and luxury toiletries – three of them with sofa beds that make them ideal for families.
Dining at the Crown Inn takes place in a delightful space with a brick hearth complete with a roaring fire in the colder months, from a menu ranging wide from the likes of Japanese yakitori skewers to hearty pies of the day.
(Booking.com)The best places to stay near Alton Towers, from family-friendly hotels to affordable places with hot tubs. Browse cheap and luxury hotels close to Alton Towers.
