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Our lovely weekend at Blackpool - review.

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Late last year we were extremely lucky to be asked to travel to Blackpool to review The Cliffs Hotel - part of the Choice group of Hotels, we considered the options (for around 5 seconds), then very excitedly said YES PLEASE!

We headed off to The Cliffs Hotel (part of Choice Hotels group) at the end of October for a 2 night stay. Little did we know the weather had another idea and it would end up being a very windy 3 night stay!

Our first obstacle came with us non drivers trying to find the hotel on foot from Blackpool North train station (we don't do well with directions!) It seemed to take forever, carrying a suitcase, bags and dealing with a 3 year old while walking in some seriously strong wind and rain wasn't fun! If only we knew we could have just hopped onto a tram and arrived -quite literally- directly on the doorstep!


Once we managed to get to the hotel, we found it was really lovely. The reception area was very inviting and comfortable. We checked in and were directed up to our room, our first impression was that the staff couldn't have been any more helpful and everything was clean and tidy.

Due to the horrendous weather, the Hotel very generously allowed us to stay an extra night, however the room we were staying had been specifically requested and booked by Guests so we happily moved to another room. Our bags were even moved for us while we were down at breakfast! Both rooms we stayed in were lovely and clean, we even had to pull one of the beds out after Liv dropped a toy and there was nothing underneath and it had clearly just been hoovered.

Our first room:
Double bed, single bed, en-suite bathroom including bath, tea & coffee making station, small TV, hairdryer & fan

Our second room:
Complete with double bed, single bed, en-suite bathroom with shower, seating area, sea view, large TV, tea & coffee making station, hairdryer & fan.

They were both well stocked with towels, soaps, shower gel plus tea, coffee and milk.

The only small issue we had was with the room we stayed in on the third night, as it was situated right at the top of the stairs we could hear people talking and laughing when they were coming up to bed late at night - luckily Liv was completely shattered from a busy day so it didn't disturb her!
The pool/gym/changing rooms were all clean and very well maintained. There was nothing in need of repair or shabby looking.

Due to our extra nights stay, we had to dash off for the 8am train on the third morning. I spoke with reception about singing out early and they kindly offered us a continental breakfast which was served by the night porters. They truly couldn't have been more helpful and provided us with toast, cereal and warm drinks before signing us out. 

When we arrived at the dining hall on our first evening, we were met at the door by a lovely Gentleman that showed us to our allotted table (you have the same table for the duration of your stay) he explained how we could help ourselves to the appetizers at the hot and cold buffet, then a waiter/waitress would take our drinks order and our mains order. We didn't have any issues at all with the food and any requests we made were adhered to with no issues.

The food was utterly delicious. The buffet starter area had a wide variety of options including fresh soups, salads, pasta, spring rolls, cold meats, ribs and a lot more. It was kept well stocked and very clean.

I'm a firm believer that the first taste of a meal is taken with your eyes, so it was lovely to be presented with fabulous looking dishes and they tasted fantastic too.


After we had polished off our meal - with optional extra vegetables - we could head over to the desert buffet and choose from a range of hot desserts, cakes, fruits or even the ice cream station (Livs favorite!)


At breakfast, there  were several cereals and milk available, while that buffets were stocked with sausage, fried egg, bacon, beans, hash browns and fried bread. There was also a juice station with choices of orange, apple or grapefruit juice which we were able to help ourselves too. A waiter was with us within moments to ask for our tea/coffee order and if we required toast, kippers or boiled eggs.


Our first full day was planned out full of activities which all had to be shelved due to the weather. Within 5 minutes of leaving the hotel we knew we shouldn't have! The winds from the hurricane were literally blowing people off their feet, the waves were crashing up over the sea front and we were constantly bring blasted with sand which really stung! Several times I was very thankful we had brought Livs stroller, she was happily tucked in behind the rain cover laughing hysterically as Daddy and I both hung on to the pushchair for dear life! 

As soon as we could we headed straight back to the warm hotel and did some exploring there instead! We found stairs a small games room downstairs with - among others - a teddy machine, slots, dance mat, driving games and perfectly sized air hockey table for Liv (Daddy lost by the way)


Just off this room was a "Teenage zone" where the young ones weren't allowed. This had the feel of a youth club with large leather sofas and games consoles.

It was a shame that the soft play area wasn't open for Liv to play in but it was out of season so completely understandable.

We decided to play some games then head over to the pool for a nice swim and a quick turn in the hot tub - bliss! There was also a small gym and sauna alongside the pool and a lovely leisure bar/eating area for those not wanting to take a dip.

After drying off we popped down to the lunch area complete with coffee bar and licensed bar. Lunch meals were two for £10, they were lovely and huge too!


In the evenings after a lovely dinner, we made our to the main hall where we took part in the Bingo and enjoyed the Cabaret acts who were brilliant both evenings.


It's fair to say we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would not hesitate to stay at the Cliffs again.

Disclaimer - our stay at the hotel was free of charge, however all opinion and images are our own.