Blackpool – The UK’s Largest Playground – Blackpool Hotels Guide
Blackpool is the UK’s largest seaside resort and stretches for miles along the sea identifiable by three piers and dominated by a steel Tower. Although smaller than its rival the Blackpool tower has become the towns best loved institution and its stands most majestically in the autumn when it dominates the famous seafront illuminations.
Today Blackpool is still the North’s most popular resort and millions return year after year. Easy to reach and fly to airports has meant that more southerners and people from abroad are now visiting Blackpool regularly.
From Blackpool’s beginnings it has been the playground of the North. By the 1780s, well to do families from Manchester were arriving for the bathing season and it was not long before day trippers followed them; most came by cart, but some even walked 40 miles for a breath of sea air on Sunday.
The Tower was built in 1894 and was for many years the highest building in Britain. Its 518 ft view is breathtaking. It is possible to see all of Blackpool and the surrounding coast. The Tower also houses a circus, a ballroom, an aquarium and an Educational Heritage Exhibition as well as bars and restaurants.
Blackpool has a lot to offer the visitor. The seaside full of buckets and spades, sticks of Blackpool rock, deckchairs in abundance to the Tower Circus which opened in 1894. Blackpool’s high wire artistes, stilt walkers, jugglers and acrobats still fill the circus everyday.
The pleasure beach is Blackpool’s flamboyant Blackpool funfair which has its roots in the traditional Lancashire Wakes Weeks fairgrounds. The Golden Mile part of the promenade sprang from the sideshows with their buskers and fortune tellers though hot dogs and candy floss have today replaced the freaks and fire eaters.
Other Blackpool attractions include the Zoo Park, ice and roller skating rinks, a boating lake, a model village and golf courses. On the beach there donkey rides, boat trips and Punch and Judy shows.
Blackpool hotels are suitable for any budget and any requests. For instance, there are cheap hostels, if you are travelling on a budget; cosy, lovely bed&breakfast lodges for those looking for a quiet, romantic get away; or luxurious all-inclusive hotels for tourists with fancy tastes.
Some Blackpool hotels have daily entertainment and special themes breaks that will keep your children busy, offering you the chance to have some relaxing time off.
You can also use the gym, sauna and solarium facilities that a few Blackpool hotels have included in their services offer. If you are travelling with your dog or cat, you should know that some hotels accept to have animals as their guests. Hen or stag parties are also widely welcomed in many Blackpool hotels and some of them are even organizing themes events for you.
As Blackpool has gradually turned into a very popular gay and lesbian destination, many hotels and guest-houses have specialized in offering services exclusively to these persons. But these accommodations tend to be situated inland, nearer to the North Station than the sea, perhaps for more privacy reasons.
The Imperial Hotel Blackpool
Situated on the exclusive North Promenade in Blackpool, close to the famous Tower, exciting Pleasure Beach, Grand Theatre, Winter Gardens and only a few miles from the internationally renowned Royal Lythanm st Annes Golf Course.
The Imperial Hotel is the ideal base from which to enjoy the many attractions Blackpool has to offer. Visit the famous Pleasure Beach with its breathtaking roller coaster and the world’s largest collection of amusement park rides, including the latest attraction, Valhalla.
Or enjoy the magnificent views from the legendary Blackpool Tower. The Grand Theatre, the Opera House, the Hot Ice show, three fun piers and Blackpool’s choice of clubs and discos offer a different style of entertainment every night of your stay.
Enjoy 7 miles of incredible golden beaches, the magic of The Tower Circus as well as the Winter gardens, the Sea Life Centre, Blackpool Zoo, Stanley Park and so much more.
Blackpool is the most colourful and spectacular when the famous Illuminations switch on and millions of bulbs light up the Seafront.
This tranquil haven provides the perfect place to leave the hustle and bustle of the town behind.
Enjoy a sensuous massage or a revitalising dip in our exclusive Health and leisure Club offering.