Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
window but the sparkling water, you probably won't mind. The top floor is occupied
by suites with private terraces, some with an open-air Jacuzzi. The light-flooded
res-
taurant
with its bay views offers a largely local menu including Morecambe Bay
shrimps and scallops, but service isn't great. The spa treatments are wishy washy, too.
Marine Rd. West, Morecambe, Lancashire LA4 4BU. www.elh.co.uk.
&
01524/424-000.
44 units.
£94-£276 double; £174-£348 suite. Rates include breakfast. MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restau-
rant; bar; treatment rooms; access to leisure club (at nearby sister hotel); room service.
In room:
TV, hair
dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
EXPENSIVE
Big Blue Hotel
Situated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach itself, with some of
the theme park's rides as a backdrop but mercifully effective soundproofing, this is a
surprising boutique-style option behind a rather ugly facade Naturally, it's family-
friendly, too, with reasonably priced rooms for up to four featuring a separate chil-
dren's sleeping area complete with bunkbeds and an “entertainment area” with a TV
and PlayStation connection (games and consoles can be rented from reception).
Deluxe doubles have lounge areas with fireplaces and fabrics by Designers Guild;
suites have separate lounges and coffee-makers. The hotel
brasserie,
serving Euro-
pean fare, has a fun children's menu that includes the option for younger diners to
don chef 's hats and aprons and make their own pizza. Some packages include Plea-
sure Beach wristbands; others include show tickets.
Pleasure Beach, Blackpool FY4 1ND. www.bigbluehotel.com.
&
0871/222-4000.
157 units. £91-£132
double; from £224 suites. Rates include breakfast (some promotional rates are room-only). AE, MC, DV,
V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; gym with massage rooms; room service.
In room:
TV/DVD
(some), hair dryer, kids' entertainment area (some), MP3 docking station (suites), Wi-Fi (free).
MODERATE
Red Pump Inn
For a warm welcome and peace and quiet, you could do little
better than this superb, award-winning B&B deep in the Ribble Valley, with three
comfortable rooms with great views of Pendle Hill or Longridge Fell, handmade
wooden furniture, and flat-screen TVs. The emphasis is on taking it easy, so the full
Lancashire breakfast is generally served between 9 and 9:45am, though you can take
it earlier or later if you wish; choose from local bacon, eggs, and black pudding (blood
sausage), with heart-shaped fried bread and homemade flat skinless sausages,
smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on malted bloomer, or porridge with golden
syrup. The feast will set you up beautifully for a walk in the surroundings, but packed
lunches can also be ordered if you think you might get peckish. Fishing packages are
available for the nearby River Hodder. The excellent food served in the
restaurant
—
the likes of slow-roasted Pendle pork belly—has also garnered awards, and result in
the inn's inclusion on the Ribble Valley Food Trail (p. 593).
15
Blackpool on a Budget
Blackpool's best bargain for families is
almost certainly the
Premier Inn East
(
www.premierinn.com;
&
0871/527-
8110). Although it's 4 miles southeast
of the resort's main attractions, it offers
doubles and family rooms for around
£50 to £60 (or an astonishing £29 with
nonrefundable advance booking!). It's
also beside the family-dining venue
Outside Inn
(
&
01253/798477;
www.
outsideinnblackpool.co.uk), with indoor
and outdoor play areas.
