Hotels in Blackpool

Blackpool is still the destination for lovers of sand and sun in the UK. Whether it’s nostalgia for the days when a holiday meant a train ride with a knotted hankie on your head, or just a love of the simple pleasures of a beach and amusements, this city has a long-standing reputation for fun, flashing lights and frolics which no amount of cash-flashing redevelopment policy could ever alter. Whether you’re trying your luck on the arcades, promenading on the pier with some piping-hot fish and chips or gazing up at the illuminated tower, Blackpool is a place designed to plaster a grin on your face.

Things to see

With golden sand on which the city’s reputation as a holiday haven is built, Blackpool Pleasure Beach is an institution. These days it’s not just a matter of building castles and paddling, with white-knuckle rides, restaurants and shows on offer. Cementing Blackpool’s reputation as the UK’s answer to Las Vegas are the arcades, and while the Central Pier’s more family friendly than the racy underbelly of the Nevada party town, there are just as many lights, coin-slots and stalls on the revamped, post-modernist stretch. There are also bars, cafes and high-profile shows to sample, not to mention another array of rides catering for thrill-seekers. Over 150 meters tall, Blackpool Tower’s a British icon to match the Eiffel Tower, and you can scale it to sample unrivalled views of the city from its SkyWalk. A 4D experience is also on offer, conjuring up the sights, smells and sounds of the city, in an interactive trip through the past.

Hotels in Blackpool

While Blackpool might be a family-friendly destination, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got plenty of luxury to offer, and there are lots of hotels in Blackpool which will give you high-end service. There are plenty clustered around the Pleasure Beach which offer WiFi, flat-screen televisions and coffee and tea-making facilities, many of which also have on-site pools, gyms and spas. A number of the more luxurious hotels will also offer conference facilities and assistance in getting tickets to those must-see shows. It’s not just recognisable names offering this sort of service, with plenty of affordable family-run guesthouses and lodges also competing to pamper you.

Where to stay

It’s hard to imagine coming to Blackpool and not immersing yourself in the attractions around the Pleasure Beach and Piers, so for that reason you’ll be looking to stay as centrally as possible. This being a town built for fun, you might find it’s a pretty noisy night’s sleep, but that’ll be made up for by the fact you’re only a leisurely saunter away from slurping an ice-cream and sampling the gravity-defying rides, or chancing your arm on the cutting-edge arcade games. For more adult fun, you can also head to the casinos on the Golden Mile, to play for slightly higher stakes than at the Pier-front penny-pushers.

How to get to

There are two main hotspots when it comes to getting into Blackpool from within the UK, the largest of which is Blackpool North Station. Trains run regularly into the station from all over the country, and it’s linked to the city center by another Blackpool icon – the tramline. Express trains and a more regular service come into and out of Blackpool North, but Blackpool South also sees a number of rail passengers into and out of the city, on a separate, unconnected line. Blackpool Airport is a link to mainland Europe, with a number of flights to and from many well-known destinations.