A New Hotel for Thorpe Park?

Bear Architects, a Bournemouth-based architects firm have recently posted images on their website of a London Hotel on a page titled ‘Thorpe Park Hotel’ stating ‘Bear Architects was requested to put forward a design proposal to assist an existing London based client with a business case for a new 100 key hotel on their property on the outskirts of London.

The proposal was very well received and is currently on hold pending alignment with our clients’ development strategy.’

For copyright reasons I won’t post the images of the design here but the design shows a hotel design with a mix of concrete, wood cladding and glass with a rear overlooking a lake suggesting that this could replace the Thorpe Shark Cabins if it goes ahead.

What do I think?

Whilst it’s good that Thorpe Park are exploring the prospect of some permanent accommodation the designs are, in my opinion, really ugly and look more like an apartment block in a suburb rather than a hotel.

If you compare these early designs to other Theme Park hotels across the world such as those at Efteling and Europa Park then it’s even more underwhelming and it would have been great to see a proper themed hotel rather than something that wouldn’t look out of place in Staines town centre!

What next?

Bear Architects stated that this project was well received but on hold pending Thorpe Park’s development strategy and with no planning permission submitted it’s unlikely this is going to be a project built any time soon and I really hope the park is getting some more designs put together as this is a great chance to come up with something stunning that you’ll see as you approach the park and look out over the lake from within the park.

In the meantime we know that Thorpe Park have also submitted planning permission to transform Amity Beach so perhaps this is in anticipation of a hotel entertainment venue in the future?