After staying in a Big Blue Hotel Suite at Blackpool Pleasure Beach hotel last year it was only fair I stay in the sister hotel and check out the Boulevard Hotel Park View Suite to compare to two! Enjoy this Boulevard Hotel Park View suite review.
When approaching the Boulevard Hotel you instantly get the impression of a modern and classy hotel which let’s be honest, is a rarity in Blackpool.
The Boulevard Hotel opened in 2019 and is clean, fresh and up to date as opposed to the classic feel that the Big Blue Hotel has which opened back in 2003.
I instantly went for a suite with the same views as the Big Blue to compare. The Boulevard has two types of suites to choose from, the Coastal Suite (sea views) and the Park View Suite (Theme Park Views) but I instantly regretted my decision for two reasons.
Firstly, the Coastal Suites are laid out exactly the same as the Big Blue Hotel suites which provide a park view and secondly they’re bigger AND have a TV in the bath, the Park View Suite did not. That’s my fault for not doing my research, I’m a sucker for a good bath so I was looking forward to chilling out and enjoying my bath and a glass of bubbly but my disappointments soon vanished when entering my room.
Located on the 4th floor, this private area can only be accessed with your room card so it’s quiet and peaceful. Speaking of quiet, for a park located next to a theme park you can’t hear a thing as the UK’s tallest rollercoaster (for now) was feet away from my window and I couldn’t hear a thing!
The hotel also comes with a private VIP entrance to the theme park which is located right next to the Big One so you can be first in line to ride the coaster with park tickets usually included or at the very least heavily discounted with your stay.
Compared to the hotel the furnishings were more modern and as a result more simplified and basic compared to the vintage almost charming quality that the Big Blue has. The Big Blue just has a character and a charm to it that the Boulevard just can’t replicate.
What I enjoyed in my suite was a complimentary bottle of Prosecco AND a complimentary bottle of wine. You’re too kind, I think they must have done their research and known I like a drink, or two, or twelve!
This business-chic room consisted of a Backgammon game on a nice trunk in the middle of a living room, a spacious bedroom and a nice bathroom packed full of Co Bigelow amenities and all the kits you could ask for from dental kits to beauty kits.
There’s a glamorous atmosphere that the Boulevard conveys around the place but for me, the rooms didn’t scream luxury, they had more of a homely feel to them with a modern aesthetic.
After attending the behind-the-scenes Blackpool Pleasure Beach event I came back to my room and ordered room service which for one person was quite substantial indeed consisting of olives, bread and hummus, spicy cauliflower fritters (with a wonderful spicy sauce) and a nice spaghetti bolognese with creamy garlic bread with a Voss water (two already come free of charge in your hotel room fridge).
I must admit the food was rather lovely but I certainly paid for it with my spaghetti bolognese costing nearly £15 alone! I must admit the staff member who delivered it was the friendliest person I’d met in a hotel here in the UK for many years and that was the same throughout the hotel. Everyone was rather lovely, friendly and accommodating with one staff member even ringing me a taxi the next day (from a conversation the day previous) before I’d even asked for one!
I jumped into my bath, hopped out, put on my Blvd Hotel bathrobe and slippers on and enjoyed some TV (one of two based in the room) and pondered the thought.
Is it worth the price tag?
Now I paid close to £250 for the room for one night and I feel as though this is probably the maximum I would pay for this room. I’ve seen the prices soar especially during peak season / the weekend and for me, it just wasn’t worth that much.
The Big Blue Hotel was certainly more dated but I enjoyed the suite much more, it was bigger, it had better views of the park as it’s located in a better space for great views and the breakfast was nicer.
I won’t even discuss the breakfast I had at the Boulevard the next morning. I wasn’t impressed. Compared to the wonderful room service it was horrendous!
But my negatives end there. It’s a great hotel with lovely staff members and the suites are spacious and cosy but they just don’t have that classic theme park warmth and heart to them that the Big Blue has in spades.
Take a look at our Big Blue hotel review HERE
Boulevard Hotel Park View Suite Review by Sean Evans
