United kingdom Daily news: Butlins Wave Hotel: Holiday camp unveils Â£25m hi-tech 'tween' hotel complete with 3D walls, iMacs, PS3s

Selasa, 03 Juli 2012

Butlins Wave Hotel: Holiday camp unveils Â£25m hi-tech 'tween' hotel complete with 3D walls, iMacs, PS3s

Butlins Wave Hotel: Holiday camp unveils Â£25m hi-tech 'tween' hotel complete with 3D walls, iMacs, PS3s

By Travelmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 07:09 EST, 3 July 2012 | UPDATED: 07:11 EST, 3 July 2012

For decades the Butlins name has been synonymous with self-catering apartments, knobbly knee contests and those iconic Red Coats.

But the brainchild of Billy Butlin has been quietly updating its image in recent years, completing the transformation with a brand new Â£25m hi-tech 'tween' hotel.

Shaped like a massive cruise liner, Wave Hotel Apartments at Bognor Regis is geared for pre-school kids to teenagers. And it's full of gadgets and gizmos.

The crest of the Wave: The new Butlins hotel cost Â£25 million

Under the sea: Built the size of a cruise ship, the state-of-the-art hotel is designed for families with pre-teens

A Games Port is packed with Wii consoles, iMacs, PS3s and iPod docks and there's a Kindle library. Walls transform into 3D features with a special app and there's even a flat screen TV at the end of each kid's bunk bed.

Wave, which has 29 self-catering two and three-bedroom apartments and 215 family rooms - some with balconies and sea views - stands alongside sister hotels Shoreline and Ocean.

The accommodation is incredibly spacious, light and airy, the beds are comfy, you get free Wi-Fi, toiletries and there's a hairdryer, iron and fluffy towels.

Kids have their own 'room' within the family rooms with a porthole door so parents can keep a watchful eye.Â

Star style: Daughters of celeb mum Angela Griffin, Tallulah (8) and Melissa (5)

The hotel reflects its name. White ribbons blowing like waves stand outside the entrance and a block of blue discs, resembling running water, shimmer behind reception.Â In the coffee shop on the ground floor, sails hang from the ceiling and the sofas are shaped like giant sea plants.

The apartments have a fish-frieze along one wall and even the shower heads light up.

Butlins operations director Mike Crowther said: 'Families are busier than ever and we are always looking at new and innovative ways for them to spend time together. This is a state-of-the-art hotel.'

Wave was opened by TV actress Angela Griffin who brought along daughters Tallulah Jae, eight, and five-year-old Melissa.

The hotel comes equipped with a Kindle Library, hi-tech games room featuring the latest technology, 3D augmented reality features, inter-connecting rooms, hundreds of iPod docking stations, and lots more future-proofed gizmos

Mod cons: The hotel comes equipped with a Kindle Library, hi-tech games room featuring the latest technology, 3D augmented reality features, inter-connecting rooms, hundreds of iPod docking stations

Little mermaids: Angela Griffin, Tallulah and Melissa spend time with some Red Coats at the hotel

The Holby City and Mount Pleasant actress said: 'I am very impressed and it's not just the girls who love all the gadgets, I'll be giving them a run for their money.

'I feel I have now discovered another part of the UK and there's so much to do here. The resort is great for families on a budget because so many of the activities are free.'

Facilities include Splash Waterworld, a funfair, sports, live entertainment, a choice of bars and restaurants including Turner's from celeb chef Brian Turner, and the Ocean Spa.

Wave is Butlins third hotel in seven years. The Â£10 million Shoreline Hotel made a splash when it opened it doors in 2005, followed by the Â£20 million Ocean Hotel in 2009, which increased the luxury factor with spa treatments for stressed-out parents.

Travel Facts

Three nights room-only at the Wave Hotel Apartments for two adults and two children aged 2-14 this month costs from Â£295. Visit www.butlins.com/wave or call 0845 070 4730.