Lights Special Offer

We have a new Special Offer for the Illuminations.  Book 4 nights (arriving Monday 1 October only) for £110 each person for bed and breakfast only.  This is a massive saving of the usual price of £132 each person.  Call us now on 01253 624888 or email us - reservations@latourhotel.co.uk - to make your booking.

All other dates in the Lights are looking really busy and we are booked solid from September 21 until 1 October.  So why not take advantage of the opportunity to get a great deal?

EALT

Busy Summer

It's been a busy couple of weeks and we have a few more ahead.  The Punk Festival will soon be upon us and with the Golf Open this past week the town has been very busy!  We have a group arriving today for the last day of the Open, some regulars are back again, David Urquhart's arriving again on Monday and a group from Travelstyle arriving on Friday.  Phew!


We still have a few rooms available from July 27 until 3 August so why not take advantage of our Special Offer that expires at the end of August.  You could use it for the above week or from the 10 August.  The offer includes dinner, bed and breakfast for 7 nights arriving on either Monday or Friday for £200 each person! This is less than £29 a night including VAT!  Contact us now to book.


The Illuminations are looking to be busy too and it isn't long until the Switch On Ceremony, this year featuring Little Mix (X-Factor winners) and Lemar.  It will also be held on the Tower Festival Headland so you will be able to see the whole Promenade being lit as well as the Tower.  Should be a fun event.

EALT

Busy

We have two coaches in this week; one from David Urquhart Travel and the second from Macphersons (in Derby).  We're happy to see some regular faces returning again and again.  This weekend is the Elton John concert on the headland.  We have a small number of rooms left if you've managed to get a ticket but don't have a place to stay yet.  It looks set to be a fun event.


Next week also looks like it will be busy but we have had a couple of cancellations for early July.  Our Special Offer of 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast for £200 each is still available, so why not get in touch to book your room?  You won't be disappointed based on the numerous positive reviews we've received on Trip Advisor.  Take a look for yourself.
EALT

New Staff

We have started a couple of new staff in the dining room - welcome Danny and Dominique.  We hope you enjoy your time at La Tour.  Regular guests will notice we have a few new faces so we wanted to mention who was who.  
We still have Scott in the bar, joined by Zak.  John has moved on to start his own business and he is much missed.  Chris and Arno are in the kitchen cooking, while Warren, Ann, Janice and Luke share the other kitchen duties.  Carlie is our Head Housekeeper, making sure the rooms are spotless and maintained, along with Stacie, Kerry and Elena.  Kathryn helps out at Reception and wherever else she is needed.  Toni rounds out the dining room with Danny and Dominique.  Finally Wilf and Esther have tons of fun with the cabaret and bar games.  
We're really pleased with our group and are glad to have made the changes needed.  We're sure when you stay with us you'll notice how friendly AND professional our team are.
EALT

Website Update

We've updated the website a little.  Nothing too major really, just added some widgets from Trip Advisor.  We recently received an email stating we had won a Certificate of Excellence award from them due to the  great reviews we've received.  We are very pleased about this and wanted to share it with our readers.

• La Tour

• La Tour

We hope that if you've stayed with us recently too you would leave us a positive review on the site or leave us a comment on this blog to let us know.  You can also find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter - @latourblackpool.

EALT

Summer may well have arrived

It is a gorgeously sunny day today and the forecast this week is supposed to be good all week.  Perhaps summer is finally here? We have a tour arriving from David Urquhart's today till Friday and our dancers start arriving tomorrow for the International Dance Festival at the Winter Gardens.  Most are here until early June so it is always a busy week to ten days.  


This past month we have had a problem with our license however this has now all been resolved and we are back to our normal schedule of entertainment.  The only difference we have now with our previous license is that alcoholic drinks are no longer allowed to be taken outside into our patio area and on the front steps.


We are in the process of upgrading our internet access so will soon have an extended wifi range and faster speeds.  This is still FREE for our guests and the password is available at Reception.


EALT

Belated Happy Easter and Grand National

We had a very busy Easter and this weekend for the Grand National looks like it will be the same.  All our guests from Blackpool Breaks have now arrived and checked in, we're getting ready for the welcome drink at 530pm and there is also a supper this evening too which we don't normally do during the season, unless requested.  


We've also had some competitors for the International Junior Dance Festival from Japan who depart tomorrow.  


We are now open every day until the end of the Illuminations and also for various Turkey Tinsel breaks.  If you'd like to make a booking certain dates are filling up fast.  We are still running our Special offer available until the end of August.  £200 each person for 7 nights, bed breakfast and evening meal.  Or £150 each person for 7 nights bed and breakfast only.  Call us now to make your booking or book online via our website.


We are hoping to start a YouTube channel soon so that we can show you around the hotel, like a virtual tour.  If you have any ideas for other videos you would like to see then leave us a comment and we can work on it.


Finally the sunshine seems to have come back so get in touch to enjoy your break in Blackpool.


EALT

Beautiful Weather

We have had some glorious sunny weather this past week to ten days.  And it looks set to continue for the rest of this week.  It's even warm enough for shorts! This week we have a small group of people booked through Blackpool Breaks based in Glasgow.  It's a 4 night break and then we have the weekend free before we have 2 coaches arrive for another midweek break.  We have about ten rooms left (mostly twins) for anyone hoping to book for 2 April.  We are full to bursting over Easter and the weekend after which is the Grand National.


We have had a couple of coach cancellations though for 23 and 30 April so get in touch now to take advantage of our Special Offer which is still running.  You can stay for 7 nights bed, breakfast and evening meal for £200 each person. (valid until end of August)  Call us to book now. 


EALT

Photos added & Mother's Day

We have added the photos in one of the posts below of the damage caused to some of our rooms.  As you can see, quite a lot and that isn't everything.


However we are continuing with our efforts to update some rooms and we have now finished room 216.  See the photos below and let us know what you think.

We have a coach group booked in this weekend from Blackpool Breaks for Mother's Day.  There is entertainment each evening and we still have a couple of rooms left if you want to make a last minute booking with them or direct with us.  We have also come up with a new Special Offer that has yet to be added to our online booking site but if you call or email us we can take your reservation either way.  It is for 7 nights Bed and Breakfast for £175 each person (valid until 31 August).


Finally our new brochures have been printed and delivered so get in touch if you would like one posted to you.  We are hoping to add it digitally to our website too as a PDF so will let you know when it happens.
EALT

Beautiful weather ...

... we are having right now.  Quite warm and sunny for this time and year so long may it continue.  


We are still updating some of the rooms and the stairs and corridors are nearly finished with the new carpet.  Hoping they will be all done by the end of today.  The first room we redecorated (see post below) is now put back together and the second room is almost finished too.  We just have the damaged rooms to fix now and then we should be done, for now at least.


We have some weekend breaks booked in every weekend until we are open full time which is usually Easter.  We still have some Special Offers running so check out our website and online booking facility for details.  


Get in touch to make your booking via phone - 01253 624888, email - reservations @ latourhotel dot co dot uk, fax - 01253 625378 or you can send us a completed booking form (available on our website) to 92 Albert Road, Blackpool, FY1 4PR.


We look forward to seeing you soon.
EALT

Shenanigans!

It is quite annoying sometimes working in this industry when despite all your hard work, lots of money and years of ongoing maintenance, some people can ruin it all in one night!  We have had to eject a group booked in this weekend for damaging two of our rooms.  Both of which were recently redecorated (see posts below for evidence) and being our wheelchair accessible/family rooms are in constant demand.  However as the photos (to be added shortly - EDIT now done, see below) will show they will need a fair bit of work doing to get them back to normal.  One of rooms damaged was not even allocated to this group but they broke in, thereby ripping the door frame completely off! (see below)

This has now been repaired with a whole new frame needing to be sourced.

See further damage below (please note we have not shown everything!)

 Squashed metal bin

 The rest of the broken bin

 One of many scuffs/stains on the doors/wallpaper

 Burnt lamp shade

 Blinds ripped off the frame

 A sock covering the smoke detector - illegal and a fine-able offence!

 Thermostat broken off the radiator

 Border paper peeled off due to being soaked by discharged fire extinguishers

 The remains of the kettle thrown out of the window

The remains of the blinds also thrown out

As you can imagine we are quite disheartened, especially in such lean economic times when no one can ill afford to spend money they shouldn't have to.  Obviously we are pursuing the full repair/replacement costs from the group concerned and are considering instituting a damage deposit for groups who have not stayed with us before.


We'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this idea and what you consider to be a reasonable amount to ask for.  Obviously the deposit would be refunded when we have checked all is well with the rooms.


Let us know by leaving a comment.
EALT

Updates & Photos

As it is the off season we have started to redecorate some of our bedrooms.  The first one is on the third floor - room 305 which has had all new wallpaper, gloss and repainting ceilings and new carpets.  We have still to put the room back together but below are some photos of the new decor.

We are also working on another double on the second front - 216 which will be getting the same treatment.  A couple of photos are below showing the work in progress.  The first shows the old wallpaper and the second 2 have the new.  Still ongoing...

The last thing we are about to start on is fitting new carpets on the stairs and corridors.  Some areas are starting to get a bit worn, especially the stairs with all the traffic they see.  They should hopefully be done in the next week or two.  


We have updated our online prices to include the Illuminations.  They are only available as Special Offers due to the coach bookings we already have.  We have added another Special Offer as well so check out our website for more information and to check availability.  You can also call us direct to book on 01253 624888.  


We are open every weekend now for room only or bed and breakfast (certain dates) and Mothers Day weekend we also include evening meal.  From 2 April we are open pretty much every day until the end of the Illuminations.  If you would like to have transport included with your trip there are various coach companies booked in from all areas of the UK, so contact us to find out who will be travelling here from your neck of the woods.


Bring on Spring!
EALT  

Magicians Conference & Showzam Festival

It isn't very long until the Showzam Festival starts which also incorporates the Magicians Conference.  We still have a few rooms left for £30 each person per day including breakfast.  Call or email us now to make your reservation.


We also have a Valentines Weekend break available too, arriving on Friday 10 Feb for 2 nights.  If you book with Blackpool Breaks (based in Glasgow) your trip includes coach travel, dinner bed and breakfast, a welcome drink and cabaret in the evening.  Minimum numbers are required.  Call them now to book on 0141 332 7078.


There are various other Special Breaks we are doing through Blackpool Breaks and other companies.  We are open for Mothers Day weekend, the Grand National in April, a Psychic Weekend in early May and various Winter Warmers too.  Get in touch now to make your booking.


EALT

Pigeon Festival

It is the annual Pigeon Festival this weekend and we still have a few rooms left for any last minute bookings.  Bed and breakfast is £30 each per day and room only is £20 each per day.  


We also have a new Special Offer available from April till August - £200 each person for 7 nights.  Arrive on either Monday or Friday.  Either call or book online.


We are in the process of printing new brochures for the hotel and will be taking some more photos of the bar area.  We found some old photos of the hotel and the different decorations we've had throughout the years.  A lot of the photos are on slides so as soon as we can get them digitised we shall post them on here for all to see.  Only those guests who've been staying with us since we bought La Tour in 1978 will recognise some areas.


EALT

Happy New Year

We have had a busy Festive season and only had one room left for New Year.  Everyone who stayed told us what a fabulous time they had at both Christmas and New Year.  We always receive a lot of repeat bookings for our festive breaks so why not book now to ensure your room is available.  If you want to book for New Year then contact Aberfeldy Motors in Perthshire as they are allocated the majority of our rooms.

All the decorations have been taken down now and we are getting prepared for the 2012 season ahead.  The first guests we have booked in are for the Pigeon Festival in mid January.  We still have some rooms available so give us a call to make your reservation.  It is £30 per person per night for bed and breakfast. 

We are also open for the Magicians conference and Showzam Festival in February.  The rate is the same as the Pigeons although we are very low on single rooms at this point.  After that it will soon be Mothers Day and Easter and then we are pretty much into the early season. 

Check out our online booking page for availability and prices.  Wishing you all a wonderful 2012 and we hope to see you soon.

EALT

Turkey Tinsels

It has been a busy time these last couple of months!  The Illuminations are in the last week and today we start our Turkey Tinsel breaks.  We always try to do a trial run of the TT's during the last week of the lights so this past weekend we have been digging out all the Christmas decorations.  Last night we put up the trees in the hall, bar and dining room.  We seem to have lost one tree since last December so we may have to get another for the dining room.  
With redecorating the bar this February we have had to make some changes to our usual Xmas decorations.  We now have a black tree in the bar and a white tree in the hall.  We also managed to get a lot of snowflakes too and so the bar looks really good with everything put up.  We will post some photos asap to let you see.
We had a couple of TT's tours cancel so we're not doing as many this year.  We still have space available on the 14 & 28 November, 5 December (all 4 night stays) and some space on the weekend trips too.  Call us for availability.
Our Christmas and New Year breaks are coming along too but there is still space available.  If you'd like to spend your Festive Break without all the hard work of cooking, cleaning and so on then why not come stay with us?  We have a special offer right now for 23 Dec to 3 Jan for £700 each person.  We are open all the way through and will be providing excellent entertainment, great food and lots of fun every evening.  Get in touch for more information.
Happy Hallowe'en!
EALT

It's been a busy few months

... since we last posted!  Thankfully we've had a lot of new guests visiting us from various locations.  We've had some coach tours booked in from Scotland, Wales, south England and Wales and with the Illuminations still shining there are more to come.  We've had some great reviews on Trip Advisor too from our recent guests so please spread the word about us if you've had an enjoyable stay too.


Our Special Offer breaks went down really well and our next promotion is for our Turkey Tinsel breaks.  We have a few midweek and weekend dates available for all types of rooms so get in touch if you'd like to get your Christmas shopping underway and have a great time with our lovely food and evening entertainment.


Dates available are for Monday - Friday: 7-11 Nov, 14-18 Nov, 21-25 Nov, 5-9 Dec.
Friday to Sunday or Monday: 4-6/7 Nov, 18-20/21 Nov, 2-4/5 Dec, 9-11/12 Dec, 16-18/19 Dec
Contact us on 01253 624888 for the best prices and to check availability for your room type.  


We are also accepting bookings for both Christmas and New Year.  We have a few rooms left for each and with a coach booked in too for each date it is sure to be lots of fun.  We're already booking our cabaret artists and Santa has been busy organising his gifts for you too!


Finally we have started accepting bookings for 2012.  If you book with us for next year before the end of the Illuminations you will get your stay at the 2011 price.  The Lights end on November 6th so you have a few weeks left to get this year's rate.  The first weekend Turkey Tinsel also has the benefit of the Lights still shining so why not book that one for a 2 in 1 break!?


EALT
PS It's almost October and the sun is still shining - hurrah!

It's August Already!

Wow we are already into August!! It's been a hectic few weeks lately as our bookings have been coming in thick and fast.  We're pretty much full up for most dates in August and the midweeks of the Lights are busy too.  We still have rooms available for the opening weekend of the Lights so book now to enjoy the Switch One show.
This past weekend was the Airshow featuring the Red Arrows.  It's always fun to watch and it looked like it might be a washout in the morning.  But by the time the first plane took off the sun was out and barely a cloud in the sky.
The Punk Festival finished this weekend too.  On August 14 there is a SkyRide in town from 10am.  It looks like it may be a busy weekend so if you're planning on visiting for that make sure you check the route as there will be a lot of road closures in effect.  
Our special offers are coming to a close so if you haven't booked one there are only a few spaces left.  We're also holding a few more Turkey Tinsel dates than originally planned.  Check back later for specific dates and also on the website for more info as they are confirmed.
We'd love to hear from any guests who have recently stayed with us so we can add more comments to a Testimonials page on our site.  Please leave us a comment or send a message with your name, location and what you liked about La Tour.
Thanks
EALT

Sunshine & Special Rates

This past weekend has been glorious even though there were threats of rain.  And to top it all off the sun is still shining.  There is barely a cloud in the sky and it looks like it may well hold out for the week.  Why not have a stay-cation and join us for a fab few days this summer?  
We've had some coach tours cancel due to low booking numbers so we have extended our Special Offers.  You can stay with us for any Monday to Friday in June, July or 15 or 22 August for only £70 each person B&B.  This is a fantastically reduced rate - saving you £50 on the usual booking price!  The only date that isn't available is the week of 4 July when we are already booked up.  Any other date as above is available at this Special Rate and you can book with us online or call us on 01253 624888.
The revamped Promenade headland is due to be reopened this week so here's hoping that the traffic problems will ease off.  Let's hope that the sunshine lasts all through the summer. 
Hope to see you soon
EALT

It's already June!!

Can you believe it ... we are already almost half way through the year?!  The Dance Festival finished last night so all our international guests left this morning - some as early as 4am - to make their journeys home. We had some new guests visit us as well who were very pleased and have said they want to book again for next year.  We had some people from Thailand and South Africa as well as our expected Japanese, Dutch and Americans.  We're hoping to have some more people join us next year and will be advertising in Dance News to drum up some more business.  
We've added some links on various websites to let people know we are a dog-friendly hotel.  We're listed on Dog Friendly Britain, Dog People and will soon be up on Dogs Invited and The Good Dog Guide.  There are a couple of sites who list other-friendly options including cyclist, walker, business, smoker, etc etc.  Check out our page on Friendly Places.  
The weather has improved a lot over the last week and today it is lovely and warm.  The sun is shining and we're hoping it'll last the rest of the month!! Optimism eh?
EALT

Room Photos

We took some photos yesterday while it was still a bit grey and now that it is gloriously sunny when we go to take some more, the camera battery has died!  Ah well.  Hopefully you will still be able to see some of our new decor in the rooms.  

This is one of the smaller twins on the first floor back corridor.  Needs more light for the photo unfortunately.

 We are redecorating this single and moving around the bed - still a few bits and pieces to be done!

 These are two of our doubles located on the back corridor of the first floor.

 We are redecorating one of the triples on the first floor, so hopefully it will turn out like the other triple pictured further down! 

 This is one of the singles on the smoking corridor (second floor).

 This is one of the doubles on the smoking floor, recently redecorated and swapped from being a twin room.

 This is one of the larger twins on the smoking corridor (there are two rooms this size) and one slightly smaller.

 This is one half of the redecorated triple room on the second floor (Room 215).  

 And the other half of the room, now with bunk beds instead of a single bed with a pullout bed.

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.  As soon as we have the other rooms finished we shall post some more photos.  

Updated Website

We've made a few little changes to our website and will be adding some new photos to the gallery this week too.  We were hoping to add them today but as it's a bit grey looking outside the light isn't so great for photos!  Booo!

Unfortunately we've had a few coach trips cancel their bookings this month and in early June too!  It seems the economy is still keeping people at home.  We've introduced some Early Bird discounts on the online booking site as well as Late Availability discounts too but they don't seem to be coming in as much as we'd like.  It's very sad especially when the weather for the most part has been pretty decent. 

There are lots of events happening in Blackpool over the summer including Armed Forces Week, the UK Taekwondo Festival, Manchester to Blackpool Cycle Ride and the Car Run to name a few.  If you're planning on particpating then we hope you'll choose to stay with us for a few days. 

Can you believe it is already the third week of May?  The year is just flying by... before you know it, it'll be Christmas!!
EALT

More Updating Projects

have been going on in the last few days.  We started to redecorate and move around some furniture in 3 of our bedrooms.  One of them is now finished (bar the headboard needing re-attached) and the second is underway.  We are also refitting a new shower unit to one of the first floor bedrooms.  We seem to have had nothing but problems with it over the last year and so now we have a quiet week it is getting a new shower tray, having new taps and shower head, the walls are being re-plastered and cladded and fingers crossed the moved pipework will give us no more issues!  There is certainly always something needing to be seen to in a hotel with it's almost constant use.  Hopefully we manage to stay on top of it as best we can without a resident Mr (or Mrs) Fix-It-All!
Our lovely Enderby brass band guests left on Sunday after the competition.  This coming weekend there is the Electric Garden Festival held at the Beat club in the town centre.  We are a featured accommodation on the website so if you have tickets or are planning to get some, we still have some rooms left for the weekend.  If you like Progressive Rock then this is the newest Festival for you.
The Dance Festival starts on 26 May and this is the 86th year it has been held!  At least 60 countries were represented last year and this year is bound to be the same.  Blackpool certainly has a good reputation for Ballroom and Latin dancing as there are 5 Festivals held here throughout the year.  We have previously had a lot of champions stay with us but lately we've had more people involved behind the scenes - dressmakers, hairdressers, stall holders and so on.  
We are getting a lot busier for the Punk Festival held in August.  All our singles are taken so we have only doubles, twins and family rooms left.  There is an extensive list of bands performing between 4-7 August and tickets for the event are still available from the site.  If you book now for the Rebellion event you will qualify for an Early Bird discount on our online booking page, saving you 10%!
We'll post some photos of our updated rooms as soon as we can.  Unfortunately the weather has been a bit miserable the last couple of days so the light isn't so great for photos.
EALT

Young Farmers

We are in the middle of a very busy Young Farmers weekend.  We always have the same club stay with us who book out the whole hotel.  Mostly they are well behaved but there are always a few (and not even from our resident club) who cause some problems.  Everyone leaves on Monday and then we have a quiet week before we have the Band Competition over the next weekend.
After that the Dance Festival starts until June 6.  We have a group of Japanese guests staying with us as well as people from the Netherlands, USA, Russia and so on.  A very international group.  We still have a few rooms left for the Festival as well as the Band event so please get in touch.
We've changed our prices on the third party online booking sites and have also added numerous Special Offers including breakfast and some with dinner.  Our Festive Breaks have also been added so if you're looking for a Turkey Tinsel or a few days away at Christmas or New Year then check out the deals on offer.  We certainly have a lot going on over the Festive Season and all our guests have a great time.
The weather in Blackpool has been spectacularly good for the last few weeks.  Lots of lovely sunshine and temperatures are mostly over 16 degrees.  The last couple of days though have been a bit miserable and rainy.  Although now the sun is out again and fingers crossed it will stick around again!
Why not book a quick Monday to Friday break on our site to take advantage of the sunshine?  Bed and breakfast for 4 nights for £70 per person - a definite bargain!
EALT

Updates

We have updated the online booking prices through our third party sites and included lots of Special Offers for our Turkey Tinsel breaks as well as our Christmas and New Year Festive stays.  We know it might seem early to be this organised but we have already had some enquiries!  
We have a coach booked in for Christmas with Harry Shaw, so if you're from the Coventry area and surrounding then get in touch with them to include your transport in the package. 
Aberfeldy Motors have been bringing a coach or two to us at New Year for a long time and this year is no exception.  If you live in Scotland then please get in touch with them to make a Hogmanay booking including transport to La Tour.
We have some Early Bird discounts online too if you book more than 60 days in advance (but these don't apply to our Special Offers).  And certain dates have Late Availability discounts too, so check back regularly for a great last minute deal.  There is always a 2 night minimum throughout the year so when searching be sure to check that.
Only two days to the Royal Wedding now and unfortunately our flagpoles have yet to arrive! So much for getting them up and flags waving for Friday morning...
Have a lovely double Bank Holiday!
EALT