As promised...The Ashford Thread :-)

[Lisa_C]

Here you will find some information when staying at Ashford, Kent.

If there is anything specific you would like to know then please ask and I will do my best to answer for you!!
In this thread you will specifically find hotels in the area of the turning at Junction 9 off the M20.

Holiday Inn Central
Rooms are listed at approx. £69 per night (N.B. This hotel will allow five in a room as long as the youngest one does not require a bed. A forum member booked a room which included a 4 year old that did not need a bed and there was no problem with this)

The Holiday Inn Central also offer a Eurostar package as follows :

EUROSTAR PACKAGE

EUROSTAR PARKING PACKAGE INCLUDES VAT AND BREAKFAST BASED ON TWO ADULTS SHARING A ROOM. TAXI ON OUTWARD AND INWARD JOURNEY TO EUROSTAR TERMINAL. COMPLIMENTARY PARKING AT HOTEL UP TO 7 DAYS. BOOK NOW AND COLLECT ON ARRIVAL YOUR 20% FOOD & BEVERAGE VOUCHER AND MCARTHUR GLENN SHOPPING DISCOUNT CARD.

ON ARRIVAL PLEASE ADVISE HOTEL OF TIME REQUIRED FOR TAXI. COLLECT TAXI VOUCHER FOR BOTH JOURNEYS FROM HOTEL RECEPTION UPON CHECK OUT. CHILDREN UNDER 12 STAY AND EAT FOR FREE WHEN SHARING ROOM WITH ADULTS. THE 20% FOOD & BEVERAGE VOUCHER IS REDEEMABLE AT THE HOTEL RESTAURANT AND BAR ONLY. MCARTHUR GLENN SHOPPING DISCOUNT CARD CAN BE USED AT MOST SHOPS AT THE ASHFORD DESIGNER OUTLET.SURCHARGE APPLIES TO TAXI JOURNEYS BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 7AM.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS. FULL PREPAYMENT REQUIRED AT TIME OF BOOKING. NO REFUND OR CANCELLATION ALLOWED. ​

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/925/en/hotel/asdke?&countryId=0925&cm_mm

Premier Inn - Eureka Park
Rooms are from £59 per night
http://www.premierinn.com/pti/hotelInformation.do?hotelId=28538

Travel Lodge Ashford
Rooms are from £50 per night
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/hotel_overview.php?hotel_id=4

Holiday Inn is opposite the Harvester and Bybrook Barn Garden Centre (which also serves food).

All three are with in easy reach of Burger King, Pizza Hut, Frankie and Benny’s, KFC, Cineworld, Reins Nightclub and the Beefeater Restaurant, with the Travel Lodge and Premier Inn being in the same vicinity of the afore mentioned. There are no petrol pump here and they can be found 5 mins away at Sainsburys (don’t anyone ever say they can’t find food in Ashford LOL!) which is just past the Ashford International Hotel.

Also with in reach of the M20 junction 9 is the
Ashford International Hotel (N.B. This hotel will allow five in a room, although a surcharge applies).
http://www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/ashford-international-kent.aspx

This is quite posh and has recently had a renovation but be warned the price reflects this. It does however have excellent facilities including a pool and fitness centre.

In Ashford town, you will find a Leisure Centre http://www.thestourcentre.co.uk/
which has three pools, including a fun pool with flumes. You will be charged £1.00 entrance fee if you are not a member but the facilities are excellent.


You will also find a bowling alley (which is fun but expensive and the food isn’t much cop) in town, and for women there is Mecca Bingo (whoot I hear you cheer!)

The Eurostar station is called Ashford International and is well sign posted. It is just outside of the main town and you will easily find it if you follow the signposts (which also lists the McArthur Glen Designer Shopping Retail Outlet so don’t be tempted to stop off!) The MGDSRO is also beside Asda but has NO petrol pump.



For the Shuttle, just simply return back to the M20 and follow the signs to Folkestone, it takes about 15-20 mins drive. If operation stack is in order (when the French strike and we get stuck with the lorrys on the M20) you are advised to take the A20 which is just off junction 10.

I will cover the hotels as junction 10 if anyone requires it, but most people seem to be driving then using Eurostar, and in my opinion the hotels mentioned have by far the best situated for this. And you will be spoilt for choice at the food outlets!

Regards,
Lisa x

P.S If anyone wants to know any thing else then please let me know!

 

[Debwid]

That is extremely useful and I wish it had been available last time we went.

We stayed at the Ashford International and got lost venturing out for food so went back and ordered room service. Hollie Jo had a glass of milk and managed to spill it all over the floor and up the wall, the last thing you need in such a posh hotel. It was very posh with bath robes etc but very expensive. All the bigger rooms were gone when I booked this time so we are staying at the Holiday Inn Central.

I was a little concerned about the noise at the other Hotels from the food places etc. I read on one site - probably trip advisor - that boy racers hang out there. I know how things can be exaggerated anyway but went for the safe option.

We are travelling Leisure Select so didn't bother with breakfast in the Hotel.

Must be so nice being so close but so tempting too LOL!

 

[Suzi-Q]

Thanks for this Lisa, wish I'd known this when I was looking for somewhere in Jan.

So I'll just add this incase it's of any help for someone.

We stayed at Premier Inn Ashford Central which is on the Orbital Park. Is that off Junc 10 of M20? As a passenger I wasn't paying attention on the drive there lol!

When I rang Premier Inn they said it was the closest of their 2 hotels for the Eurostar terminal. They have a decent sized car park and charge £5 per car per night if you want to leave it there, we stayed the sunday before catching the train on monday and then the saturday we returned, therefore they only charged for the 5 nights we were away.

They also arranged taxi's for us, we needed 2 for our group, they turned up as arranged (slightly earlier) and I think it took us about 15mins, this was around 8am. We went in convoy to the station but one cost £7.60 and the other £7.20 . When we got back we had no problem get 2 taxis from the rank at the station.

There is a Table Table resturant next to this Premier Inn. We had breakfast here before we returned home, think it was around £7.50 per adult for full breakfast with kids eating free, or £5.50 for continental breakfast but kids have to paid for. Very nice breakfast cooked to order while you help yourself to cerals, toast, juice etc. There is also a McDonalds just across the road from the Inn, which we used on our first night there.

 

[Lisa_C]

Thanks guys

Suzi-Q : You were right, it was at junction 10. Your taxi fare difference sounds familiar, it's a bit hit and miss here sometimes!

Debwid : It's lovely living so near, just wish my pockets would agree with me LOL! To be honest I treat my trips as proper holidays and tend to not go too often (I did in the late 90's and early 00's but then another bub came along and put stop to that!) I just go for loooooooooooooonger *yey*

As for the noise, it's actually not that bad, there isn't enough space in the carparks for boyracers as the cinema is extremely busy. Obviously Saturdays and Fridays are a little noisier with the night club now open but it's well policed and the bouncers stand for nothing! The hotels are situated at the other end of the complex away from the club, though the KFC does stay open late and there is a bit of loitering, but generally everything is cleared quickly

Anyone else who has info to add about their stay please add to the thread, every little helps

Lisa x

 

[Ms Poppins]

Hi,

We've gone eurostar from Ashford 3 times now and planning our 4th in June.

Although we live in Scotland, we drive down the day before and have got our bearings in Ashford pretty well now. We ususally stay at the Travel lodge or Premier Inn, which is handy for Frankie and Benny's which our kids love.

We don't ususally have breakfast at the hotel though, we go to the local Sainsburys and then head for the station to park.

We flew on our first visit to dlrp and would never do that again. The Eurostar is so much easier, even with the long drive. You get the full last day at the park, as the train usually leaves about 19:30, instead of having to race for the shuttle bus before lunch.

Now, a question for Lisa.....

Do you know of any hotels that offer family rooms for 5? This is our first trip with our yongest too old to be classed as an infant. I did phone the Premier Inn, but I think the wee boy that answered the phone was on work experience or something and told me to phone back when the manager was there, but he didn't know when that would be.........I might try the holiday inns as i know they sometimes do bigger rooms.

My ds is 4, and usually ends up in with us anyway, so trying to avoid double room charges if possible.....

Thanks for the thead Lisa, i've been raving about Ashford for years, keep up the good work xx

 

[Lisa_C]

Hi Ms Poppins

I'm not sure on the rooms for 5, but I'll try and find out for you this weekend. I get free calls then so if anyone else would like anything else answered then give me a shout and I'll do some calling!


I should maybe visit the places I've talked about this weekend too, and take pictures and add them to this thread, would be funny if nothing else!!

 

[Cyrano]

This thread has been linked in The Very Useful Info sticky under Travelling to DLP by Train

 

[wyre forest red]

Superb post. Now just one question that I think might be useful for some. If you travel down from the North on a long journey with young chidren intending to cross the channel the following morning, often a key need is somewhere to let the kids let off steam. Is there a "Wacky Warehouse" type pub, or failing that an indoor play area in Ashford that parents could take their little ones to early evening, after a long day on the motorway? In an ideal world it would be near to that Eureka Park, our favourite stop for cheap Travelodge rooms on our way down. Many thanks!!!

When I win the lottery my gift to the world will be a website of useful play areas, indoor and outdoor, just off motorway junctions. I'll have fun researching them... and boy will it be useful to parents!!!!

 

[Debwid]

http://www.whattodowiththekids.co.uk/

http://www.softplayareas.co.uk/play-areas-Kent.htm

http://www.imaginethefun.co.uk/v2/index.htm

http://www.netmums.com

These might be useful. The last one you need to register and can join any area. I have joined all my local areas and most of the places we have visited in the UK.

 

[Belle's World]

We have styed at the Ashford International Hotel twice and have just booked our third stay for June. Although this hotel is expensive it really gets you in the holiday mood and makes the holiday start as soon as you get there. When we went in December 2004 before our honeymoon in Disney it was magical with a massive Christmas tree. To me it looked like the hotel in Home Alone 2. Also we had free bottles of water and biscuits in the room.
The second time we did not get the water.
This year we have booked dinner bed and breakfast for £126 in advance for 2 adults. The breakfast is delicious, a full cooked English, definately keeps you full until you reach Disney. We havn't had dinner there before only bar snacks but it is supposed to be really nice and we will be getting a 3 course meal.
They are always happy to order a taxi which takes under 10mins and cost about £5 back in 2006.

Would reccommend this hotel if you are not on a strict tight budget.

Ro

 

[klo1986]

i have just booked the holiday inn central.For £97 i have bed and brekfast and also taxi transfers 2 and from the hotel 2 the eurostar, this also includes car parking for 7 days.

i am looking foward 2 the evening meal at harvester which apparently is just across from the hotel.

cant wait now my 1st trip 2 dlrp is coming along very nicely!

 

[Ware Bears]

Thanks for all the info Lisa and everyone else who's contributed this thread will be a great help to everyone staying around here.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Wow! This is really helpful for a newbie!! Is Holiday Inn the only hotel which offers a parking package?

Thanks!

 

[Lisa_C]

Wow! This is really helpful for a newbie!! Is Holiday Inn the only hotel which offers a parking package?

Thanks!

To be totally honest I am not entirely sure - though this is the only hotel that seems to get mentioned for it on this board.

Maybe it is worth clicking on the hotel links and taking a look, they do update their offers from time to time so it's worth checking

I'm seriously considering building an extension with a guest room to accommodate all the DISers that need to be put up over night !! And of course, they would be parking

 

[Ms Poppins]

I'm seriously considering building an extension with a guest room to accommodate all the DISers that need to be put up over night !! And of course, they would be parking

Pencil me in for next Saturday please

We're booked for the Holiday Inn Central and think we might do the eurostar package, the reception said we could decide when we arrive. We would need 2 taxis, so an extra £10.00 on top of the room which I think is £117 for all 5 of us.

I'll be sure to let you all know how we get on when I get back

thanks again for this thread - very useful

 

[Lisa_C]

I've added a few photos of the Eurostar terminal to show what the covered walkway from the car park looks like and also the Stour Leisure Centre

Oh I looked like a right train spotter as I even watched the train itself pull away.....

 

[Suzi-Q]

In the process of pricing up our Ashford accomodation for the our September trip.

Have just rung the Premier Inn Central to see if their overnight parking charges had gone up - we paid £5 per car per night in January (no charge for the nights you are actually staying in hotel) - good news they haven't gone up, apparently they can no longer charge you for parking but (in the words of the girl on the phone!!!) 'we rattle the donations tin at you'

Ashford International Hotel charge £7.50 per car per night.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Suzi remember to let me know how you get on with being helped on the train.

 

[Suzi-Q]

Suzi remember to let me know how you get on with being helped on the train.

Will do Emma but we don't go until the week after you

I've just been having a look on the Eurostar website and under travel information there is a section stating that you can help to get you on/off the train, states you need to arrive at least 45 minutes before departure.

I've just rung Eurostar and the help is available for anyone, not just people with disablities (I quoted you as an example, stressed adult travelling alone with a toddler, buggy and loads of bags (for all Kyra's dresses))

All you need to do once you are through check in is go to the help desk and ask for assistance. They will also arrange for someone to meet you at the other end. I also asked about help on the way back and who/where we needed to ask. Apparently when you request help on the outward journey you can also get Ashford to arrange help for your return So I presume there will be someone to meet you at DLRP once you are through check in.

The recorded message while I was waiting to be answered also states that they now no longer charge the £5 booking fee for phone bookings payments by debit card have no charge but there is still the 3% charge on credit card payments.

Suze

PS Mods would it be possible to add this thread to the useful info thread?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Thanks Suzi thats fab news for me woohooo

All them trips i had stressing about getting on and off the train and i could of asked for help

I'll make sure i arrive early then.