The days of sharing bowling shoes are now long gone; the modern-day bowling alley has been transformed into a proper day out. Hollywood Bowl Bristol has recently completed its £450,000 refurbishment just in time for the October school holidays.
We were invited to test our game and see the new look at the Cribbs Causeway retail park, one of two centres in the Bristol area. The new-look venue features 26 revamped bowling lanes, as well as an innovative scoring system with digital top scorer boards across all of the lanes to bring out players’ competitive spirit.
If you're looking for a family-friendly activity this half-term, bowling could offer a fun and stress-free day out. We tried one of the four new "state-of-the-art" VIP lanes at the expansive centre.
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Admittedly there is not a vast amount of difference in going VIP to normal at the Cribbs Causeway branch. Drinks and snacks can be ordered to your lane like any other, but instead, you're in a more private booth that's big enough for a party of people. The VIP lanes are available at £2 extra per person and are bookable over the phone.
Each player's profile can be modified to either raise or lower the barriers for their round and there is a variety of bowling ball sizes to choose from, including a ramp for little ones. For nostalgic purposes, we ordered mixed Tango Ice Blasts (£3.55) to our lane while we played.
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The bowling alleys, which were shrouded in a blue light, were spread out so you weren't on top of other groups and each game flowed seamlessly. The staff were hugely accommodating and always happy to help when we had a question.
Children under 16 can play for £6.15 per game while adults cost just one pound extra - families can also get a group ticket for £25.27. Hollywood Bowl also offers a number of offers such as a kids' game including a meal and a drink for £8 and three games for £10.50 per person - full terms of use are on the website.
Guests who visit the centre can enjoy the American-style diner offering an array of meals and drinks. Kids can eat from £4.59 for burgers, a hotdog and chicken nuggets. Meanwhile, adults can indulge in a selection of snacks and sharers, including nachos laden with melted cheese and dips for £7.49, which is great for groups of people.
The burgers, although quite unlike the promised picture on the menu, were reasonable at £8.99 for bacon and cheese and £6.99 for the vegan Moving Mountains burger. Fries were also included in the price, which is a rarity these days.
And for any guests wishing to keep the competitive spirit going, Hollywood Bowl’s amusement area offers leading games such as air hockey, pool and racing.
Hollywood Bowl is giving early bowlers 25 per cent off bowling when you bowl before 11am during the October half term holidays. The early bowler discount applies to games booked and bowled before 11am during the October half term and can be booked online using the code 'OCT25'. Offer dates vary by centre.
Guests are advised to pre-book their bowling experience in advance online.
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