When Strictly Come Dancing makes its annual trip to Blackpool, it books the town's Big Blue Hotel. The building sits so close to the seafront activities that dancers may open their curtains in the morning to see a rollercoaster speeding by.
The popular BBC dance show returned to Blackpool for the first time in three years this year, and it's believed that most of the cast, crew and judges stayed in the hotel, which has rooms starting at £80 a night. It's right next to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, with some rooms just metres from the tracks of rollercoasters, such as the Big One and the Big Dipper.
The hotel - which gets its name from the bright blue colour that its exterior walls are painted - is open all year round and is in a prime location, just a short walk from the seafront. It is owned by the same company that runs the nearby £12 million Boulevard Hotel, that hosted former Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this year.
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The nautical theme is not consistent throughout though, with much of the interior design being based on a dingy 70's brown colour, according to LancsLive - although there is a high fish tank at reception and pothole windows in the corridors. Here's everything you need to know about the four-star Big blue Hotel.
How much does it cost to stay the night?
Midweek stays start from £80 for a standard double room, rising to £99 if you want to include breakfast. The cost is significantly more at weekends though.
During Winter Weekends when the annual Panto and Christmas events begin, standard double rooms can be as much as £180 a night with breakfast, and £225 if you want to add on a Pleasure Beach pass. For those planning a really fancy trip, suites are available for £300 per night.
What's for breakfast?
Celebrity dancers such as Kym Marsh, Hamza Yassin, Will Mellor, Helen Skelton and Fleur East will have been able to tuck into a traditional British breakfast buffet in the hotel's restaurant. Or they could have treated themselves to room service.
The Blues Bar & Brasserie, offers grilled meats, fried and scrambled eggs, pastries, fruits, cereals, three flavoured juices, coffee, teas and toast. It also serves lunch and dinner.
A reporter for our sister site LancsLive recently stayed at the hotel and said this about the breakfast: "The bacon and sausages were hot, lean and still sizzling, with no excessive pools of grease left behind on the plate. The fried eggs were cooked to perfection while the scrambled eggs were fluffy and creamy and subtly seasoned with salt and pepper."
They also mentioned the 'conveyor belt toaster of doom', saying: "We didn't have to risk sending it through again to its inevitable black charred death, which is what usually happens when it comes out looking anaemic after the first run. Result."
Location and other info
The hotel is situated minutes from the promenade and a short walk from the nearest tram stop. It's also a five minute walk from the South Pier and Sandcastle Waterpark. Rooms at the back of the hotel overlook the Pleasure Beach, while at the front they face the car park.
A number of packages are offered by the hotel, including theatre tickets and theme park entry. It has a gym, bar and 24-hour reception on site.
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