Autumn is here once again. After the clocks go back, it’s Halloween and time to get your broomstick out, release the skeleton from the closet, and say hello to the bogeyman. This year, we want to help make your celebrations even more fun and memorable. That’s why we’ve made a list of phantom-filled parties, eerie events, and frightening things to do taking place in a Hallmark Hotels location. Read on, then start making plans to unlock your inner demon.
Murder mystery weekend
Hotels are the perfect setting for make-believe murder and we‘re inviting you to get in character at one of three Halloween whodunnits.
Hallmark Hotel Hull is hosting the spookiest slaying in town (Friday 26 October). Hallmark Hotel Carlisle is hiding a dark secret for The Dead Lucky Murder Mystery (Friday 26 October). And Hallmark Hotel Derby Midland is the scene for the wedding from hell and The Rockee Horrible Homicide Murder Mystery (Thursday 1 November).
Tickets for the murder mystery include a three-course meal. Plus, we’re offering special accommodation rates to guests for the Hull and Carlisle murder mystery nights; invite a friend or go as a couple, stay in a classic or double room, and enjoy a delicious cooked breakfast the next morning.
Halloween Scream
Join us at Hallmark Hotel Preston Leyland for Halloween Scream, an evening of fancy dress and entertainment. Our resident DJ will keep you dancing the monster mash all night to your favourite Halloween and party classics.
The party is taking place on Saturday 27 October, starting with a tasty two-course fish and chip supper before you take to the dance floor to get your ghoulish groove on. Fancy dress is essential, and we will be handing out prizes for the most sickening (best) costumes.
Just in case you turn into a werewolf at midnight, we’re offering party guests a special overnight stay and tickets package. For just £89, two of you can share a twin or double room, devour a hangover-busting breakfast the next morning, and enjoy a late check-out to aid your recovery.
Halloween events for kids
Dramatic dungeons, twisting towers, and bloodcurdling battlements. Yep, investigating creepy castle is an effective way to scare the pants off kids at Halloween.
Between 27 October and 4 November, Carlisle Castle is entertaining little ones with scary stories and fancy dress from 11am to 4pm. Better suited to older kids, the castle’s torchlight tours, taking place over the Halloween weekend, give thrill-seekers the chance to explore a labyrinth of chilling corridors after hours. You might even bump into the ghost of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was an inhabitant of the castle.
Warwick Castle’s Halloween Week returns from 20 October to 4 November. One of the best Halloween events for families, there’s a packed programme of spine-chilling shows to excite and delight. Highlights include the Horrible Histories Maze, a brand-new show by The Witches Tower, and an escape room where you and your family will need to work as a team to get out.
Hallmark Hotel Carlisle is located within walking distance of Carlisle Castle, and Hallmark Hotel Stratford-upon-Avon The Welcombe is just a short drive from Warwick Castle. Ideal for Halloween holidaymakers, our short breaks offer means you can book a room with breakfast for even less this autumn and winter.
Not-too-spooky things to do on Halloween
Not brave enough to visit Britain’s most haunted castles? Don’t worry, there are loads of not-too-scary places to celebrate Halloween with your kids as well.
Monkey World in Dorset is offering free entry to children wearing fancy dress (extra points for ghost gorillas). Tatton Park, which includes a secluded and haunted medieval building, is putting on a children’s trail, storytelling, and ghostly games. And during the October half-term, Skylark Maize Maze and Funyard in Cambridgeshire is taking on a Jurassic theme, with dinosaurs hiding around every corner.
Halloween parties
Too old for trick and treating? Still want to play dress-up? Then a Halloween party or themed club night is probably your best bet.
The Block Party: Bournemouth Halloween Festival 2018 on Saturday 27 October has over 40 DJs playing across five venues. Combining cutting-edge dance music, daytime parties, and silent discos, headliners include Blonde, DJ Zinc, and The Artful Dodger.
Circus, a legendary club night in Liverpool, is holding a Halloween warehouse party at the Bramley Moore Dock on Saturday 27 October. Strictly fancy dress only, the party will see the likes of Patrick Topping, Skream, and special guest Pan-Pot taking to the decks.
Festival of the Dead at the O2 Academy Glasgow fuses a carnival atmosphere, circus performers, a 15ft vulture roaming the crowd, and acrobats with live music. After two sell-out years in a row, at the time of writing, there are still tickets available for Friday 19 October.
Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth Carlton and Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth East Cliff, Hallmark Inn Liverpool, and Hallmark Hotel Glasgow are all within walking distance of the Halloween parties outlined above. Instead of making your way home at the end of the night, be safe and stay with us.
Book a short Halloween break
Available until 20 December 2018, our short winter break deal means rooms are available from £39 per night when you book direct. This fantastic deal includes:
- A one-night break in a Classic room
- A hearty Hallmark breakfast and a free glass of Aperol Spritz
- A delicious three-course dinner from our all-new autumn and winter menu
- Free entertainment packs and soft drinks for kids during October half term
- Unlimited Wi-Fi for all guests
Read the special offer page for more information, then book your Halloween break today.
