Clifton Observatory Bristol reviews by real event-goers

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

We were really looking forward to taking our 2yr old to meet Santa. Being that we had been to this venue for a wedding in the summer we thought the atmosphere would be magical. Unfortunately there was too many people in the building at one time. It was a healthy and safety risk (taking people 20min it’s to get down the stairs) and little ones were soon becoming distressed by the noise and volume of people. We attempted to leave the queues to go upstairs and enjoy the live music which did offer some breathing space but which you were sad to find we couldn’t use the mulled wine tokens upstairs, only in the overcrowded impossible to get into “Santa grotto” could you get access to this. So we left after an hour without experiencing anything we had hoped for. Was a huge disappointment sadly.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

The event was massively oversold. I think they sold too many tickets and hadn’t anticipated that lots of people with small children might arrive at the earlier slots. We were kept waiting in the freezing cold for over 20 minutes. The tables inside were very limited and so we couldn’t t access any of the Xmas crafts. The chocolate fountain was an extra charge which hadn’t been advertised and was very overpriced at £1.50 for 2 marshmallows. The queue for Santa was so long and crowded that we didn’t even attempt it. At one stage there were so many people trying to get down the stairs from the rooftop that it became totally blocked and was dangerous.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Very disappointing, the whole event had so much potential but was badly laid out and not well orgainised, it was really rather stressful.

What was good:
- Santa was lovely and his setup was very nice. My daughter is very shy and he was kind and patient with her.
- The venue was pretty.
- The adult drinks were tasty and generous.
- The craft options were good for children of all ages.

What was bad:
- The layout. Bottleneck entry where the wine was right at the entrance making queues to get in and around almost impossible. The buggies were also parked right at the entrance so there was nowhere to move.
- The wine was EXTREMELY hot and right where children were walking past to get to Santa or the crafts. There were several near accidents that would have resulted in an A&E burns visit. It would have made more sense to have this upstairs and out the way.
- The craft chairs looked nice but were impractical, as it took up unecessary space and made it difficult for parents to assist. A simple bench would have been far more effective.
- There was inadequate seating availability and we got stuck on the rooftop in the cold because no one could move past the queue. One family became so distressed trying to get in to see Santa they opted to walk outside and wait out the front. The stairs became wet, blocked and somewhat dangerous at this point as people were forced to push past each other or get stuck waiting in the cold/rain.
- It would have been nice to have Christmas related food/snacks available (again, probably better upstairs).

In future it would make more sense to limit the number of people going in at any one time, perhaps by selling the tickets as a 1hr slot? This would ensure adequate space when moving between parts of the venue without being crushed or pushed up against the walls. The ticket prices were reasonable but all in all it was not good value for money, one parent was livid they had paid over £50 to attend with their children and were having a miserable time of it all.

I do not like to complain so have tried to provide helpful and suggestive feedback, but all in all, it was not particularly enjoyable - no matter how pretty it looked.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

This was a sweet Santa event however the venue was far too small for the amount of people allowed in, especially as it was aimed at families who of course would primarily be bringing buggy's/prams. In this weather and the high chance of wet weather there was nowhere covered outside to leave buggy's and so most took them inside.
Music and crafts were fun and the Santa & little gift was fab! The staff were really friendly too.
Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

The queue was really slow moving. We waited 40 minutes to see Santa. Santa’s gift wasn’t very good. The arts and crafts were just colouring sheets, and the band stopped playing after one hour. It was poor value for money.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Overcrowded. No direction from staff. Genuine Health & Safety issues - we waited 20 mins on the stairs to exit!

I want a refund.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Too many people for size of venue far too long queuing outside and not able to do the activities not impressed with gift from Santa .

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Disappointing, overcrowded, over sold.
Staff unenthusiastic
Fluffed up when sold but basic and rubbish.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

We were really looking forward to this event as it was something different and Somewhere we had wanted to go for ages. Unfortunately it didn’t meet our expectations, it seemed very disorganised, no one explained where to go or what was where and it was very chaotic. There was a queue when we got there but we weren’t sure what it was for, so went to the rooftop terrace with a lovely hot chocolate bought from the cafe. When we came back downstairs we realised the queue was for Santa so we joined this and the kids went to do some of the activities. It was difficult to move around. The activities weren’t very good, there was no decorations to colour in even though we asked for more and a handful of colouring sheets! We also saw a member of staff giving out free hot chocolate to the kids but we never got offered any when we came in. The Santa bit itself was ok, nothing special but the kids didn’t seem to worry. It’s a wonderful venue, we just expected more of this event.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

The observatory could have been a wonderful venue but despite having a time slot to see Santa, the staff seemed to let a constant stream of people into an already crowded venue including allowing buggies inside. It felt dangerously full as it was very difficult to exit past the queue of people. We couldn’t get past the crowds to get the hot chocolate/chocolate fountain. We had to leave quite quickly as it was uncomfortable. The gifts from Santa were also not of the quality we would have expected. Santa himself did a great job !

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Terrible organization, venue too small, people left out queuing in the cold not knowing what was going on. It was like a game of how many …. can you fit in a phone box

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

far too busy, small and badly organised. very long queue in cramped space with small children. would not go back.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

Far too oversubscribed! Too many people inside the venue for people to be able to enjoy it. No space on the tables for each child to do the arts and crafts, the chocolate fountain wasn’t working properly and the chocolate was too thick, the roof terrace hadn’t been wiped down of moisture on all the outdoor seating meaning we weren’t able to sit down, and from a health and safety perspective it was undoubtedly not compliant with any kind of fire risk assessment - I wouldn’t have felt safe in the cramped environment if an emergency had happened. Such a shame! The venue itself was lovely but there were just too many people and our children really didn’t enjoy it due to the overcrowding.

Review of Clifton Observatory - Santas Grotto

The organisation could have been better, having an open Santa's grotto in the craft area where mulled wine is being served caused a bottleneck as everyone queuing for Santa blocked the route into the room. Even though there were timed tickets for Santa this wasn't checked so the queue was quite long. They ran out of certain craft things quite early too. All in all would have been a more enjoyable experience if the Santa location/queuing had been better thought out.

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party

Spectacular views... A great atmosphere made for a very enjoyable night. Would definitely do this again!

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party

Lovely evening, sparklers we’re a nice touch

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party

Fantastic night - had a brilliant time 😀

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party

Review of Clifton Observatory Bonfire Night Party