Hollywood Bowl Basildon — Attraction in Basildon

Rating: 4 stars

I recently visited Hollywood Bowl Basildon to celebrate my mother's birthday, and I must say that overall, it was a fantastic experience. We had pre-booked the unlimited bowling deal in advance for £48, which allowed us to play from 8-10pm, right up until the closing time. Let me share my thoughts on various aspects of our visit.

Firstly, the bowling experience itself was great. The lanes were well-maintained and the bowling balls were in good condition. The unlimited bowling deal was perfect for a group of friends or family looking to have a fun-filled evening. We were able to play without any interruptions, and the time flew by as we cheered each other on and enjoyed friendly competition. The staff members were helpful and readily available, ensuring that our visit was enjoyable.

The bar at Hollywood Bowl Basildon offered a wide range of drinks to satisfy different preferences. I was particularly impressed with their drink selection, which included various alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. The staff members at the bar were friendly and efficiently handled the orders. The drinks were served promptly, and we were able to enjoy them during our bowling games. It added to the overall upbeat atmosphere and made the experience more enjoyable.

However, there was a minor issue with their advertised service of bringing drinks to the table. Unfortunately, this did not happen during our visit. While ordering drinks through the web platform was convenient, we had to make frequent visits to the bar ourselves to collect our orders. It would have been more convenient if the advertised service had been implemented consistently. Nonetheless, the quality of service at the bar remained satisfactory, and it did not significantly impact our overall experience.

The venue itself was well-maintained and clean. The ambiance was vibrant, with music playing in the background and a lively atmosphere throughout. The facilities were in good condition, including the seating areas and restrooms. Hollywood Bowl Basildon had a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, making it an ideal place for gatherings and celebrations.

Another positive aspect worth mentioning is the booking process. The ability to pre-book the unlimited bowling deal in advance was convenient and ensured that we had a guaranteed slot during the peak hours. The online booking system was user-friendly and straightforward, allowing us to easily secure our reservation. This saved us valuable time and prevented any potential disappointment if the venue happened to be fully booked.

In conclusion, my visit to Hollywood Bowl Basildon for my mother's birthday was an enjoyable experience overall. The unlimited bowling deal allowed us to play for the entirety of our booked time slot without any issues. The bar service was commendable, offering a diverse range of drinks to choose from. Although they didn't bring the drinks to the table as advertised, it was a minor drawback that didn't affect our overall enjoyment. The venue was well-maintained, and the atmosphere was lively. I would definitely recommend Hollywood Bowl Basildon for those seeking a fun-filled evening of bowling and...

Bowling itself was fine. Service call is pointless, as after waiting for 20 minutes, nobody came over. After waiting, we decided to go to the bar to order drinks. We got ID'd as normal, that's fine. However, the staff held my driver's license for good 5 minutes without telling me what the problem was. Multiple members of staff gathered around to look at my ID, and were giggling without telling me what was going on. I had to ask if I could have my ID back please. A bouncer came over and said since my driver's license is from Finland (I am Finnish national), there's no way of checking whether the ID is real or not. I then had to educate the bouncer and bar staff on the hologram that is on the license proving it is real. I also had to provide other cards with my name on them to show the license was real. He also asked if I have a passport with me. I just came to bowl, so I obviously didn't carry a paasport with me since I have a valid EU driver's license... A manager looking person walked over and said my ID is fine. The bouncer said "we are very strict with ID'ing people" to which I responded "I am from Norwich and have been to our local Hollywood Bowl multiple times and have never been questioned about my license".

I was absolutely shocked with the 'customer service' I received: Bar staff withholding my ID giggling in a group, and not informing me what the problem was. A bouncer with a very poor attitude. All of them lacking the knowledge on how to read IDs! How is it possible that Hollywood Bowl Basildon can only serve alcoholic beverages to UK nationals?

To top everything off, I didn't even get an apology for the unnecessary scene caused by the staff's lack of knowledge. This absolutely ruined my evening at the bowling as naturally I was very flustered for the rest of the time. Won't bother...

We paid for my Son his 2 sisters and 2 of his friends plus us as 2 adults (7 in total) we booked online and my Son was excited to be going as part of his birthday. Well, it started off OK, the person on the market main reception desk was quite friendly and helpful, with putting names and stuff on the computer so our lane was set up and ready to go, we had ordered food online which she asked if we wanted straight away which we did so we said yes. Well after her helpful nature what ensued can only be described as downright rude. When we got our food, we had the wrong items to what we had ordered online. When we told the two girls that came to us they did not apologise, or even utter any kind of audiable language, one of them instead decided to cut her eyes at my wife (who is a typical London girl when it comes to taking dirty looks, etc... In other words, ZERO TOLERANCE!) So after me holding her back from a full confrontation with the girls we then had to wait another 20 minutes for our food, when it did eventually turn up it was certainly a waste of money and not worth the £40 odd we paid for the meals. To go there and just bowl I would say it's a good experience but I would certainly avoid the food from there in future and don't go if you feel you may need to talk to any of the lane staff given the two girls we had were P45 worthy straight off the bat if I had been their boss. If you want food I would suggest any of the surrounding restaurants including the McDonalds. Considering how much better the food would have been and probably around the same price of Hollywood bowl if you went to Nando's or the Toby carvery...