A TRIP to Santa's sleepover should be top of everyone's list, says Suzanne Jackson.

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SANTA’S Sleepover – it sounds like every child’s dream and, this side of the North Pole, where better to make that dream come true than Alton Towers?

From the moment we arrived at the Splash Landings Hotel the ever-attentive staff made it their priority to ensure that our daughter, Ava got the most from her experience and, having booked her slot with the man in the red suit, they introduced us to the on-site water park.

All three of us couldn’t wait to make our own waves so, having completed the checking-in formalities, we made a beeline for the indoor and outdoor slides, floats and water guns. The climbing frame with water squirts at every turn was particularly splashtastic – we were in heaven, and my daughter’s confidence grew and grew.

We caught the Doodles, a puppet show that hit the spot with children from two to eight before dinner in Flambo’s, normally an Asian inspired restaurant but offering a full Christmas menu for the season.

Unfortunately for us vegetarians the options were somewhat limited. But as soon as we expressed our concerns the main chef, Dave, came over to our table and pleaded for the chance to rustle up something special – “If I have to make another stuffing ball and turkey I might cry!”

True to his word, he produced sweet and sour stir-fried vegetables with mushroom rice and prawn crackers – an incredible meal served with such passion and pleasure by all the restaurant staff and certainly the best service I’ve experienced since becoming vegetarian.

As if this wasn’t enough excitement for one day, we had the disco for the little ones. Ava had enough energy to dance into the evening.

The hotel room, neatly decorated and beautifully themed, offered a double bed and a set of bunks with a perfect view of the outdoor steaming pool, looking for all the world like some tropical retreat.