VISITORS to Drayton Manor's £18.5million hotel will now be staying in four-star accommodation.

The theme park's 150-bedroom hotel – which boasts Thomas the Tank Engine-themed bedrooms – has been given the rating by Visit England, the UK's national tourist board.

The hotel achieved the stars after a thorough inspection by an independent professional assessor last week.

"This is terrific news," said Martin Wright, general manager of the hotel.

"Having this star rating means that guests will know the quality and services they can expect when they book a stay with us.

"Visit England's star ratings are determined by the type of services and facilities a hotel provides, as well as things like cleanliness, hospitality, standard of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the quality of the food."

The Drayton Manor Hotel, which opened in August, boasts WiFi access, air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms and LCD TVs as standard.

Each room has a "stylish, contemporary" interior, complete with a unique framed photograph of one of the theme park's rides.

Guests can choose from a range of rooms, including standard, family, interconnecting, executive and deluxe rooms, as well as three presidential rooms.

The hotel's 11 Thomas and Friends family rooms are a special attraction.

Each room has a hand-painted scene on the wall and ceiling depicting a different character from the Thomas and Friends series.

There are feature-themed bunk beds while train track- patterned carpets lead to each room.

In addition, the hotel features two restaurants, Parklands Brasserie and Parklands Restaurant, and two bars, Parklands Bar and the Carousel Bar.

For more details about the hotel visit www.draytonmanorhotel.com.