Ever wanted to know what happens at Chester Zoo at night? Well, you soon can, as plans for the long-awaited savannah-style lodges at Chester Zoo have finally been approved by the local council. Visitors will be able to stay in one of the stunning luxury lodges within the zoo and wake up to the sight of animals just outside your lodge, including giraffes roaming freely across the land.
The plans were approved by Chester and Cheshire West Council earlier this week and will see a new area created, which will include 51 lodges (with a further 9 added in a later phase), a two-storey reception building with bar and restaurant, an orientation lodge, as well as a lake. The stunning luxury lodges will bring together a range of different African habitats – from bushland wildlife to rich plains – and guests will get to enjoy the highly unique accommodation right next to the park attraction, which is home to thousands of rare and endangered animals.
According to the zoo, the accommodation will be based on African safari lodges, with some overlooking the lake or the giraffe paddock and others a savannah-style enclosure. The Grasslands will be central to the area creating a large, open savannah which will be home to multiple rare and endangered species and the new restaurant will seat 120 with views overlooking the savannah and the wildlife.
The space will also be home to giraffes, who will be welcome to graze and wander within the savannah-style habitat. Guests will be lucky enough to watch as they go about their day, while two of the lodges will have their own private feeding and viewing zone, away from the other guests. Plus, giraffe feeding stations open to all guests also feature on the plans.
Cathy Lunn, Chester Zoo’s Development Director, said: “We’re delighted that our revised plans for our overnight stays scheme have been approved. This, and our other exciting new development, Heart of Africa, are incredibly exciting and ambitious projects for the zoo. Both will provide a major, long-term boost to the conservation work we carry out here in Chester and in 20 different countries around the world.”
The development was previously approved by councillors at a planning meeting back in 2019, however plans were delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic. Chester Zoo then resubmitted plans in 2022 with some revisions made last year.
With plans only recently being approved, a date for when work will begin and when the Chester Zoo lodges open is yet to be confirmed.