How much do you like tigers?
I mean, I think we can all agree theyre pretty awesome.
They can see six times better than we can at night.
They use their tails to say hi.
They manage to be both terrifying and cute at the same time.
But do you like them so much that you want to spend the night in a tiger-themed room before going on a tiger-themed ride surrounded by tigers?
Yes? Then youll probably like Chessington World Of Adventures Resorts Safari Hotel.
The themes pretty straightforward, but fun none the less.
The park has another hotel – Azteca – and a glamping area, but who cares about them when you can stay in a room where theres a tiger bursting out of a wall?
Why the tiger theme?
Well, the park has a section called Land Of The Tiger, which includes a log flume ride called Tiger Rock and four Amur tigers in an enclosure that includes overhead walkways.
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The tiger-themed rooms were, well, just look at the pictures.
There were tigers bursting through the wall, framed tiger photos, tiger stripe bed spread, tiger stripe cushion and tiger paw prints on the carpet.
And this was just the adults section of a family room.
The kids half was even more enthusiastic.
The only fault Id point out here is that the kids got a giant cuddly toy tiger – but only for the night, not as part of the cost of the room.
Luckily, my niece and nephew didnt seem too interested in him, but good luck prying a (give or take) £100 stuffed animal from your crying childs hands when you check out.
The bathroom seemed pretty normal (well, there was obviously a tiger pic in it, standard), but when you flushed the loo, the creators of this tiger-themed den dreamt up the best bit, in my opinion.
Yes, you hear a tigers roar when you flush. A growl when you foul. A big cat when youve – well, you get the idea.
On the main walls of the room, there are facts about tigers, and there were really lovely views of the safari park from the window.
The kids were reasonably entertained in the hotel itself.
They began their visit in the Savannah Splash Pool, which they loved.
After dinner, we all tried a music quiz (which was a bit too old for them and, at four and six, almost past their bed time).
In the Zafari Bar and Grill restaurant, there was a disappointing lack of tiger-themed foods.
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That said, the menu was, for theme parks, reasonable value and even included cocktails – theres a range of gin drinks, mojitos and Aperol spritz for £8.50, and mocktails for £3.50.
On the kids menu, three courses sets you back £9.95, and two courses £7.95.
Options included tomato soup, sausage and mash, macaroni cheese and profiteroles.
Also on the kids dessert menu was Gruffalo Crumble – which I had for serious reviewing purposes, not because the kids just wanted ice cream.
This was supposed to be ice cream topped with cream, jelly, crumble, cream and sweets, but mine tasted quite bland – too much ice cream and not enough everything else.
Hotel guests can also dine at the Temple Restaurant – theres a buffet menu – but this was closed during our stay.
Breakfast was slightly chaotic and involved a lot of queuing for bacon, but we did choose to go to the restaurant at rush hour (8.30am) – its open from 6.30am if youre up that early.
Part of the benefit of staying at the hotel was getting to go into the park early.
The highlights in terms of attractions included The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure (theres Gruffalo themed rooms in the hotel too, if your kids are obsessed with that at the mo).
Both kids enjoyed it.
Queuing up, they were a bit nervous it might be scary, but it was a fairly gentle water ride that tells the much-loved story visually.
Probably because of their ages, the kids loved the play park and animal elements of Chessington more than the rides.
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They spent ages running round Amazu, especially its series of walkways up high, with monkeys and parrots nearby.
As for Land Of The Tiger, it had an interesting design and the kids enjoyed spotting the Amur tigers Tsar, Kyra, Olga and Kalinka. But the log flume, Tiger Rock, was a bit daunting for them.
The eldest could have gone on it – its for kids of 1.2m and taller – but it was a bit out of his comfort zone.
I enjoyed it though – its your classic log flume ride, a little bit scary but not too scary, with an impressive drop and splash at the end.
We were very impressed by the food in the park during our day there.
Most theme parks Ive visited cant seem to get this right – not only is the food usually overpriced and almost exclusively junk food, its often of very poor quality.
However, we had lunch at Chessingtons Fried Chicken Co in the Forbidden Kingdom.
While theres no point pretending this was akin to a home made salad, you could at least get a veggie burger or a chicken wrap, as well as some really tasty chicken.
Meals, including chips and a soft drink, cost about £7 each.
Overall, the zoo elements of the park interested the kids more than the rides, and it was good to see there were plenty of areas to run about in, as opposed to just giant queues ending in rides that hardly last any time at all.
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As for the tiger room, they were neither scared nor particularly surprised (but will probably get a shock when they stay in normal hotels).
For my part, it was great waking up looking out across the plains (well, park), at the animals (grazing types) – more sheer calm than Shere Khan.
How much does it cost to stay at Chessington Safari Hotel?
A night in a tiger room at Chessington Safari Hotel, which can accommodate a family of four, starts from £359 per night.
This includes access to the Savannah Splash Pool, breakfast and two days entry tickets for the family.
Staying on site also means you can get into the park early, as we did, from the opposite side to the days crowds.
Check in is from 3pm and check out is at 10am, but head out earlier to make the most of your second day (and the lack of queues).
Standard rooms cost from £289, while character rooms, like the Gruffalo suites, cost from £489.
How to get to Chessington Safari Hotel
We drove – it takes about an hour from central London depending on traffic. We parked just outside the hotel and it was all very straightforward.
For day visitors, parking is £3, or £10 for a space closer to the entrance, and can be booked online in advance.
Alternatively, if travelling from London, you can take the train from Waterloo, Clapham Junction or Wimbledon to Chessington South.
The journey takes about half an hour – you then need to walk for about 10 minutes to the park.
A return ticket from Waterloo to Chessington South costs from £12.70 per adult.
As with all train journeys, children aged under five can travel for free as long as theyre with a fare-paying adult, while kids aged 5-15 can get a half price ticket.
National Rail is also running a two for one ticket offer to Chessington World Of Adventures – go to the Days Out Guide website for more details.
You could also take the 465 bus from Kingston to Chessington, or the 467 bus from Epsom.
(Top picture: Chessington World Of Adventures)
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