This summary provides an overview of Chessington World of Adventures resort and the newly opened Azteca Hotel: - The Azteca Hotel at Chessington World of Adventures has a temple theme throughout, including temple-themed rooms and a restaurant with a tank of piranhas. - The 69 rooms are decorated to resemble jungle environments and divided rooms provide a separate sleeping area, making it easier for families. - In addition to the theme park attractions, the hotel offers views of animals in the nature reserve from some rooms and nighttime sounds of exotic animals from the windows.

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Chessington and the temple of rooms
The temple theme at Chessington World of Adventures’ new Azteca Hotel may be an assault on the
senses but an overnight visit to the resort will leave families with fond memories to treasure
Chessington World of Adventures
A Temple Treasure room
For those of us who still are big kids at heart, theme parks are as much for grown-ups as they are for children. And
whilst the UK’s homespun versions aren’t quite as slick as the likes of Disney’s mega-resorts they are as charming –
and a drive rather than a flight away.
An hour south of London, Chessington World of Adventures – which started as a small private zoo – has become one
of the country’s most visited attractions. Since opening as an amusement park in 1987 it has expanded to incorporate
10 ‘lands’ with rides, a nature reserve, a larger zoo, a SEA LIFE centre and petting farm. Today, it's bigger and better
than ever, though its compact size makes it manageable – especially for younger children. And whilst there are plenty
of rides, kids seem as interested in the animals.
Kids will love the Temple Restaurant
The success of the resort’s Safari Hotel has led to the opening of the Azteca. Attached to the Safari, it shares a
reception (complete with resident iguanas) a gym, pool and Savannah Splash Zone but has its own restaurant
boasting a tank of fearsome piranhas and a temple, no less. It's fantastical and fun, sort of like being on a film set. The
69 themed bedrooms come in three guises – Discovery, Temple Treasure and Temple Summit – and are not only
comfortable and spotless but decorated to evoke the mysteries of the jungle. In the Temple Treasure rooms life-size
monkeys gaze out from the foliage and lizards and bugs scurry across the wallpaper. Beneath your feet, the carpet is
strewn with temple stones and discarded equipment such as binoculars. Pick Discovery to bed down at an explorer’s
base camp; choose Temple Summit for views from atop ancient ruins. Rooms can accommodate up to five and the
separate sleeping areas will leave parents wishing more hotels offered the simple luxury of a divided room,
which makes it marginally easier for excited kids to fall asleep and for mums and dads to get some well-earned peace.
Debra Waters
View of the Azteca Hotel from the Wanyama Reserve
What is special about these four star hotels is that many rooms overlook the Wanyama Village – where monkeys and
meerkats play – and the Reserve where ostriches, zebras and giraffes roam. Leave a window open at night and you
can hear the haunting calls of exotic animals and birds, transporting you – in your slumber – to the wilds of Africa. If a
safari is out of your reach, this enclave in Surrey is a step closer to the real thing.
The buffet at Temple restaurant has a balanced selection of food, including a grill and salad bar alongside chips and
ribs. Service is amiable and meals punctuated by visits from characters from the film Madagascar, who wander
around high-fiving little diners. In the bar, the inexhaustible entertainment team dance and play games with children.
Pre-teens are most likely to get the best out of Chessington, though young adults will enjoy the bigger thrills, such as
the Kobra and Dragon’s Fury. To avoid disappointment be aware of height restrictions – kids need to be at least 1
metre tall to go on many rides.
A golden lion-headed tamarin
Chessington is run by the Merlin Group, which has the monopoly on family attractions in the UK, so consider a Merlin
Pass – it gives holders unlimited entry into parks, so all you need to do is pay for a room. Alternatively, the hotels
usually have B&B with park entry offers on the resort’s website that represent good value.
There are a number of reasons to stay the night: you’ll be able to take full advantage of what the park has to offer –
including utilising next day Bounceback tickets for only £6 each; you’ll have somewhere to relax if the kids get tired or
before the drive home; and you’ll avoid queues as you can get early access to the park in the morning.
For a couple of days after your trip you may have Chessington's constant piped music running tirelessly through your
head. Fortunately, it's such an upliftng soundtrack to a fun-packed and relatively affordable weekend that the chances
are you won’t mind one bit.
Prices start from £199 per night for a family (up to two adults and three children aged 12 and under) on a B&B basis.
This includes two days’ worth of theme park entrance tickets. For more information and to book, visit the Chessington
World of Adventures website.
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Chessington and the temple
of rooms
The temple theme at
Chessington World of
Adventures’ new Azteca Hotel
may be an assault on the
senses but an overnight visit to
the resort will leave families with
fond memories to treasure
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