For our 2 year wedding anniversary we decided to have a long-needed getaway to Chessington. We have stayed here before in a standard room which I’ll link the review HERE. But let’s have a chat!
Pricing & Check-In:
Of course, we stayed on a Sunday to Monday and used our Merlin Annual Pass in order to gain the 20% off. Therefore, we paid a steal price of £80 that’s for 2 adults and 1 baby & for a themed room. Check-in was as straightforward as ever. You simply do it online via your email few days prior then you’ll receive a text when your room is ready and you collect your key at the reception by scanning the QR code and paying the £5 refundable deposit and all done.
Benefits:
During the main season the perks include early ride time on your second day. Whereas, we stayed the final day of the season and didn’t accumulate that perk which doesn’t matter too much to us given we wouldn’t have used it anyway having Liara with us. For the giraffe themed room the perk of the Splash Pool & Gym being included was fun. It’s not that costly if it isn’t included I believe £2/£3 each.
The Room:
There’s a lovely children’s area which is excellent for those who aren’t babies or toddlers of course. A travel cot was provided upon request although definitely take note of the fact there is no mattress or bedding included. It is also square-shaped unsure if that’s typical as this was our first rodeo and our mattress we brought was definitely not square that did cause a little bit of difficulties for us but we fixed it in the end. Just something worth bearing in mind.
The bathroom is a reasonable size and again resumes the theme well and subtly too. The bath is an alright size.
The main bedroom itself was gorgeous there’s so much to take in. The tinier things you’d never anticipate to have the theme like the wallpaper were all a delightful surprise. It really did feel special. It’s definitely one of if not the best hotel room we’ve stayed in. You have your tea & coffee facilities, a mini fridge, a decent size TV, somewhere to sit as well. Of course, the view was lovely admittedly we didn’t see all that much but I feel that’s a given the time of year we decided to stay. However, we did gain two pet seagulls which was odd but funny. The bed itself was very comfortable and difficult to get out of in the morning to say the least. I really respect all the love that goes into this kind of rooms with areas that are themed that just don’t need to be. If you are a lover of giraffes this is the place to be.
The Hotel Offerings:
In terms of offerings, there is a small amount of things to do to keep amused as a family admittedly I do prefer what the likes of Alton Towers have to offer in comparison. There’s a meet & greet stage on the ground floor which during our stay had characters from Cocomelon and Room on the Broom. Within this area is also the movie-like section for children. Of course, there’s arcades as well. Not particularly anywhere for adults to unwind and enjoy entertainment as such more of a cosy relax in their bar area.
Of course, a core bit of entertainment we found within the complex is the pool. We were fortunately the only family inside there. We had a lovely time purely due to it being Liara’s first time swimming and she adored it. However, it is quite dim in there we visited around 4pm so it was getting dark outside and the pool was also quite dar, especially the splash area.. For me, the splash pool almost felt a little bit bleak and the floor of the pool didn’t seem as clean as the other main pool. Not sure if that’s just the floor design. If you are visiting definitely invest in a warm swimsuit as the temperature particularly in the changing room is VERY cold.
Dinner:
We headed to Temple Restaurant originally which was unfortunately shut. So, ended up eating in Zarfari Bar & Grill. The service we were given was absolutely incredible we couldn’t fault it at all. As for the food given our opinions on Aramark elsewhere this was just lovely. To the point, we doubted whether it’s even the same but it was. All of our food came out perfectly cooked and tasted genuinely scrumptious. Of course, I ain’t going to lie the pricing is a little crazy to me. I understand completely that’s the same for everything nowadays and it’s not exclusive at all to theme parks but £17 for a fish & chips is quite a lot. Of course, you do get 20% off which did take a respectable £20 off our bill. But the food was lovely just not entirely sure it merited the sheer cost of the pricing.
Breakfast:
Again, I pre-booked us into Temple Restaurant and headed there for our time slot for it to be in the darkness but the doors opened. When Ant asked the staff about the situation they didn’t know what was going on oddly enough. So, headed back to Zafari Bar & Grill where the all you can eat breakfast we had expected soon turned into table service with a limited choice of options to choose from. We ended up with a full English and a bit of fruit. I’d say this was the greatest let down of our stay. We were of course excited knowing how good the Temple Restaurant is for breakfast. But the lack of communication regarding why we was able to prebook for it then to be closed was quite poor. There was no advertised or advised closures for the restaurant neither.
Would We Stay Here Again?
We would absolutely stay here again minus the small blips over unclear communication. The room itself and the experience as a whole was amazing. It was very family friendly and warming. The staff we encountered were brilliant during dinner they brought the Cocomelon characters in to see the children and they did not have to at all. Our waiter bent over backwards to ensure our evening was lovely and we didn’t want for anything. It was a delightful relaxed and quiet stay that was worth every penny we paid. We’re funny enough searching for the next stay and next room to try. The main thing I hope enhances for this hotel is evening entertainment. Something more along the lines of what Alton Towers offers would be brilliant. Nonetheless, the hotel is worth staying in and is perfect for families with younger children like ourselves.
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Have you stayed here before? Let us know your thoughts!
Talk again soon x