Why Gruffalo rooms at the Chessington Safari Hotel are worth the upgrade

Many people ask are the new Gruffalo rooms at the Chessington Safari hotel worth the money when visiting Chessington.

During our recent visit to Chessington to experience the new Gruffalo River Adventure Ride we wanted to make the trip extra special for the girls so we booked one of the brand new Gruffalo themed rooms.

If you are considering a stay on-site at Chessington, here are 8 things that you should know about the Gruffalo rooms.

Exclusive VIP Parking

When you book a Gruffalo room you get to park your car in your own exclusive Gruffalo parking spot, close to the Hotel and Theme Park entrance.

Early Check-In

You get to check-in earlier than other hotel guests from 2pm when staying in a Gruffalo room.

Gruffalo Themed Room

There are very few children’s themed hotel rooms around the world that can match this new offering at Chessington. It was as though we had walked into the pages of Julia Donaldson’s book The Gruffalo when we entered the room and the look on your children’s faces is just priceless.

The theming and attention to detail is what makes these rooms so special. A giant 3D Gruffalo head peers through the foliage above the bed, a bunk-bed treehouse in the children’s area complete with mouse from the Gruffalo holding the TV remote.  The walls of the room were beautifully decorated with Gruffalo painted scenes.  It really is breath taking and much more than just an hotel room, it’s an experience.

Even bath time for children is fun, as the entire bathroom was Gruffalo themed plus there was a TV in the bath.

 

Gruffalo Poncho Towel

Our children loved the Gruffalo Poncho towels that are in your room ready for you to use throughout your stay!

Amazing Views

All of the new Gruffalo rooms are located on the best floors and sides of the hotel. During our stay at the Chessington Safari Hotel our Gruffalo room had the most amazing views of the Wanyama Reserve, where we could see Zebra, Giraffe and Ankole cattle.

Gruffalo Animated Films

Children have their own their own personalised Gruffalo themed TV where they can watch the Gruffalo animated films from their bunk-bed treehouse section of the children’s area of the room.

Hidden Secrets

There is so much for children to explore in the room, from the hidden door behind the faux stone cushions that contained a copy of the Gruffalo book to read, Gruffalo themed narrative such as “you go ahead and I’ll follow after” that activates when you open the hotel room door to a giant wooden interactive wheel that when turned would say phrases from the animated film.

Fastrack Benefits

All Gruffalo room guests receive Explorer Fastrack benefits, enabling you to beat the queues with Fastrack access to selected rides for the whole family.

This benefit especially during peak periods such as Easter when we visited is so worthwhile allowing you to spend more time enjoying the rides rather than waiting in line, some of which were over an hour long.

Is it worth the upgrade?

On to what really matters – are the new Gruffalo rooms at the Chessington Safari Hotel worth staying at, and ultimately are they worth the extra cost?

The new Gruffalo rooms are the most expensive rooms at the hotel, but its well worth the extra expense and something I would strongly recommend. It’s a fun way to extend your Chessington theme park experience that your children will never forget.

When you add in the benefits of exclusive early check-in, VIP parking, Fastrack and more importantly being able to see your children’s faces as they enjoy the Gruffalo themed rooms it really seemed worth it to me!