Visitors to Chessington World of Adventures Resort may soon get the opportunity to camp out at the park with the Resort submitting a planning application for a new glamping site.
Proposed to be located in the field to the west of Wild Asia next to Lorikeet Lagoon, the glamping (glamourous camping) site would comprise of 35 accommodation tents and two ancillary tents alongside the associated facilities and play area. If permission is granted, the new glamp site will offer guests the opportunity to stay on the site from the 1st May to 31st October each year. Initially the site will operate for up to five years, with further planning permission needed should the resort want to extend the offering beyond this period.
Of the 35 accommodation tents, it is proposed that four of these will be premium ‘Amboseli Tents’, with the remaining 31 being regular round tents. When at full capacity, the site will be able to cater for 148 visitors. All the tents will be made using a sandy coloured canvas with the Amboseli Tents also having green roofs. From the plans, a regular tent would offer accommodation for up to four people with a double bed in the centre and two single beds on either side of the tent. The larger Amboseli Tent comprises of three ‘rooms’ with a living area in one, a double bed in the second, and two single beds in the third. Upon arrival in the southern Explorer Car Park (or the Lodge Car Park at quieter times), it is proposed that guests will be guided to their accommodation by a dedicated team. Once checked in guests will be able to access the resort and take advantage of dedicated activities. Whilst the main tents will be temporary structures only in place for the period the site is occupied, a number of other structures will remain in place permanently. These include: shower and toilet huts; accessible showers and toilets; security building; a central play area; and bamboo fencing.
The glamping site will add to the Resort’s existing accommodation, with guests already having the option to stay in either the Azteca or Safari Hotels. Chessington World of Adventures have previously applied for permission to use the proposed glamping site location for camping, with permission being granted in 2013 for a camp site to cater for up to 180 guests for up to 200 nights a year. However, this resort have never implemented these plans. In the planning documents the Resort have stated that the Glamping site will play a pivotal role in providing unique visitor accommodation and differentiating repeat visits in a competitive leisure market.
Merlin Entertainments have already successfully implemented a glamping site at Warwick Castle which is popular with families and regularly operates at full or near full capacity. It is hoped that Chessington’s glamp site will be able to emulate this success whilst at the same time offering guests a new experience at the resort.
What are your thoughts on the proposed glamping site? Would you like to stay in the new accommodation? Don’t forget to have your say over on the Attraction Source Forum. We’ll continue to bring you all the latest developments from across the southern Merlin parks.
