Chester Zoo releases new images of luxury overnight lodges as bookings go live for 2025

These stunning images provide a latest glimpse of a new 51-lodge wildlife experience, called The Reserve at Chester Zoo. Bookings for the lodges go on general sale at 9am on Wednesday, January 29 with a range of packages available, including animal experiences, the chance to interact with conservation experts and out-of-hours access to the zoo.

Guests can choose from a variety of different lodges, available for up to nine people. A number will be located at the side of a lake while others will offer views of a private savannah-style habitat, home to Northern giraffes.

Those behind the “very special” project say a stay at The Reserve will help to fund Chester Zoo’s global conservation projects. Scheduled to officially open in August 2025, the lodges have been crafted using natural and sustainable materials, with the décor being inspired by landscapes in Africa where the zoo is working to help highly endangered species to thrive in the wild.

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Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said: “There’s nothing else quite like The Reserve at Chester Zoo in the UK. It’s so much more than just a short break – it’ll provide guests with unforgettable experiences and bring them face-to-face with extraordinary animals, all while helping to protect the wild world and fund powerful conservation action.

“Guests will be able to wake up in luxurious surroundings and enjoy sunrise views across a private savannah and the chance to view wildlife straight from their lodge balcony. They’ll have special, out-of-hours access to the zoo, the opportunity to engage in a range of behind-the-scenes and animal experiences and be able to enjoy a freshly prepared meals, before taking in conservation stories while relaxing by our fire-pit on our lakeside terrace with blankets, cushions and toasting marshmallows. It’s the ultimate African safari experience, right here in the UK.

“What’s very special about this project is that stays at The Reserve will help to fund our species-saving conservation work, both here at the zoo and over in Kenya and Uganda, where our teams are working to secure a brighter future for highly endangered species like the eastern black rhino, giant pangolin and mountain bongo. This will be a bucket list stay that also contributes to helping wildlife not only survive, but thrive.”

The luxury resort will feature a welcome building and its very own restaurant, The Amboseli Restaurant – named in a nod to the region in Kenya where the zoo and its partners work to protect lion populations. Guests will also be able to enjoy freshly prepared food and drinks on a lakeside terrace, Tsavo Lounge.

Next month, Chester Zoo is set to host the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, showcasing 100 previously unseen images that capture nature from all around the world. The exhibition will run at the zoo every day between Monday, February 17 until Sunday, April 6 and is free for all zoo visitors.

It's the first time ever that the exhibition will be showcased in Cheshire, with the striking photographs curated and on loan from London’s Natural History Museum. Conservationists say the photographs "encourage us all to help wildlife thrive long into the future".

The exhibition will display a breathtaking collection of 100 previously unseen images that capture the extraordinary beauty, complexity and fragility of nature around the world. Celebrating its 60th year, visitors to the zoo will have the unique opportunity to explore the wildlife photography, using soundscapes and videos surrounding the physical images to tell the stories of how the photographs were captured.