Full prices for luxury Chester Zoo wildlife lodges opening this summer

Chester Zoo is set to launch its exclusive wildlife lodges this summer, where families can watch the attraction's animals from the luxury of a private savannah-style habitat. The Reserve, which is based inside the zoo's expansive grounds' will open to the public in August, and bookings go live on the Chester Zoo website tomorrow.

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. Ahead of bookings launching tomorrow at 9am, we took a look at how much it would cost a family of four to stay at The Reserve, based on two adults and two children aged between three and 15 years of age.

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As you might expect, the opening night of The Reserve is anticipated to be in high demand and as a result, the prices for Monday, August 18 currently slightly higher than other weeknights throughout August. For a family of four staying one night, the cheapest available room would be a family lakeside lodge, priced at £920. This includes two super king size beds and one single sofa bed, with a lake view.

The family lakeside lodge can sleep up to five people with 46 square metres of floor space including a main living room and sleeping area with a super king bed and sofa bed. There is also a separate adjacent bedroom with the option of a double or twin bed configuration. The £920 room rate includes breakfast and a dinner allowance, but families can also book packages including the 'savannah adventurer', which comes with two days of extended hours access to Chester Zoo, a three course dinner at The Reserve's exclusive restaurant, campfire stories, a ranger guided evening 'heart of Africa' safari tour and a giraffe keeper kitchen experience.

Weekend stays come with a bigger price tag, with the same family lakeside lodge costing £1,049 for Saturday, August 23 and £1,214 if families add on the 'savannah adventurer' package. A giraffe lodge, which has views over the giraffe enclosure, would be £1,319 for the same evening, while a lakeside double would cost £1,879 and a lakeside triple would be £2,320.

Weeknight stays are priced slightly lower after The Reserve's opening month, with a Monday night stay on September 8 priced at £650 for a family lakeside lodge. Families can even book to spend Christmas at the zoo, with a giraffe lodge available for the evening of December 25 for £749.

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.