Chessington Resort Guide: Is the Safari or Azteca Hotel Better?

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Welcome to my Chessington World of Adventures Resort Guide – is the Safari or Azteca hotel better? If you’re planning a family trip to Chessington theme park, and you’re wondering whether to book a short break, here’s everything that you need to know before your stay. I’ve included themed-room options, costs, photos, dining information, early access times, views of the Wanyama Reserve, how to book with a Merlin Pass and lots more! So, if you’re not sure whether to book the Safari or Azteca hotel (and you want to know more about what’s included) let’s get stuck in – here’s my guide and review of our family stay at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort.

Visit: April 2025 (Updated March 2026)

Where is Chessington World of Adventures?

Located in Chessington, Greater London, the Chessington World of Adventures Resort is easily accessible by car and public transport. Unfortunately, Chessington World of Adventures is within London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) – if your vehicle doesn’t meet the ULEZ emissions standards, you’ll need to pay a £12.50 daily charge (accurate April 2026) when driving to the resort. You can check whether you need to pay on the TFL (Traffic for London) website. If you’re driving, it’s just off the A243, with ample on-site parking available. For those using public transport, Chessington South Railway Station is about a 10 minute walk from the park (half a mile), with regular services from London Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon.

Which Chessington Hotel is better – the Safari or the Azteca?

Chessington offers two themed hotels – the Safari Hotel and the Azteca Hotel – which are connected internally so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds no matter which one you choose for your stay. With shared facilities, easy access to the theme park and family-friendly extras like animal-themed rooms and evening entertainment, these hotels are designed with families in mind. In this guide, we’ll take a closer at the hotel room options at Chessington, the views of the safari area and I’ll show you around our hotel room – we stayed in the Azteca and it was pretty cool!

What’s it like inside a Chessington Resort hotel?

From the minute you enter into the lobby at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort, you’re immediately immersed in the safari theme – the kids will be so excited from the moment they set foot inside! From there you can check in and you’ll be guided to either side of the resort, depending on which you’ve booked. The facilities are all shared so, unless you’ve got a particular room theme you’re after, it doesn’t seem to matter much whether you book the Chessington Safari Hotel or the Azteca.

The Zafari Bar and Grill is just off the lobby – this is the restaurant with the views of the Wanyama Reserve. So, if you fancy breakfast or dinner with a view then you’ll want to get your time-slot booked for that. But don’t panic if it’s full, you can head out through the doors onto the decking for a closer look at the animals, or take the walkway which takes you right alongside the safari enclosure. We could see the giraffes having their breakfast just after we’d had ours! Guests at the Chessington Hotels can also walk the Wanyama Reserve paths – so you can do a bit of exploring in the evening when the park is shut too – pretty cool for an after dinner stroll!

What are the Safari / Azteca hotel room options at Chessington?

The Chessington World of Adventures Resort has a variety of family-friendly rooms, to suit different budgets, in both the Safari hotel and the next-door Azteca. Standard rooms come with fun safari-themed decor but a smaller price tag than the premium rooms. We stayed in a standard room, with a separate children’s sleeping area, on the Azteca side of the Chessington Hotel resort and were really impressed with our room. The theming was brilliant and we had plenty of space – it was amazing for the kids to have their own area so that we could all relax in peace after a busy day in the theme park – it even came with its own TV.

Our room actually slept 5, which is handy if you’ve got three kids, as there was a pull-out bed below the bunk bed. This area also had a safe so you can leave your valuables at the hotel rather than taking them into the park. With a 12 and 13 year old we were worried the beds might be a bit small but even my giant son (5ft 7!) had plenty of space – so it’s good to know that the family rooms suit toddlers through to teens! The bathroom came stocked with towels and toiletries so you don’t need to bring much with you if you’d prefer to pack lightly.

The corridor area had space for clothing and tea and coffee making facilities. Our bedroom had a desk, a large TV, a mini-fridge and two hairdryers. If you’re taking a packed lunch into the theme park, having a fridge is so handy and it’s a great way to keep costs down a bit. All of the hotel rooms in the Chessington Resort come with WIFI and air-conditioning. The room had blackout curtains and the beds were really comfortable – after a busy day in the theme park we slept well – I thought the hotel was really quiet too, we didn’t get disturbed at all.

You can specifically book rooms with a view over the Wanyama Reserve – our standard room didn’t come with a view but fortunately we did have views across the safari area (photo above). If you want to go the extra mile, you can also book the premium themed rooms, though these are obviously a pricier option. Themes include things like Jumanji, Oreo, Capri-Sun (I think the kids’ room even has a slide on this one!) and the Gruffalo. Some of the themed rooms come with a reserved parking space, a gift and access to the Rangers Reserve and Ride where you essentially join a virtual queue for the rides. Click here to find out more about the different hotel room options.

Is breakfast included?

Breakfast is included with all Chessington Hotel stays – and you can book either of the restaurants on site as they both offer the same food. We had our breakfast at the Azteca restaurant, which was close to our room, and we were impressed with the variety and quality of the food. The food is served in a buffet help-yourself style, and you can get a full English, fruit, yoghurt, cereal, pastries and all sorts! There was plenty there, as well as fruit juices and tea and coffee too.

How close are the Chessington Hotels to the theme park?

This was the best bit! From the hotel entrance and car park, it’s literally a two minute walk to the Chessington World of Adventures entrance. And, because hotel guests enter from the opposite side of the theme park, there were no queues to get into the park! We arrived bang on 10am on a Sunday morning, parked up and strolled straight in through the hotel guests entrance. That side of the park was also, understandably, really quiet so it’s a great place to start your Chessington adventure whilst there aren’t any queues! If you need to to-and-fro from the park for picnic food, babies’ nap times or to have a rest, you can come and go as you please without any fuss – they’ll just stamp you on the way out. Being right on the doorstep of the park is a game-changer!

Does Chessington theme park open early for hotel guests?

If you book a Chessington World of Adventures short break – with a stay at either the Safari or Azteca hotel alongside your theme park tickets – you can get into the theme park an hour early from 9am. This is especially handy at weekends or during peak school holiday dates when the park is likely to be at its busiest. Hotel guests can also park for free (the main car park is typically £12 for day guests) so that’s a bit of a saving and it’s so convenient to be parked directly outside of the hotel and the quieter entrance into the theme park.

Dining options:

If you want to have dinner on-site, I’d recommend pre-booking as the restaurants did get very busy in the evenings during our stay. You can opt to eat at either the Zafari Bar and Grill Restaurant or the Azteca Temple Restaurant and Bar. The Zafari Bar and Grill has an A ‘La Carte menu with things like burgers, chicken skewers and pizzas – the menu above was left in our hotel room and reflects what was offer and the prices during our stay in April 2025. (There was also a takeaway menu, so if the kids are tired you could always eat in your room.) The Temple Restaurant offers carvery alongside some South American treats – so that one appears to be buffet-style dining.

In all honesty, we had booked a table for an evening meal at the Zafari Restaurant but found the prices were higher than we’d expected so we decided to eat off-site instead. I had some Tesco Clubcard vouchers so – in typical Frugal Mum style 😂 – we hopped in the car and headed to Prezzo in Leatherhead (about an 11 minute drive – short stay car park opposite) because of course we’re always looking to enjoy ourselves on a budget! There was a McDonalds next door to it if you’d prefer fast food. Don’t forget that you can also eat inside the theme park during the day – there are loads of fast-food and restaurant options there as well.

Are theme park tickets included?

When you book a Short Break Package at Chessington World of Adventures the theme park tickets aren’t included as standard – instead you’ll select your hotel room type, and then click through to book your theme park tickets at the same time. It’s best to include your theme park tickets when you book your stay at a Chessington World of Adventures Hotel because they’re typically cheaper than booking them individually – and if you want access to the park for two days then you’ll save a lot. They constantly run offers on the Chessington website, so have a good look around and keep your eyes peeled for deals – click here to have a look at availability and prices for your dates.

On their website at the moment, they’re advertising offers from £32 per person – with the mid-week breaks providing the best bang for your buck. May-half term and October half-term are advertised from £54pp, and those with a Merlin Annual Pass can save up to 20% on hotel stays. For the dates that we visited, the standard rooms in the hotel were around £135 (Sunday night, end of April). At that sort of price, it’s good value for money given that breakfast, early park access and parking are included too – often a night in a ‘normal’ hotel can be £100 or more for a family stay. So, if you can find a good deal, I’d definitely recommend a stay at the Chessington Resort – we loved it.

How do I book a Chessington Hotel with a Merlin Annual Pass?

A Merlin Annual Pass can be an amazing way to save money on UK attractions, and some pass types also come with discounts for the resort hotels. (Check what’s included before purchasing.) It gives you access to absolutely loads of attractions including: Alton Towers, Chessington, LEGOLAND Windsor and Thorpe Park; indoor fun like SEA LIFE centres, Shrek’s Adventure!, The London Eye and Madame Tussauds; and historical and immersive experiences like Warwick Castle, The Dungeons and even Cadbury World. Kids under 90cm go free so it can be incredible value for money if you have young children. Check out all of the pass options here: Are Merlin Annual Passes worth it and which pass is best?

If you are a Merlin Annual Pass holder, and you’d like to book a hotel stay at either the Safari or Azteca hotels at the Chessington World of Adventures Resort, you’ll need to visit the Merlin Holiday Club area of the website. From there, enter your Merlin Annual Pass number in order to book a discounted hotel stay – click here to head straight to the Chessington Hotels Merlin Holiday Club page.

How many days do you need at Chessington?

You can definitely do Chessington in a day if you’re up bright and early to make the most of it but if you’d like a slower pace (or you’re visiting with little ones) two days would be better. Plus, for busier times of the year (such as the school holidays) the queues will obviously be longer so it might be worth adding an extra day then too. Look out for ‘second day free’ offers to sweeten the deal!

What is there to do at the Chessington hotel?

Staying on resort at Chessington World of Adventures (in either the Safari Hotel or the Azteca Hotel) comes with extra things to see and do too. Firstly, there’s the Savannah Splash Pool – an indoor pool complete with splash zones. Access is free for guests staying in premium and animal-themed rooms, but for standard rooms there is a small fee. We did look at booking a swim (though admittedly not until the day before our visit!) and there were only day-time slots available so we decided against it. But you could certainly make time for a swim if you’re having two days at the park, or arriving the day before your park day. The hotel also offers evening entertainment like character meet-and-greets, film screenings and arcades, alongside exclusive access to the Wanyama Reserve paths.

Final verdict – is it worth booking a hotel stay?

If you can find an affordable stay (Sunday – Thursday is typically the cheapest) then I’d definitely recommend staying on resort at Chessington at either the Safari or Azteca hotel. (Even the cheapest standard rooms are anything but standard!) Being able to wander the safari area, and look out over the animals from our hotel room window, made the trip extra special. When it comes to deciding whether the Safari Hotel or the Azteca Hotel is best, I would base it on: your budget, whether you want a view and which themed room you’d prefer. The hotels share facilities so it really doesn’t matter too much! Click here to check out prices, room options and availability for your dates on the Chessington World of Adventures website.

The Chessington Resort is pretty awesome so it’s definitely worth a look if you’d like an overnight stay – especially if you want two park days – we really enjoyed it. If you want more information about what the theme park itself has to offer you can read about our day in my Chessington World of Adventures Family Guide. Have an incredible time! 😊