Artist impressions showing how new overnight safari-style lodges at Chester Zoo will look have been revealed.
It’s been a long time coming, but the highly anticipated 51-lodge wildlife experience, called The Reserve, is finally set to open to the public at Chester Zoo this August after several years in the works, and these stunning new CGIs provide a glimpse of what visitors can expect.
The lodges have been crafted using natural and sustainable materials, with the décor being inspired by landscapes in Africa.
Guests can choose from a variety of different lodges, available for up to nine people.
Some of the lodges will be located at the side of a lake, while others will offer views of a private savannah-style habitat that are home to Northern giraffes.
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The new artist’s impressions also show the resort’s very-own restaurant, The Amboseli Restaurant, as well as the Tsavo Lounge, where guests will be able to enjoy freshly-prepared food and drinks on a lakeside terrace.
Those working on the “very special” project say a stay at The Reserve will help to fund Chester Zoo’s global conservation projects.
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Chester Zoo has released new images of its luxury overnight safari-style lodges / Credit: Supplied
“There’s nothing else quite like The Reserve at Chester Zoo in the UK,” commented Jamie Christon, who is the CEO at Chester Zoo, as the new images were released today.
“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.”
It’s described as being “the ultimate African safari experience right here in the UK.”
As mentioned, the grand opening of The Reserve at Chester Zoo is planned for August 2025, and bookings go on general sale at 9am tomorrow (Wednesday 29 January), with a range of packages available – including exclusive behind-the-scenes and animal experiences, the chance to interact with conservation experts and special out-of-hours access to the zoo.
In the off-season, prices for the Chester Zoo lodges start from £375, while one-night stays in summer start from £672.50.
And then in peak season, for the more luxurious lodges, prices can go all the way up to £2,486 (though that does include guided safari tours and going behind-the-scenes with the giraffes).
Find out more and book your stay in the new lodges on the Chester Zoo website here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Travel & Tourism
Treehouse Hotel Manchester finally announces opening date – and it’s soon
Daisy Jackson
One of the most hotly-anticipated new hotel openings in Manchester, Treehouse Hotel, has finally confirmed its launch date.
The major new opening has been slowly transforming the brutalist tower at the end of Deansgate, formerly long-standing hotel the Renaissance, into a ‘whimsical, forest-inspired’ accommodation.
Once it opens, Treehouse Hotel will bring 224 guest rooms, including nine suites and three accessible rooms, to Manchester.
Also opening on the ground floor of the huge building will be Pip, by acclaimed local chef Mary-Ellen McTague, showcasing a low-waste cooking approach with seasonally sourced ingredients.
Just announced too as part of Treehouse Hotel Manchester is Sister Moon by Sam Grainger, a 14th-floor Southeast Asian dining destination set to open later in 2025.
Work has been ongoing at the site for several years now, with an initial launch date pencilled in for summer 2023.
But things are finally coming together and Treehouse Hotel Manchester has now announced it will open the doors to its ‘playful and free-spirited’ hotel on Wednesday 19 March.
This ‘one-of-a-kind’ addition to Manchester’s thriving hotel scene follows SH Hotels & Resorts (soon to be Starwood Hotels) launch of its first Treehouse property in London in 2019.
A glimpse inside the rooms at Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Brad Matthews
The new hotel aims to provide a ‘unique retreat for visitors seeking both comfort and an element of adventure’.
Its interiors will blend the enchanting charm of a forest with the hotel’s signature ‘perfectly imperfect’ design ethos.
And they’ve called upon some of the North West’s most celebrated culinary names to craft the dining and drinking options, Pip and the newly-announced Sister Moon.
Also up on the 14th floor will be The Nest in Treehouse, a space with sweeping city views and a lively atmosphere.
Pip Restaurant will open at the new Treehouse Hotel. Credit: Supplied
And up on the top of the hotel will be The Hideout, an intimate rooftop lounge and terrace, with Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford leading a series of events across the hotel.
Treehouse Hotel Manchester will have on-site facilities that include a 43-seat Flix screening room, a state-of-the-art Playground gym, and meeting rooms named after trees.
There’s nothing like a bit of shrubbery to break up the grey-scale skyscraper landscape of Manchester and this next new opening has taken it to the next level.
Stays at Treehouse Hotel Manchester start from £199 per night, with bookings now open HERE.
Two Greater Manchester postcodes revealed as being hotspots for uninsured drivers
Emily Sergeant
Two of Greater Manchester’s popular postcodes have been named as being ‘hotspots’ for uninsured drivers.
Merely days after one of our region’s towns was identified as being a property ‘hotspot’, thanks to house prices there having shot up by 10% on average last year, now another local two residential areas have been named ‘hotspots’ too… only this time, it’s for a reason not quite as positive.
That’s because these two areas have been found to have a high concentration of drivers who are aren’t insured to be on the roads.
Motoring company RAC looked at new data from the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) to compile a top 15 list highlighting the regions that are most affected by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.
Egerton in Bolton, which is one of the uninsured driver hotspots / Credit: Google Maps
According to the data, the West Midlands is particularly impacted by uninsured drivers, with eight out of the top 15 hotspots located in this area, but some of the other regions with high rates include Northumbria, London, Thames Valley, South Yorkshire, and, of course, Greater Manchester.
Both the SK1 postcode in Stockport and the BL7 postcode in Bolton have, unfortunately, found themselves on the list, featuring at number eight and number 12 respectively.
Top 15 uninsured driver hotspots
B11 (Birmingham)
B21 (Birmingham)
DA17 (Bexley)
WV2 (Wolverhampton)
NE29 (North Tyneside)
HP12 (Buckinghamshire)
B18 (Birmingham)
SK1 (Stockport)
B8 (Birmingham)
WS4 (Walsall)
CV7 (Solihull)
BL7 (Bolton)
B33 (Birmingham)
DN8 (Doncaster)
MK7 (Milton Keynes)
The SK1 postcode region includes Stockport town centre and the residential areas within it, while the areas in the BL7 postcode include the affluent villages of Bromley Cross, Egerton, Edgworth, Belmont, and Chapeltown.
The only other northern areas featuring on the list is North Tyneside postcode NE29 and DN8 in Doncaster, with the vast majority being in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
The RAC’s report coincides with the MIB’s work alongside police forces nationwide to get uninsured drivers off the road, with forces set to use the data provided to direct their efforts.