Recently D and I accepted an exciting invitation to not only experience
the brand new Buffalo River Ride Adventure before it opened it doors to
the public, but to also spend the night in the Azteca Hotel.
We
travelled to Chessington World of Adventures by public transport. From
central London it is only a short 35minutes train ride away. Once you arrive
at Chessington South, it’s a 10 – 15 minute walk, you can also get a
taxi or do what we did and got the 71 bus which stops right outside the
park.
I have to say we were really impressed with
the theme of the hotel. As soon as you step foot in the hotel you are
transported into a different world. As you walk into the room you are
met by the first of two areas. The childrens area has a bunk bed and a
pull out and their own TV which also had interactive games on and a
safe for their treasures.
The second area hosts a double bed and a TV,
all rooms also have complimentary WI FI, which was rather fast compared
to some hotels that I have stayed in.
The bathroom is
also a good size and had not one but two shower heads with amazing water pressure, plenty of towels
and some toiletries. The room sleeps up to 5 people (2 adults, 3
children) and there is plenty of space for everyone.
Before
heading down for the evenings we par took in a treasure hunt in our room,
thanks to the activity card which was left for us. Once we cracked the
code we opened the safe to find our reward.
We had a
yummy dinner at the Steakhouse BBQ restaurant, which is located in the
park itself. The brisket was to die for and there was a great childrens
menu. We listenedd to a live band, a magican was mesmerising people with his tricks, lots of arts and craft for the children and
The Gruffalo was playing on a big screen.
After our bellies were full of Gruffalo theme food and drinks, we headed back up to our room for a bedtime story.
Breakfast
was a pleasant experience, with a variety of foods including a hot
buffet and a smoothie bar which setted us up for the day. We then headed
off to the park to experience the ride.
The Gruffalo
River Ride Adventures takes you through the book. From the mouse meeting
the Fox, Owl and Snake and then of course the Gruffalo. I don’t want to
spoil the experience for you but expect a sensory experiences with smoke effects, smells and of course water!!.
After
the ride there was an extra special treat, we lucky to get our books signed by the authorJulia Donaldson and illustrator Axel
Scheffler who also took time to draw a little illustration in every
child’s book.
It was then time for some frozen yoghurt,
from the new Gruffalo Bite stall which is located right next to the
ride and has Gruffalo themed flavours. D opted for scrambled snake and I
had roasted fox.
We spent some time exploring the park,
which also has Sea Life Centre and a Zoo with over 1000 animals
including tigers, lions and giraffes before heading home. We had a
lovely, stress free time at Chessington and will be visiting again very soon.
* we were invited to the launch of the new Gruffalo River Ride Adventures for free however all views are my own.
