'Giraffe Hall' Hotel Where You Can Dine With The Animals To Open In The UK

Not able to go away for the safari you were dreaming of this year? Well, listen up.

A UK hotel is set to open a new experience where visitors can get up close and personal with giraffes while enjoying their stay.

Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve in Kent has finally got permission to open Giraffe Hall, where real giraffes will be roaming the grounds alongside their guests.

The hotel hopes the new concept will be in action from next summer, and there's already so much buzz around it that the waiting list exceeds 9,000 people, according to Kent Live.

The luxury accommodation can be found within a Grade II listed building which dates all the way back to the 15th and 16th century, and it comes fitted with 10 bedrooms and five camping cabins - all with incredible views of the adjacent nature reserve, where animals such as lions, wolves and giraffes reside.

This will be the first experience like this in the western hemisphere, with a similar attraction - Giraffe Hotel - in Nairobi.

Aspinall Foundation)

Plans for the new concept include converting the house already on-site.

Its restaurant, The Lapa, will will be extended and an outdoor decking will be fitted so that guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner looking out at the tall creatures.

Its website says: "Get closer than ever before and make friends with your giraffe neighbours, as the resident herd peer into the lofty ceilinged drawing room, or amble up to the bedroom windows, where you may be lucky enough to feed them."

Aspinall Foundation)

From the building, guests will be able to enjoy 30 mile views across the reserve, where the giraffes are free to roam.

We don't yet know how much the experience will cost, seeing as it is still in the planning stage, but we'll update you as soon as we have more details.

This isn't the first animal experience from the Aspinall Foundation - who run the reserve - as they already have a Lion Lodge, Tiger Lodge, Wolf Lodge and a Bear Lodge where guests can stay.

Aspinall Foundation)

To stay overnight at the Lion Lodge costs £1,750 - and this price includes breakfast, some welcome bubbly, a free safari and reserve tickets.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Lodge costs £1,000 a night for the same package, the Wolf Lodge is £549 and the Bear Lodge costs £350.

Get your name onto the oh-so popular Giraffe Lodge waiting list here.

Topics: Life News, Travel News, Life, Animals

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

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