PLANS to create a hotel overlooking giraffes and zebras at Chester Zoo have been revealed by chief operating officer Jamie Christon.

Speaking at an event at The Storyhouse in Chester, Mr Christon revealed details of the zoo's new major Grasslands proposal, which is hoped will open to the public in 2022.

Its centrepiece would be an open African savannah habitat which would be home to rare species such as Rothschild's giraffe and Grevy's zebra as well as ostrich and antelope.

On the edge of this habitat, Chester Zoo hopes to create a restaurant with balcony views across the savannah.

Chester and District Standard:

The hotel has been described as 'discreet, overnight accommodation' and will boast 42 rooms, including lodges overlooking the savannah, enabling guests to wake up to sunrise views over Grasslands.

The new area would be bordered by the zoo’s large, existing African Tsavo reserve area for Eastern back rhino and African painted dogs.

Visitors could also come face to face with some of the world’s smallest grassland creatures in a specially designed indoor habitat and the zoo hopes to inspire a nation of conservationists by connecting more people with nature offering close-up encounters with species such as cranes, vultures, aardvarks and warthogs.

Grasslands is the latest stage in the zoo’s strategic development plan and is being designed to help the zoo continue to push boundaries of world-class animal care and welfare.