Wildly luxurious accommodation at Longleat Safari Park
The accommodations at Longleat are a fairytale retreat for weary parents; a sweet comforting Grandmother dressed in wolf’s clothing, waiting to sweep you up in her embrace after a long day with the kids. Most parent’s will tell you that a holiday can often feel like not much of a holiday when you’re travelling with children. It’s not a question of whether they’ve had a good or a bad day. The best, most fulfilling day with your children is likely to leave you as tired as the worst day. For the most part when we choose a holiday for our kids we as parents are sacrificing what we would otherwise have chosen for ourselves: practicality for luxury; convenience over magnificence.
Keeper's House at Longleat, photo courtesy of Ed Schofield
But the clever folks at Longleat have tapped into a prodigious yet simple idea: luxuriously adult and yet child-friendly accommodation at a family park.
Nestled under the boughs of a velvety green forest canopy, Deerkeeper’s House is Longleat’s newest on-site accommodation and, until now, best kept secret. After a long, fun, but exhausting day at the Longleat safari park families can retreat to a quiet cottage in the woods, put their exhausted children to bed and put their feet up on the plush Mulberry furnishings, amongst the woodland themed décor of a luxury, Grade II listed, eighteenth century, three-bedroomed house in the woods.
Deerkeeper's House at Longleat, photo courtesy of Ed Schofield
From the moment you walk through the (admittedly low) front door, you can feel the weight of the sugar-laden, sticky-fingered, park day tiredness begin to slough away. In its stead you find yourself transported into the plush luxury of a beautifully decorated home. A log fire, leather sofas and plump cushions await. Once the kids are asleep the only sound is of quiet trees, birds roosting and the far off thunderclap roar of lions.
Tiger safari
The kitchen comes fully loaded for whatever you fancy. For just a one-night stay I doubt cooking would come to mind but should it, everything you need is there to prepare the simplest fare or a luxurious feast for the whole house with Le Creuset, Denby and Joseph appliances ready and waiting. The accommodation comes with its own concierge, who can recommend local restaurants, takeaways or anything else: help is but a message away. Every booking is welcomed with a hamper of estate produced sweet and savoury treats. A delicious continental breakfast is also included, and there is the option to add on a variety of other foods at booking. I highly recommend the afternoon tea, which includes a beautiful tray of confections and sandwiches, or even champagne.
Afternoon Tea hamper
The house has three richly decorated bedrooms, the largest of which houses an incredibly beautiful and opulent copper bath where you can soak all your worries away. The beds are piled high with soft pillows, and the mattresses are thick and soporific. There is a large screen television for cosy nights by the fire; a large dining table in the kitchen and another one out in the garden for long-missed grown-up dinners.
The copper bath at Deerkeeper's House, photo courtesy of Ed Schofield
We woke to the far off sound of more roaring lions, and an eagle swooped onto the lawn while I sat with my morning coffee. I could not have imagined a more wonderful start to any day.
Prices start at £500 a night for Deerkeeper’s House, a veritable bargain when you consider everything that’s included – each night’s stay includes two park entry days for each guest, plus exclusive after-hours access to the estate grounds. There are a number of alternative and equally luxurious accommodations to choose from, some of which overlook the park itself.
The view from Keeper's House
Two days is the perfect amount of time to explore the park in a thorough yet unharried fashion, but I would recommend at least two nights and three days for a truly magnificent treat. Longleat Park is a genuine wonder – a safari park lost in time. They have the world’s only cohabiting hippos and sea lions and it’s an fascinating and surreal experience to see them together. Longleat has a more interactive approach than any other safari park I have visited – you can handfeed deer, sea lions and lorikeets and you can stroll through the meerkat enclosure and make faces at the monkeys as they clamber on your car (optional).
Feeding the lorikeets at Longleat Park
The entire park is a fabulous blend of incongruous things: a traditional stately home set next to a children’s safari park, a traditional English lake home to the world’s only fresh water California sea lions. Perhaps it is this mentality of pairing the unexpected, no doubt handed down by the late eccentric Lord Bath himself, that inspired the idea of luxury accommodation in an attraction aimed at children. Whatever the reason, we parents should be thankful that we finally have a guilt free place to go to where we can treat ourselves while still coddling our kids.
Clara was a guest of Longleat Safari Park and stayed at Deerkeeper’s House where rates start at £500 per night.
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