Merlin Entertainments : unveils accommodation openings at Gardaland and Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Located in north-eastern Italy on the shores of Lake Garda, Gardaland is the country's number one theme park resort and a leading European destination. Gardaland Adventure Hotel last week opened its 100 new themed rooms to the public, bringing the total number of rooms at Gardaland to 347. The outdoor Explorer Glamping accommodation at Chessington World of Adventures incorporates 35 family tents and opens today, in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.

This follows Merlin's announcement in February 2016 which outlined its ambition to double the number of new rooms added to its attractions from 200 to 400 on average each year, as it transforms its theme parks into destination resorts. Merlin plans to add 2,000 new rooms by the end of 2020, representing a capital investment of over £200m. The recent launches at Gardaland and Chessington look to harness the trend for multiple short breaks and builds on last year's key openings; a new 152 room hotel at LEGOLAND Florida and a 125 lodge holiday village at Alton Towers. Further accommodation openings at Warwick Castle are set to launch in July.

"Merlin Entertainment's new accommodation openings are another important step in our strategy to transform our theme parks into short break destinations. The addition of themed accommodation continues to clearly demonstrate the positioning of our theme parks as short break resorts whilst yielding attractive returns in its own right. We have a strong pipeline of hotel and other accommodation projects planned, as we continue to execute on our strategy."

Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 100 attractions, 13 hotels and 4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable experiences to its more than 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its c.27,000 employees.

Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

The newly launched Gardaland Adventure Hotel has 100 rooms covering four exciting themes: Wild West, Arctic, Jungle and Arabian. The room are divided into 90 standard themed rooms, 8 superior themed rooms, and 2 junior themed suites, with 6 rooms specially equipped for disabled guests. The Gardaland Adventure Hotel also includes an ancient Egyptian themed restaurant, the Tutankhamen Restaurant. The nearby Gardaland Hotel has 247 rooms, which includes 21 themed rooms and 226 classic rooms. In total Gardaland has 347 rooms.

Visit http://www.gardalandadventurehotel.it/index-en.php for more information.

The outdoor accommodation site, which opens to its first guests today, will include 31 round 'Glamping' tents comprising of one double bed and two singles able to sleep four. A further four premium 'Amboseli Tents' will be available with a double bed, and separate second sleeping area with three single beds and additional living space. All Explorer Glamping tents will have access to separate shower and toilet huts, a central buffet dining facility and bar and a Reception tent. Guests will be offered a number of activities including evening access to a selection of Wild Asia attractions and entertainment.

Visit https://www.chessington.com/ for more information.

High Resolution images of Chessington World of Adventures Resort are available for the media to download free of charge from www.chessington.com/press