Six Flags sticks its neck out
Six Flags sticks its neck out
Bold new resort invites guests to glamp in style amid animals
Let’s play word association, shall we? I say “Six Flags” and chances are you say “roller coasters” (or some variation of thrill rides). It’s highly unlikely, however, that you’d say “luxury resort.” And it’s damn near impossible that you’d say “luxury resort alongside exotic animals.” As wacky as it might seem, that’s exactly what the park chain is offering at Six Flags Great Adventure. It’s an audacious, unexpected initiative from the coaster-crazy company.
The Savannah Sunset Resort planted its flag this year with glamping (glamorous camping) suites that are smack dab in the middle of the property’s Wild Safari park. Although it’s adjacent to a theme park filled with thrill machines such as El Toro and Kingda Ka and their screaming passengers, the hushed, tranquil resort feels a world away. As they wander past the verandas, animals of all stripes and sizes provide a nonstop show. It’s out of Africa and into New Jersey.
With 20 glamping tents that accommodate either two, four, or six guests, the resort is relatively small. There is a large, central tent that serves as a lobby as well as a dining area and lounge. A courtyard beyond the lobby offers outdoor tables, a gathering spot for daily small animal encounters, and a fire pit where complimentary s’mores and live entertainment are available nightly.
The units are nominally tents, although they are more upscale than many other glamping accommodations. I have stayed at a couple of resorts operated by Under Canvas, which are located near national parks. With tent amenities such as wood stoves and indoor plumbing in makeshift bathrooms, they strike a reasonable balance between glamorous and camping. The Savannah Sunset tents, however, include stall showers, sinks with vanities, kitchenettes with microwaves and mini fridges, televisions, and–get this–thermostat-controlled heating and air conditioning.
“It‘s not roughing it by any means,” says Brian Bacica, president of Six Flags Great Adventure.
Six Flags developed and is operating the resort in-house and sourced most of the furnishings, which are quite lovely, as well as the tents themselves in Africa. There are whimsical touches, such as night table lamps that feature golden monkeys grasping the lights. My “family glamping suite” included a comfy king-sized bed as well as a trundle bed with two twin mattresses. We had a deck that overlooked the savannah. But about half the units do not offer verandas nor their commanding view of the animals. In my estimation, that’s a design flaw of the resort. Communing with the animals is a major draw for the Savannah Sunset. Should you decide to book a stay, spring for a unit with a safari view.
Unlike Under Canvas and other glamping sites, which feature temporary tents that are disassembled at the end of each season and rebuilt the next year, the Savannah Sunset tents are more permanent. They include faux wood vinyl floors, ceiling fans, the aforementioned HVAC units, and other elements that would be difficult to break down and cobble back together annually. Indeed, Six Flags says the plan is to leave the tents intact and see how they survive the New Jersey winter. The resort is open from early April through early December.
The rates to stay at Savannah Sunset befit Six Flags’ “modern luxury” characterization of the resort. But the included amenities offer a compelling value proposition. This fall, the nightly cost is just over $1,000 for the family glamping suite in which we stayed. (Note that there is a two-night minimum stay.) It accommodates four guests, and the package price bundles breakfast, dinner (which Six Flags says may not be part of the rate for 2025), a daily giraffe feeding encounter, an exclusive tour of the Wild Safari park, and tickets to both the theme park and Hurricane Harbor water park (when it is open). Since Fright Fest was taking place during our visit, our package also included admission to the separate-ticket Halloween event. That’s a lot of extras. And then there is the inherent value of the distinctive resort itself.
“It’s very unique,” Bacica says. “It’s quite exclusive. There is no one else domestically that has an experience like we are offering here.”
Well, that’s not entirely true. There are obvious parallels to Disney World’s delightful Animal Kingdom Lodge, which surely provided inspiration for Six Flags.
As for the food, it’s considerably better than what’s served at the theme park. With dishes such as grilled chicken and vegetables served inside a halved pineapple and Teriyaki salmon and shrimp, the menu is a bit ambitious. But the meals, which are served on bamboo plates, are just okay. They can be ordered and eaten in the resort’s dining room or ordered in advance and delivered to the tent. I’d highly recommend the latter, especially for dinner. Guests can dine outside and take in the savannah, which is buzzing with activity in the early evening.
The giraffe experience provides a rare opportunity to interact with the gentle creatures. It’s quite a spectacle to see the parade of the majestic animals as they make their way to the feeding area at the resort. They are not prompted to make the trek; their internal clocks compel them to travel across the savannah at the appointed time each morning.
The resort-exclusive safari tour, which lasts one hour and is twice the length of the experience that theme park day guests get, is wonderful. The guide we had was knowledgeable and personable as he pointed put the vast array of animals throughout the 350-acre savannah. There are a total of 1,200 creatures that call the park home, including ostriches, tigers, bears, and bison. It’s a bit odd to see Kingda Ka’s 456-foot tower intruding at one end of the safari park. I guess the baboons that live in that part of the savannah must be used to the coaster commotion by now. Fun fact: The monkey bars on which the baboons cavort was made using roller coaster track from the park’s defunct Great American Scream Machine.
Guests can book additional, optional experiences such as VIP tours for private encounters with elephants, rhinos, lions, and other animals. The resort also offers spa services.
This actually isn’t the first time that guests have stayed overnight inside the safari park. A few years back, Six Flags began inviting guests on select dates to bring their own tents and RVs to the same site where the resort now stands. The enthusiastic response to that limited-time opportunity prompted the theme park company to consider developing the Savannah Sunset Resort.
Now, the Savannah Sunset may prod Six Flags to consider expanding its accommodations. Based on the demand, it could add additional tents. Or there may be even bigger plans.
“We’d love to have a hotel down the road, but this is kind of our first step into looking at overnight accommodations,” says Bacica. Located about halfway between Philadelphia and New York City in a rural section of New Jersey, the rambling Six Flags Great Adventure Resort has a total of 510 acres, some of which is undeveloped. “We have plenty of room for expansion on our property,” he adds.
Are you surprised that Six Flags offers a luxury resort? Might you consider visiting the Savannah Sunset?