New zoo hotel lets you share a room with a beast

An unusual new hotel offers guests the chance to wake up to lions at their bedside and eyeball a bear while sitting in the bath. The Jamala Wildlife Lodge experience at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra blends guest rooms with animal habitats. The hotel's owner Richard Tindale said the property was designed to make guests feel they were immersed in nature. He said: "The lodges feature a u-shaped room with the middle of room all glass so you can be in your bath, bed or in the lounge and you could have an intimate interaction. There are 20 luxury rooms scattered across the zoo, each with their own animal encounter and decorated with items handpicked by the Tindales on their annual trips to Africa. Photo taken on Dec 14. [Photo/IC]