JW Marriott Masai Mara safari lodge evaluate – The Factors Man

JW Marriott Masai Mara reserving

Regardless of which safari lodge you keep at, there’s numerous advance prep work that must be finished, which begins with really reserving your keep.

Attending to the JW Marriott Masai Mara

Not solely is that this seemingly the priciest JW Marriott on the earth, however it’s additionally maybe the toughest one to get to.

Earlier than I get into the overview, notice that the resort’s reservation crew may also help prepare visitors’ transportation wants earlier than and after their keep.

JW Marriott Masai Mara check-in and foyer

When you pull as much as the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge — a real oasis inside the Masai Mara reserve — you will instantly begin forgetting concerning the trek that it took to get there.

Once we arrived at round 12 p.m., we have been greeted by a conventional welcome dance from members of the native Masai ethnic group who’re employed by the resort.

The Masai invited us to affix in on the dance, and by the top, smiles changed the exhaustion on our faces from the practically 24 hours of nonstop journey it took to get there.

As soon as the dance concluded, it was time to test in and clean up.

To enter the resort, visitors cross the so-called dancing bridge, aptly named as a result of it “dances” (strikes up and down) as you stroll on it.

The bridge is suspended over the Talek River, which runs adjoining to the property. (The river wasn’t actually flowing throughout our July keep within the dry season, however I think about that the present is far stronger through the reserve’s wet season.)

After crossing the bridge, you will end up in the principle widespread areas of the property, that are all elevated from the bottom on a picket deck.

We have been ushered into the superbly adorned welcome tent, the place we have been supplied with heat towels and a selection of Champagne or recent fruit juice.

Our baggage have been taken on to our room, and Thelma, our check-in concierge, invited us to sit down on the terrace to finish some formalities.

This course of took just some minutes, and Thelma then gave us a quick property overview earlier than dropping us off at our tent.

All in all, it was a flawless check-in course of, and it turned out to be a harbinger of what was to come back with our keep.

JW Marriott Masai Mara tented suites

When you could be accustomed to JW Marriotts which have 1000’s of rooms in main enterprise locations, this property could not be extra completely different.

There are simply 20 particular person tented suites on the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, all overlooking the Talek River. The suites are organized in a single line from west to east, with the lodge’s widespread areas dividing the 20 tents into two sections.

The suites on the western facet go from 1 to 11 and people on the japanese facet go from 12 to 21 (you will not discover an unfortunate Tent 13 at this JW). As such, if in case you have a desire between dawn and sundown views, let the resort know beforehand and hopefully, it could possibly accommodate you with an east- or west-facing suite, respectively.

Our suite, No. 20, was a regular king-bed suite that had been changed into a triple room.

The suites themselves are elevated freestanding buildings with loads of privateness and house to unfold out — in spite of everything, they measure round practically 1,100 sq. ft of indoor and outside house.

Earlier than you enter the room itself, you will be greeted by a big terrace dealing with the river that includes two chairs, a small round desk and a built-in Jacuzzi (simply remember to let the resort know three hours prematurely in order for you the Jacuzzi crammed and heated.)

I loved spending time every night on the terrace, however I simply want that the Jacuzzi obtained a bit hotter than the 93 levels that my Apple Watch measured.

As for the suite itself, nicely, it was merely beautiful. From the spare, fashionable design and impartial palette to the regionally impressed touches (just like the “Do Not Disturb” signal that was a Masai spear) to the sloping roofs, the tents on the JW most undoubtedly match into the glamping aesthetic.

You may discover lots of the fashionable conveniences that you simply’d anticipate from a newly constructed resort, together with common energy retailers, an ergonomic desk with a chair, two comfy couches and a well-stocked complimentary minibar.

What you will not discover, sadly, is air con or televisions. Whereas I had no bother forgoing the latter throughout my keep, I used to be a bit uncomfortable through the day with out air con resulting from excessive noon temperatures.

The tents every characteristic two highly effective ceiling followers, and the resort is joyful to rearrange further transportable followers, however irrespective of what number of blades are spinning, it will get scorching within the room through the day. (That was one motive why we stayed out on full-day sport drives all through the keep.)

When the surface temperature drops at evening and within the morning, it is a very completely different story. I had no bother getting comfy and snuggling below a thick cover at evening.

The truth is, the resort even positioned padded scorching water bottles in our beds throughout turndown service to heat us up every evening. In case you are too heat at evening, you may also ask the resort to open a number of of the tent’s flaps.

Talking of the beds, they’re a few of the most comfy I’ve ever skilled on safari.

To transform our king tent right into a triple, the resort positioned two particular person beds simply in entrance of the 2 dressers. That made the room a tiny bit cramped, however except you are additionally a bunch of three, you will have loads of house to unfold out and unpack your objects into the wardrobes.

Whereas many facets of the suite have been spectacular, the spotlight was the spacious dual-vanity rest room.

Not solely did I admire the wooden paneling and fixtures and the dramatic lighting, however I additionally cherished the cornucopia of facilities ready for us, comparable to dental kits, liquid and bar hand cleaning soap and extra from Rituals and Therapeutic Earth.

Along with a walk-in bathe, every suite additionally options an out of doors bathe. My one criticism concerning the rest room is that there is not a door separating it from the bed room, which could not be non-public sufficient in the event you and your touring companions are on completely different sleep schedules.

So far as safari resorts in Africa go, I discovered the water strain and water temperature to be the perfect I’ve skilled. There was by no means a lag for a powerful stream of scorching water.

Furthermore, I discovered the monogrammed JW Marriott towels to be extremely thick and absorbent, and I am already lacking them.

All in all, the suites on the JW Marriott Masai Mara are a few of the finest I’ve seen in all of my safaris (I have been on 5 of those journeys, starting from mid-tier to ultra-luxury). As a brand new property, the suites boast lots of the fashionable facilities that you simply’d anticipate from a high resort, despite the fact that you are in the course of the bush.

The shortage of air con might be a deal breaker for some vacationers, and whereas I believed it will destroy my sleep, I used to be pleasantly shocked that I wakened chilly 5 nights in a row.

JW Marriott Masai Mara facilities

Even in the event you by no means enterprise out for a sport drive, there are many facilities to maintain you busy on the JW Marriott Masai Mara.

It begins with the pool, spa and fitness center space, which is just some steps from the foyer by way of a tree-lined path that stretches all the best way to the top of the property.

The central a part of this space is the infinity pool, which is surrounded by a handful of comfy loungers and chairs, a few of that are shaded by a picket pergola.

I by no means noticed one other visitor on the pool all through our five-night keep, presumably as a result of the infinity pool is not heated. That mentioned, the sturdy African solar introduced the temperature as much as 73 levels, which was fairly refreshing within the scorching afternoons.

Although the pool has an infinity edge, it would not actually overlook a lot. That is prone to change within the coming years, as I noticed the groundskeepers planting new shrubbery and crops close to the pool (and all through the property, too).

Subsequent to the pool is the lodge’s spa, which options just a few common-use areas, comparable to a sauna, a steam room, showers and a chilly plunge pool flanked by two loungers.

Because of some small water fountains and a lovely aroma, I discovered myself stress-free right here on some evenings.

The spa has two therapy rooms, one in every of which is designed for {couples}. Remedies aren’t included within the nightly charges, they usually begin at $170 for a 60-minute therapeutic massage (earlier than tip) — proper round what I would anticipate to pay at a luxurious resort.

Reverse the spa in a separate tent is the fitness center, which is a bit spartan. Inside, you will discover only a easy treadmill, a motorcycle and a rowing machine for cardio train.

There’s additionally a bench, a rack of free weights as much as 20 kilograms and a NOHrD train wall that can be utilized for a number of power workouts.

I used the fitness center 3 times throughout my keep — a should with all of the gourmand meals I used to be consuming — and located it completely superb however unmemorable.

Word that the fitness center would not characteristic any TVs and it is utterly open-air, so the temperature inside is on the mercy of Mom Nature. That mentioned, I did get pleasure from a cool breeze within the morning, afternoon and night once I used the fitness center.

The remainder of the facilities are close to the lodge’s welcome space.

Right here you will discover a sport room (with classics comparable to Scrabble and chess) that may theoretically double as a convention room, in addition to the resort’s reward store stocked with Masai-made souvenirs.

There are gender-specific public restrooms with African design accents subsequent to the small reception desk.

Many guests, myself included, be certain that to deliver their fancy massive cameras on safari. In any case, you actually need a robust lengthy lens to seize lots of the sights alongside the best way.

Whereas these cameras usually value over $1,000, the JW Marriott Masai Mara has an modern amenity that I would by no means seen earlier than: a Canon-branded digicam studio.

Moses, the resort’s photographer, can mortgage you a Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a 100-to-500-millimeter lens at no cost throughout your keep. These are very highly effective cameras, so if you would like a tutorial, Moses can present you all of the fundamentals within the images studio and may be part of you on a sport drive for a further charge.

The rental cameras include an SD card, so if you would like to avoid wasting your images simply to your individual gadget, remember to deliver a laptop computer on the journey. (I think about that Moses may load your images onto a USB thumb drive or probably to the cloud, however I am undecided if there is a charge related to that.)

Talking of web, Wi-Fi is accessible within the room and all through the resort, however the speeds are usually not nice – they measured nearly 8Mbps obtain and add for me. That is quick sufficient to stream TV and perhaps make a FaceTime name, however it wasn’t speedy sufficient to add my footage and movies after every day within the bush.

This efficiency could be anticipated as a result of lodge’s location in the course of a nature reserve, however it was fascinating that my telephone’s five-bar Airtel LTE roaming community offered quicker speeds than the resort’s Wi-Fi.

As an animal and nature fanatic who wished to be out within the bush all day, if there’s one draw back to having all of those facilities, it is that I want there have been extra time through the day to get pleasure from all of the lodge amenities.

JW Marriott Masai Mara safaris and actions

Whereas the lodge has lots to maintain you occupied, you should not come to the Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve merely to loosen up by the pool. (I can advocate loads of resorts for that trip vibe.)

As a substitute, the spotlight for visitors will seemingly be the sport drives every day. Like most lodges, the JW Marriott Masai Mara affords two each day sport drives, one within the morning and one other within the afternoon.

To maximise your probability of seeing animals whereas they’re most lively, sport drives depart about half-hour earlier than dawn after which return to the lodge as soon as the warmth of the day units in. Visitors depart once more late within the afternoon and return to the lodge about half-hour after sundown.

If you would like to customise a safari schedule that works higher for you, the lodge is joyful to accommodate. We wished to do just a few full-day sport drives to maximise our wildlife sightings, as an example. Not solely did the lodge fortunately oblige, however it additionally packed us breakfast and lunch to go.

If that is your first safari, anticipate to be transported across the park in a four-by-four Toyota Land Cruiser. The JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge operates a fleet of about 10 autos, a few of which characteristic 4 seats and a few six. All are branded with JW Marriott emblem decals across the automotive and on the seat headrests.

Our car had a detachable roof to permit you to rise up whenever you noticed one thing fascinating.

In every car, you will discover just a few facilities to make bouncing across the park extra comfy. These embrace a fridge stocked with complimentary drinks, common energy retailers and USB-A ports, complimentary sunscreen, hand sanitizer and Vortex Viper binoculars.

The lodge additionally offered blankets designed in Masai prints for the cool mornings and evenings. (This allowed me to put on shorts through the day, but additionally keep heat earlier than and after the dawn and sundown, respectively.)

Whether or not it is your first or hundredth safari, there’s at all times numerous anticipation about what you will see within the park. In my case, I used to be wanting to see the Nice Migration of wildebeests, one of many largest actions of animals on the earth.

Within the Masai Mara, this sometimes occurs round July and August, and we noticed some unimaginable migration crossings throughout our drives.

Some days have been extra thrilling than others, however that is the way it goes within the bush. This is not a zoo — put together for an hour or two at a time with out seeing any of the “Large 5” animals (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo).

That mentioned, the guides do typically talk by way of the radio after they see one thing fascinating, so you might find yourself sharing a viewing of a pleasure of lions with different safari autos. (Additionally notice that the Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve is not a personal conservancy such as you may discover close to different luxe African lodges, and there’s no off-roading allowed within the park.)

A very good information may make or break your expertise, and that is one other space the place we lucked out with Albert. He took us across the park, and I would extremely advocate asking for him in the event you keep on the JW Marriott Masai Mara. His data of the park and its inhabitants was spectacular, and he did an excellent job recognizing some spectacular sport (with out the assistance of the radio).

Simply scroll via a few of my highlights beneath.

Different guides that come extremely really useful by household and buddies who not too long ago visited the property embrace Nicholas and Philip. I’ve heard that the JW lured a few of the finest guides away from high close by lodges, together with the Kempinski and andBeyond.

Simply notice that the JW Marriott Masai Mara would not assure non-public sport drives on your celebration (that prices $450 further per day), so that you may need to spend them with different visitors. Nonetheless, the lodge does appear to attempt to present non-public drives, assuming that there are spare guides. (We did not pay further for a personal car, however we obtained one anyway.)

Along with sport drives, there are two different optionally available actions that the lodge recommends.

The primary is a go to to a close-by Masai village, the place you possibly can study concerning the group’s tradition, practices and way of life. It prices $30 per particular person paid in money to the village elder upon arrival.

I visited a Masai village on a earlier safari, however I went again with my buddies this time and completely loved seeing one once more. Simply put together to be ushered via a present store on the finish of your tour, and notice that costs are negotiable.

The second exercise is a scorching air balloon safari, which prices $400 per particular person when booked via the resort.

JW Marriott Masai Mara meals and beverage

At some all-inclusive resorts, it feels just like the meals and drinks are an afterthought. However on the JW Marriott Masai Mara, the eating expertise is an integral — and delectable — a part of your keep.

You actually will not go hungry for various minutes; there’s tasty, recent and healthful meals wherever you flip.

While you get up within the morning, the resort units up a small espresso and pastry bar. I do not drink espresso, however my buddies mentioned that the native espresso was a few of the finest they’ve ever had.

You’ve gotten two choices for breakfast and lunch. You possibly can eat on the lodge or out on a sport drive, climate allowing.

For those who select the previous, you will get pleasure from your meal in both the Fig Tree Bar and Lounge or the Sarabi restaurant, each of that are within the lodge’s central welcome space.

They’re each tastefully designed with African artwork sourced from close by villages and have a mixture of indoor and outside seating, a few of which is shaded.

In the meantime, in the event you select a to-go meal, the chef will pack a elaborate picnic field so that you can get pleasure from whereas on a sport drive. Your information will arrange a makeshift eating space, full with a desk and folding chairs, below a tree someplace within the park.

There isn’t any doubt that the picnic meals (suppose sandwiches, salads, breads and desserts) are extra fundamental than the multicourse meals again on the lodge, however it’s fairly particular to get pleasure from a meal or two out in the course of the park.

Additionally, this fashion you need not drive again to the lodge every time you wish to eat.

For those who do elect to eat on the lodge, you will be in for a deal with. The breakfast, lunch and dinner menus rotated each day. There was sometimes a selection of a vegetarian soup or salad, adopted by one in every of 4 entrees after which a each day dessert choice. (Do not be scared to order a number of entrees or refills — the servers have been at all times more than pleased to accommodate any requests.)

We ate our method via the menus throughout our keep, and looking out again at my notes and footage, I am unable to even pinpoint one dish that I might’ve finished in a different way. This was a few of the finest and freshest meals I’ve ever had at a resort, no much less on safari in the course of a sport reserve.

Maybe the dish that stood out most was the crimson snapper that we had for lunch on the primary day. It was ready with simply the correct amount of flakiness and seasoning.

Suffice it to say, you’ll not discover a large and unappealing all-inclusive buffet at this 20-tent property.

If there’s one space of enchancment, it is with the bread basket, which included the very same varieties of bread each lunch and dinner. It obtained fairly stale after some time (no pun supposed).

Nonetheless, the kitchen does bake recent naan bread on some nights, and it was at all times a spotlight.

The complimentary alcohol choice included a variety of wines from everywhere in the world, in addition to some top-shelf liquor, together with Gray Goose vodka and Hendrick’s gin.

The lodge supplies a wine and cocktail menu throughout every meal, however you are additionally inspired to ask the bartender to whip up your favourite drink.

Talking of cocktails, I loved some refreshing and balanced drinks all through my keep, together with the Mara Backyard and the African Bee’s Knees.

Alternatively, you possibly can go for room service, which is included in your room price. I could not discover a printed menu wherever, however we did not even trouble inquiring because the restaurant meals was so good.

Lastly, the lodge is rising its personal “JW Backyard” close to Tent 17. The backyard itself is already fairly spectacular, and its produce will quickly be used as substances in several dishes.

The backyard additionally encompasses a picket pergola below which you’ll be able to get pleasure from breakfast or lunch.

Each afternoon, the restaurant prepares sundowners (drinks and a few mild bites) round a hearth beneath the large fig tree on the principle terrace.

Whereas this was at all times a good way to unwind on the finish of the day, the lodge took the sundowner expertise to the following stage on our final evening, when it arrange a bonfire, makeshift bar and garden chairs beneath a tree in the course of the reserve with a front-row view of the sundown.

This proved to be a magical solution to finish our journey.

JW Marriott Masai Mara service

Whereas the lodge’s “onerous product” (tents, facilities and property) vastly exceeded my expectations, what actually set the JW Marriott Masai Mara aside was the service.

For one, the staff-to-guest ratio felt prefer it vastly exceeded 3:1, even when the lodge was totally booked throughout a few of the nights we have been there.

Wherever we turned, an worker was there to greet us, ask how we have been doing and see if they might get us something. Moreover, by our second day, each single worker addressed us by identify. That is some spectacular service that I’ve solely seen earlier than in high 4 Seasons and Aman resorts, amongst a handful of different top-tier luxurious manufacturers.

Whereas we get pleasure from personalised service at each interplay, the restaurant waiters actually went above and past to make sure that we have been doted on as if we have been consuming in their very own houses.

Talking of the restaurant, my buddies and I’ve some distinctive dietary restrictions, however govt chef Rajiv Ranjan, who got here to the resort with 15 years of expertise at numerous luxurious resorts, could not have been friendlier or extra accommodating.

Throughout and after each meal, he requested for suggestions and helped plan a menu that labored with our preferences. Chef Ranjan makes a speciality of Indian meals, and after we instructed him we loved his signature dishes on the second evening, he fortunately cooked us some extra Indian delicacies on the opposite nights.

His thoughtfulness prolonged proper till checkout, when he confirmed up as we have been leaving with some nibbles (freshly made power bars, macarons, doughnuts and extra).

Our information, Albert, struck the proper stability between being skilled and pleasant, precisely what we have been on the lookout for throughout our sport drives.

After which there’s Fairman Muhingi, the lodge supervisor. Fairman oversees your entire property, however he is not main from some again workplace. He’s out serving to visitors and workers each single day.

Fairman checked in with us a number of occasions through the day, and he even shared his WhatsApp particulars to contact him immediately if we would have liked something.

Regardless of how small the request, it was dealt with with a “sure” and a smile — the true mark of a world-class resort.

Backside line

It is lastly right here: Marriott’s long-awaited luxurious safari lodge is now open in Kenya’s Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve.

Although the world’s largest resort chain is branding this property as a JW Marriott, it could not really feel extra completely different from what I have a tendency to consider as a typical JW Marriott.

For those who’ve ever stayed at a JW Marriott within the U.S., you have seemingly skilled a cookie-cutter business-focused resort in a serious metropolis with a excessive room rely and facilities that may really feel generic.

However the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge could not be farther from this picture. The beautiful, tented, all-suite property with top-notch meals, impeccable service and spectacular facilities went past even my excessive expectations and is much more thrilling as a result of you possibly can earn and redeem factors whereas experiencing it.

Coupled with its prime location within the coronary heart of the world-famous Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve, this camp is sure to be thought-about one in every of Marriott’s most distinctive properties but.