In April 2023, we saw the opening of Marriott’s first safari lodge in Africa. I wanted to post an update about this property, as it’s bookable with Marriott Bonvoy® points, and availability is quite good.
Continue reading: JW Marriott Masai Mara: Marriott’s First Luxury Safari Lodge (Redeem Points)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
@Ben are these rooms priced like a regular hotel, with double occupancy, as opposed to per person, like most luxury safari camps?
If so, even $3K night is tremendous value if that covers all-inclusive for two people. If that's the case, WOW that is a steal.
Having lived in Kenya, paying $3k a night on a safari tented camp is the greatest colossal waste of money.
Anyone who knows about Safari knows that it’s normally a 3 day/2 night gig, and the one full day that you get … you ain’t having breakfast as your up for an early morning drive and back around midday.
Likewise the evening drive takes you out at 4pm and back around 730pm.
You think you can lounge by the pool, we’ll think again with flies and insects galore! This is a natural habitat after all!
Unfortunately, the last place I would want to go on safari is the Masai Mara... It's too overcrowded to start with.
The notion of the big 5 comes from hunting. The 5 most difficult animals to hunt. Now it's a marketing term. Do you really want to see the African buffalo?
Do folks even know what wildlife they want to see?
Yeah, I currently live in Nairobi. If you must go to the Mara National Reserve, I'd recommend it for a (1) First time whose looking to just get the classic feel with 10,000 of your closest friends; or (2) Locals who stay at cheaper camps and just make a weekend out of it.
The Conservancies are significantly better and you can get great accommodation for much less than this property.
The Mara really isn't that big a place, and Kenya's unfortunately leaned a little too heavy into mass market tourism. For example there are only slightly more lodges across the border in Tanzania in the Serengeti, but the Greater Serengeti is something like 10 times larger than the Greater Mara.
Eh, if you lived in NBO, that's often the case. I don't think Amboseli, Lake Nakuru. or most Laikipia conservancies are worth more than that amount of time. But if you're out in Meru/Kora or in one of the Tsavos, this sort of mini trip definitely is not sufficient. All in all most Kenya parks are relatively small next to Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Kruger, Namibia, Botswana, etc., so the mini safari works there better than elsewhere.
Booked for four nights in October!
Keep in mind that they changed the cancellation policy on award nights from 2 days to 45 days. Paid stays are 30 days.
Keep in mind that they changed the cancellation policy on award nights from 2 days to 45 days. Paid stays are 30 days.
Booked for four nights in October! Thanks for the heads up.
Indeed you can get lost in the Serengeti if you wish. I agree about the conservancies - much better option for Kenya.
Unfortunately, safaris are a bucket list item these days and associated with luxury travel. I have friends who have only looked at the lodge because they want to go some place fancy, and others ask - you already went on safari, why do you want to go again? The vast majority of people aren't truly interested in wildlife. But that's ok I guess,
The fact that someone would travel halfway around the world to stay at a basic culture-sanitized American hotel versus a conservancy property blows my mind. Come on people. Some places don’t need to be redeemed with points; this is one of them.
Singita doesn’t have any properties in Kenya so if you are keen on seeing the river crossing with crocs jumping up to bite zebras etc. in July/Aug then staying in Masai Mara area (Kenya) is the only game in town. The best property in Masai Mara is Angama hands down. Sweeping view of Masai Mara from cliff top “tents” is nothing short of majestic. If seeing cheetah is on your bucket list, then the Singita properties in Tanzania can’t be beat. Sasakwa is especially nice if you want to live out that Swifties “widest dream” video.
100% agree; can’t imagine doing a bucket list safari at a sanitized Marriott property.
Knowing what is included is very important.
Airfare to/from the airstrip?
All meals?
Park fees and donations?
Transportation to/from game reserves?
etc.
Furthermore, while Singita does not have properties in Kenya there are many other local providers that have been doing this much longer than Marriott. I would much rather in this instance go with one of those providers where it is really all inclusive. For those fees that are not included one has to wonder how it will be handled - added to your bill or what?
Exactly! There is a time and place for our Marriot and Hyatt obsessions. This is not one of them.
Got a reservation next year at Singita after readings Lucky's report from a few years back and can not wait!