JW Marriott Masai Mara safari lodge overview – The Factors Man

JW Marriott Masai Mara tented suites

When you is likely to be acquainted with 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 frequent areas dividing the 20 tents into two sections.

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

Our suite, No. 20, was a typical king-bed suite that had been become a triple room.

The suites themselves are elevated freestanding buildings with loads of privateness and house to unfold out — in any case, they measure round practically 1,100 sq. toes of indoor and out of doors house.

Earlier than you enter the room itself, you will be greeted by a big terrace going through the river that includes two chairs, a small round desk and a built-in Jacuzzi (simply you should definitely let the resort know three hours upfront if you need the Jacuzzi stuffed 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, properly, it was merely gorgeous. From the spare, trendy design and impartial palette to the domestically impressed touches (just like the “Do Not Disturb” signal that was a Masai spear) to the sloping roofs, the tents on the JW most positively match into the glamping aesthetic.

You may discover lots of the trendy conveniences that you simply’d count on 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 hassle forgoing the latter throughout my keep, I used to be a bit uncomfortable throughout the day with out air-con resulting from excessive noon temperatures.

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

When the skin temperature drops at night time and within the morning, it is a very completely different story. I had no hassle getting comfy and snuggling below a thick quilt at night time.

Actually, the resort even positioned padded sizzling water bottles in our beds throughout turndown service to heat us up every night time. If you’re too heat at night time, you may as well ask the resort to open a number of of the tent’s flaps.

Talking of the beds, they’re a number 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 until you are additionally a gaggle of three, you will have loads of house to unfold out and unpack your objects into the wardrobes.

Whereas many features of the suite had been spectacular, the spotlight was the spacious dual-vanity lavatory.

Not solely did I recognize the wooden paneling and fixtures and the dramatic lighting, however I additionally cherished the cornucopia of facilities ready for us, resembling 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 outside bathe. My one criticism concerning the lavatory is that there is not a door separating it from the bed room, which could not be non-public sufficient for those who and your touring companions are on completely different sleep schedules.

So far as safari accommodations in Africa go, I discovered the water stress and water temperature to be one of the best I’ve skilled. There was by no means a lag for a robust stream of sizzling 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 number of the greatest 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 trendy facilities that you simply’d count on from a high resort, although you are in the midst of the bush.

The dearth of air-con might be a deal breaker for some vacationers, and whereas I assumed it could wreck my sleep, I used to be pleasantly stunned that I awakened chilly 5 nights in a row.

JW Marriott Masai Mara facilities

Even for those who 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 only a few steps from the foyer through a tree-lined path that stretches all the best way to the tip 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 robust African solar introduced the temperature as much as 73 levels, which was fairly refreshing within the sizzling afternoons.

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

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

Due to some small water fountains and a satisfying aroma, I discovered myself stress-free right here on some evenings.

The spa has two therapy rooms, one in all which is designed for {couples}. Remedies aren’t included within the nightly charges, and so they begin at $170 for a 60-minute therapeutic massage (earlier than tip) — proper round what I might count on 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 workout routines.

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

Word that the fitness center would not characteristic any TVs and it is fully 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 resembling Scrabble and chess) that may theoretically double as a convention room, in addition to the resort’s present 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 large cameras on safari. In any case, you actually need a strong lengthy lens to seize lots of the sights alongside the best way.

Whereas these cameras usually price over $1,000, the JW Marriott Masai Mara has an revolutionary amenity that I might by no means seen earlier than: a Canon-branded digital camera studio.

Moses, the resort’s photographer, can mortgage you a Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a 100-to-500-millimeter lens totally free during 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 can even be a part of you on a sport drive for an extra charge.

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

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

This efficiency is likely to be anticipated as a result of lodge’s location in the midst of a nature reserve, but it surely was fascinating that my telephone’s five-bar Airtel LTE roaming community supplied quicker speeds than the resort’s Wi-Fi.

As an animal and nature fanatic who needed 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 throughout the day to get pleasure from all of the lodge amenities.

JW Marriott Masai Mara safaris and actions

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

As an alternative, the spotlight for visitors will seemingly be the sport drives every day. Like most lodges, the JW Marriott Masai Mara presents 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. Company 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 completely satisfied to accommodate. We needed to do a number of full-day sport drives to maximise our wildlife sightings, as an example. Not solely did the lodge fortunately oblige, but it surely additionally packed us breakfast and lunch to go.

If that is your first safari, count on 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 automobiles, a few of which characteristic 4 seats and a few six. All are branded with JW Marriott emblem decals across the automobile and on the seat headrests.

Our car had a detachable roof to will let you get up once you noticed one thing fascinating.

In every car, you will discover a number of 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 supplied blankets designed in Masai prints for the cool mornings and evenings. (This allowed me to put on shorts throughout the day, but in addition keep heat earlier than and after the dawn and sundown, respectively.)

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

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

Some days had 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 through the radio after they see one thing fascinating, so you could find yourself sharing a viewing of a delight of lions with different safari automobiles. (Additionally notice that the Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve is not a non-public conservancy such as you would possibly discover close to different luxe African lodges, and there’s no off-roading allowed within the park.)

An excellent information can even 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 might extremely suggest asking for him for those who keep on the JW Marriott Masai Mara. His data of the park and its inhabitants was spectacular, and he did an ideal job recognizing some spectacular sport (with out the assistance of the radio).

Simply scroll by means of a few of my highlights under.

Different guides that come extremely really useful by household and associates who just lately visited the property embrace Nicholas and Philip. I’ve heard that the JW lured a number of the greatest 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 in your social gathering (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 non-public 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 be taught 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 associates this time and completely loved seeing one once more. Simply put together to be ushered by means of a present store on the finish of your tour, and notice that costs are negotiable.

The second exercise is a sizzling air balloon safari, which prices $400 per particular person when booked by means of 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 associates mentioned that the native espresso was a number of the greatest they’ve ever had.

You might have two choices for breakfast and lunch. You’ll be able to eat on the lodge or out on a sport drive, climate allowing.

Should you 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 out of doors seating, a few of which is shaded.

In the meantime, for those who 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 is no doubt that the picnic meals (suppose sandwiches, salads, breads and desserts) are extra fundamental than the multicourse meals again on the lodge, but it surely’s fairly particular to get pleasure from a meal or two out in the midst of the park.

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

Should you 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 usually a alternative of a vegetarian soup or salad, adopted by one in all 4 entrees after which a each day dessert choice. (Do not be scared to order a number of entrees or refills — the servers had been all the time more than pleased to accommodate any requests.)

We ate our approach by means of the menus throughout our keep, and searching again at my notes and footage, I am unable to even pinpoint one dish that I’d’ve accomplished otherwise. This was a number of the greatest and freshest meals I’ve ever had at a resort, no much less on safari in the midst of a sport reserve.

Maybe the dish that stood out most was the purple snapper that we had for lunch on the primary day. It was ready with simply the correct quantity 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 kinds of bread each lunch and dinner. It obtained fairly stale after some time (no pun meant).

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

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

The lodge gives 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 charge. I could not discover a printed menu anyplace, however we did not even hassle inquiring for the reason that 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 elements in numerous dishes.

The backyard additionally incorporates a picket pergola below which you’ll get pleasure from breakfast or lunch.

Each afternoon, the restaurant prepares sundowners (drinks and a few gentle bites) round a hearth beneath the massive fig tree on the primary terrace.

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

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

JW Marriott Masai Mara service

Whereas the lodge’s “exhausting 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 number of the nights we had been there.

Wherever we turned, an worker was there to greet us, ask how we had been doing and see if they might get us something. Moreover, by our second day, each single worker addressed us by title. 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 customized service at each interplay, the restaurant waiters actually went above and past to make sure that we had been doted on as if we had been consuming in their very own houses.

Talking of the restaurant, my associates and I’ve some distinctive dietary restrictions, however government chef Rajiv Ranjan, who got here to the resort with 15 years of expertise at numerous luxurious accommodations, 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 advised him we loved his signature dishes on the second night time, he fortunately cooked us some extra Indian delicacies on the opposite nights.

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

Our information, Albert, struck the right stability between being skilled and pleasant, precisely what we had been searching for throughout our sport drives.

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

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

Regardless of how small the request, it was dealt with with a “sure” and a smile — the actual 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.

Should you’ve ever stayed at a JW Marriott within the U.S., you’ve got 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 gorgeous, 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 of one in all Marriott’s most distinctive properties but.