10/10 Exceptional
22 October 2024
Inconsistent, but very very charming
Really enjoyed our stay here. It was such a characterful hotel and our room was gorgeous with beautiful views over the Chobe river from the balcony. The game drives and river cruise were really good and a reasonable price. I would say, the service was very up and down, sometimes outstanding, at other times quite cold and disorganised. The same is true of the game drives, one was incredible, the other was quite mediocre. Food too, sometimes was exceptional (like the BBQ at the poolside bar), at other times the buffet was chaotic and poorly managed (like the stir fry nights, where the food was really good, but the queue chaotic and badly thought through). But to be honest, for all of this, this just added to the charm and authenticity of this hotel. At times the inconsistency just made us laugh. For instance, ordering at the bar would take more than 2 hours for food to come; even if it was just a pizza! And one staff member asked us to buy her something from the shop, and seemed genuinely hurt and disappointed when we didn’t get her a gift. I wouldn’t stay here if you want total; polished luxury. But if you want character, authenticity, and a beautiful riverside lodge, I would easily recommend it and I would definitely stay again hence my 5 star review. I really had a soft spot for this hotel for all its eccentricities.
Edwin
Edwin, 3-night trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review
