Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

We just settled in at the airport and couldn’t help but reflect on the incredible hotel service we experienced during our stay, which we believe is the best we've encountered anywhere in the world. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the radiant Glory and Ashley, who made our visit truly memorable as we celebrated our 15th anniversary. They ensured we felt the love throughout our stay. It was a pleasure to meet the hotel manager Mathew, who was not only welcoming but also a treasure trove of knowledge, and it was wonderful to connect with a fellow Sydneysider all the way in Africa. This lodge exemplifies five-star service. Every staff member made a point to learn our names or had done their research to introduce themselves personally. The rooms are impressively spacious, and no matter which one you book, you'll enjoy unparalleled views of the stunning Serengeti landscape. Each room is beautifully appointed, epitomizing luxury. We absolutely adored the facilities, and the food was spectacular, especially while watching the sunset over the Serengeti. Alex at the pool was fantastic, accommodating all our requests, while our dining experience at Boma was made even more special by our attentive waiter, Daniel. Though we were sad to have such a short stay, we wholeheartedly recommend this location and hotel for anyone seeking unparalleled luxury in the Serengeti.

One of the best experiences of my life! I was planning a safari for my 60th birthday and convinced our best friends to join us. Little did we know/expect that this was one of the most memorable experiences that we could do. I started planning the trip several months in advance. I worked with Adela in Reservations. She was reliable and always responded in a timely manner. I not only booked the rooms through Adela, but she helped suggest, plan and coordinate all of our activities while we were at the lodge (8 days), including our flights to/from Kilimanjaro to the Seronera air strip. We were met at the Seronera air strip by our driver for the week, Deo. Greeted with sparkling wine, Mimosa's juices, sandwiches and more, Deo was wonderful. He made our magical trip so much better (more later). Our 1 hour trip to the Lodge was a our first game drive. Seeing elephants, giraffe, zebra and wildebeests, among other animals for the first time in their own habitat was remarkable beyond words. Deo explained so much to us about Serengeti, the 'circle of life', respect for the animals, culture and surrounding. We could not wait until our next 'real' game drive... We arrived at the Lodge and were greeted by Masai and staff. A cold towel and delicious cocktail also were welcomed. We were checked in by Grace, a Front Desk wonder. She was kind, hospitable and very accommodating. Grace coordinated our check-in with aplomb, making the entire experience effortless. Almost daily, we would interact with Grace when we would leave for a game drive or return back. Her smile was infectious and her customer service, exemplary! While in Serengeti, we did half and full day game drives to different parts of the Serengeti. We did a Balloon safari, day trip to Ngorongoro Crater, visit to a Masai village, a Bush dinner and so much more. Adela did such a wonderful job organizing everything and Deo assisted by making recommendations on what to do and where to go on each game drive. Our room at the Lodge was large and very comfortable. A large closet and bathroom were clean and spacious. We had a large terrace overlooking a watering hole, where we saw so many animals close by and zebras drinking and cooling off. There were no complaints and the nightly turndown service always included fresh water, a cloth for cleaning glasses and a leather cord keeper for our many phone and electronics. The Lodge is all-inclusive for food and drink. This also included our sumptuous lunches each day while on safari. AMAZING! There were three restaurants with different menus. One restaurant even had a nightly Masai show during dinner. Our weather was near perfect. Because of this, we preferred to dine outside each evening. The staff were so accommodating that they offered us to enjoy dinner from the menus of any restaurant, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We enjoyed a Bush dinner on our last night. A private chef, wait staff and armed ranger to keep us safe, the food presentation and set up were only made better by a beautiful sunset. I highly recommend this experience. Costly but WELL WORTH IT! With only 77 rooms, we felt like family. The Lodge General Manager, Marisa Fernandes and Lodge Manager, Matthew Seynard were always available, kind and very accommodating. Personable and very professional, they both made it a point to regularly say hello, ask about our daily journeys and make us feel like family. I cannot write enough superlatives about Marisa, Matthew and the entire staff. Their command of the English language and understanding of the language was fantastic. We were so impressed. I could write for hours, but suffice it to say, The Four Seasons Serengeti Lodge was spectacular! The staff were amazing. Deo was so kind, understanding a wonderful. We have nothing to say but THANK YOU for making my special birthday and our vacation so memorable. The cost was very reasonable and I cannot recommend enough for anyone who wants to venture on a safari to stay at the Four Seasons. This was a trip of a lifetime. Thank you, again, Four Seasons Serengeti Lodge for making it magical and memorable!

We spent 3 nights at this hotel and really enjoyed the experience. Food was excellent and service was great. The gym was pretty good for being in the bush. We ate at all the restaurants and had no bad meals. In fact, the buffet dinner by the pool was the best we had in Africa. The room decor was nice and the room and balcony were spacious.

The hotel was quite lovely and had a spectacular view! Wonderful to sit up on the top level at the restaurant and bar taking in the view. We utilitzed the spa two days in a row followed by lounging at the pool. Very relaxing and a perfect start to our 2 week safari trip. The pool bar service was a bit slow but if you go up to the bar and order it’s quicker. ( only complaint…If you order a double of a drink make sure they use the double jigger and not the single plus a double.) The buffet had a wide variety of offerings so no matter where you come from you can find something you like. I also used the laundry services, something I’ve done before, and it was wonderful. My husband wondered off to the gardens and the caretakers gave him a great tour and shared their knowledge of all that they were doing on the property. The also have a shop/ restaurant towards the back of the property that features artisans that have some sort of disability. You can wander around and talk with the artists and see how they make the wonderful items in the shop. Livingston, a deaf person who makes glass art, was quite engaging. He showed us how he made the items and of course had lovely things in the gift shop. All in all a wonderful stay!!

Where to I begin with this review, some things were incredible but other things let down the experience overall. To start with, the good: The hotel is impressive and offers a range of services, particularly if you have time to relax. After almost 2 weeks of travel it was a nice place to unwind. The spa was lovely and our massages were 5 star! The pool and bar were amazing, especially the view of the waterhole. The food options were good (3 restaurants) but breakfast was definitely the best. The onsite museum was great to spend time looking through. The rooms had good aspects, we booked a waterhole view which had a great view, big bed, large balcony and bath. Later we were upgraded (due to some mishaps, see below) to the suite with a private pool which was very impressive! Now the not so good: The service was hit and miss as other reviews pointed out. The staff were all lovely but our first night at dinner we ordered 4 courses. The mains came out before the starter and entrees and then when informed them it took over 45 minutes for bring our the starters, and they only brought out 1 instead of one each… they the offered to bring out the rest but by that point we just wanted to shower and sleep. Then came the next issue, we get back to our room, start the bath and halfway though filling we realise it’s cold - no hot water! Reception send staff to fix it and after an hour of having three staff in our room when we just wanted to sleep they tell us it would be at least another 2 hours to fix (it’s 11pm at this point). At that point we just went straight to reception and relayed our concerns. We understand these things happen and appreciated them listening and resolving the issue by upgrading our room to the suite, but unfortunately it wasn’t available that night so we had to go to a downgraded room the first night just so that we could shower and sleep. Caused a lot of unpacking/repacking etc. and we were disappointed they didn’t offer to move us sooner or offer any other remedies. A few other negatives: - the food was hit and miss and some staff relayed information wrong (menu options, opening times etc) - the staff were sometimes too attentive, we were interrupted every meal by a manger checking in to see if everything was good, sometimes multiple times a meal. We appreciate this but sometimes less is more. - the place feels like a big hotel and it is packed full. The walls are not thick so we could hear neighbouring rooms (tv, talking etc.) - the staff appear to be given ‘western names’ rather than using their traditional names as they did at all the other places we stayed.