JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge

Absolutely spectacular!!! We enjoyed everything about this property and its staff members! From the moment we were greeted at the Keekorok airstrip to the moment we were returned for our departure, we were made to feel like family and treated like royalty! Our experience far exceeded our expectations and we were fortunate to have the pleasure of visiting with General Manager Fairman Muhingi to congratulate him on the success of the property and carefully chosen staff members. My husband loved the Canon studio onsite. They provide a high-quality camera with a huge lens for the guests to use on game drives at no additional cost. And, of course, professionals to teach how to use the camera and edit the photos. What a perk!! Thank you to our fabulous and fun safari guide Fintan, our wonderful server Leshan, bartenders Richard and Victor, barista extraordinaire Josiah, our room attendant Anne, and Kennedy, Serina, and Thelma who seem to be the ones making sure that all guests have a fabulous all-around experience. Asante sana to everyone at the JW Marriott Masai Mara. We miss your beautiful smiles and can’t wait to visit you again!

The place is immaculate. The location is stunningly beautiful. The cabins/tents are spacious and relaxing. Most of them overlook the river. The accommodations are stuffed with loads of freebies and ample of towels. The food is masterfully carved. It caters to everyone’s palette with special attention by the head chef Rajiv Ranjan. Our server Patrick took great care to ensure we were not hungry throughout our stay. The safaris were well planned. Our safari guide, Vincent’s mannerisms, attention to details, hospitality, and his determination that we saw and got most from our safari trips was exemplary. With nearly 17 years of solid Safari experience he knows the nooks and crannies of the bushes. The facility provides free cameras with telescopic lenses to use during the stay. A nice touch to add to a great experience. Every moment can be caught and on the last day the well experienced photo lab staff downloads the pictures to your cell phone or laptops. Every member of the staff knows you personally by name.- specially James from housekeeping. He made efforts to meet every basic and specific needs. Special mention of Wilson in the reception desk who took the extra mile to identify, locate, and help us buy artifacts we were specifically looking for. He contacted the store in Nairobi and ensured we find the artifacts- this special touch was exemplary. A professionally managed facility catering to every need to ensure comfort and a great Safari experience. We also learnt they provide opportunities for the Masai children helping them with internships and hospitality administration experience so they can then venture out to other similar facilities or apply for jobs if open within the facility. We will definitely recommend this place for a life time experience. Well worth the trip and stay!

My husband and I had the absolute best trip staying at the JW Marriott Masai Mara. The team made our honeymoon so special. The staff, food, amenities, spa and overall experience was fabulous. Chad and I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay for our honeymoon. We are so beyond grateful for Moses who came on a game drive with us and taught us how to use the cameras and took photos of us during our village visit. We really appreciated Wilson who helped us throughout our stay, our amazing waiter Benjamin for surprising us with lunch in the garden and a private dinner one night, and of course, we are so lucky that Sophy was our driver. Sophy took us to the village and shared with us so much about her culture and taught us all about the Masai, Kenya and different African animals. Sophy surprised us with an opportunity to dress in the Masai traditional wedding clothing and beads and we danced and celebrated our wedding with the village. Thank you again, JW Masai Mara. We will most definitely be back one day!

This Marriot property is by far the best we have stayed at in all Marriot and other upscale properties. This property is set apart by the level of service of here. Every single thing is thought of with the intent to ensure guests feel fully relaxed and on vacation. Although every single person here made us feel so welcomed and taken care of, we especially appreciated the care of certain individuals. The Marriot brand is so lucky to have this staff here at Mara. Firstly our game driver Jacob. Folks if at all possible to have him as your safari guide it’s worth it. He knows every inch of this park, and it’s clear people know him in the area. We were so impressed by his ability to read animals behaviour and move accordingly to where they will be so you can see and get the best shots. Super pleasant accommodating guy, cannot say enough about him, he’s absolutely wonderful goes above and beyond. Moses in the photo studio. Took time every single day to help us export photos, give us tips on editing and just be a wonderful encouragement to people so new to photography. My husband generally is not a photo person and he is now wanting to take lessons and perfect his skills for sure due to Moses. Victor the bartender. Wonderful guy, so attentive and great conversations. He’s an expert at making drinks and really tries to ensure you have a great experience. You will arrive and everyone will say welcome home, it’s not at all a faux, you feel it through the entire stay. We are so impressed and will certainly recommend this.

This was the best experience ever. The whole place blew my mind. I love everything from the decor, view ,food ,the service and the beautiful staff. Everyone was so amazing. I can’t wait to come back. I rate this as excellent 5 stars all the way.

Our previous safaris have always been with small intimate lodges so one approaches a "Marriott" in the bush with some apprehension - will it be a modern business hotel not blending in with its surrounding? Will be impersonal? The lodge as it turns out is perfectly blended with it environment, feeling very natural and personal, with no compromise to the quality of fixtures & fittings and its various services. The ratio of staff to guest is truly impressive but it felt just rightly attentive and not intrusive. Perched on the river bank are 26 individual roomy and well decorated "cottages" with fantastic bathrooms - almost decadent when one considers it is in the middle of the wild. Service, especially the game drives, were exceptional. Special shout out to our Guide Vincent who seemed to spot any animal miles away and always in position for their next moves. He is also patient and genuinely passionate about the animals - even though we have seen the animals previously, he injected new and personal excitement to our animal interactions on the Mara. Must also mention Thelma the Guest Relations manager who is always like a burst of sunshine whenever you spoke to her. The bartenders seemed to relish any cocktail challenge we threw at them! Very special also is the Canon Studio in the hotel where guests can borrow for free a Canon R6 with a 100-500 zoom lens - the resident photographers (ours was Ken) also acted as personal coach and helped edit our photos. Our memory of the trip is hugely elevated by this amazing photographic upgrade!

After visiting the JW Marriott Masai Mara last August, we were concerned on our return visit this August that our excellent experience of last year would not be met. Our fears were immediately allayed when we saw Eric who guided us during our wonderful stay of 2023. From the airstrip, Eric took us directly on a game drive, and during the six days we spent in the Masai Mara, Eric was exceptional in his knowledge of the flora and fauna and being able to locate the most elusive of animals. We were able to see 2 mass river crossings at both the Mara and Sand rivers with crocodiles taking a wildebeest, a highlight of our trip last year and even better this year. Eric found leopard, cheetah and lion cubs as well as leopards climbing trees which we were unable to see the previous year. On many occasions we were the only vehicle present and able to enjoy the wonderful landscapes and sounds of the Mara. Eric, as well being in a league of his own as a guide, was excellent company during our stay, anticipating every need we had with a great sense of humour. We were very happy to see old friends Fairman, Thelma, Kennedy and Wilson who as always were excellent in providing us with anything we needed whilst at the lodge together with Moses and Kennedy in the photo studio. Elias anticipated what we would like in the restaurant before we did and we particularly enjoyed the wonderful Kenyan food that was served one evening. Since our last visit, Diana has joined the team and is a wonderful cultural ambassador of Kenya, the Masai Mara as well as JW Marriott.

I've stayed nearly 600 nights at Marriott hotels, and I can honestly say that the JW Marriott Maasai Mara is my absolute favorite. I was a bit anxious before arriving, mostly because of the unknown. I was worried that the environment might not meet my expectations and would affect my trip experience. But as soon as Jacob picked us up at Maasai Mara Airport, half of my worries disappeared. - Room Facilities: You can't really compare this place to luxury hotels in the city—it’s totally not comprarable. The hotel embraces African style while using top-notch materials in the decor. - Cleanliness: The cleanliness was flawless every single day. I’d leave my clothes in the laundry bag before heading out, and by the time I returned, they were washed, folded, and even ironed. - Guide: Having a good guide is the key for a safari, and we were incredibly lucky to have Eric. He was funny, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about all the animals and plants in the park. He could answer all our questions and even shared fascinating stories about some of the animals. Eric’s dedication to his work was clear, and because of him, we saw way more than we ever expected in just a few days. My safari experience was perfect, and I’ll definitely request Eric as my guide next time. - Service: The service was exceptional and truly stood out. It wasn’t just about polite greetings; the staff genuinely cared. During my five-night stay, I noticed that they remembered everyone's name and food preferences. * Example 1: On the first day, I forgot to mention my food allergy. Our guide, Eric, overheard this and called the hotel. A staff member actually drove over an hour through the Maasai Mara National Reserve to find us and deliver my lunch. After that, I always had a separate lunch box with my name on it. * Example 2: On the checkout day, my friend realized her iPhone was lost while we were on the way to the airport. The hotel sent Jacob to look for the phone on the road, and about ten minutes later, Jacob found it. We were just about to board the flight plane to Nairobi and were scheduled to leave Kenya the next day. Thanks to Wilson and Eric, the phone was delivered safely to Nairobi by noon the following day. The service was incredible! - Food: Everyone’s taste in food is different, so it's not easy to comment. But the hotel offered a different theme every night—Western, Indian, Chinese, Kenyan, and Continental. I personally loved the Kenyan one. Some people prefer lighter flavors (including me), so it would be great if the restaurant could offer more light-flavored options with fewer sauces in the future. Chef is very nice to offer me separate food for my allergy. - Other Staff: Our waiter Elias remembered all our preferences; photographer Kennedy patiently helped us with our cameras and photos; reception Kennedy was equally fantastic, etc. I've already recommended this hotel to many friends, and I’ll definitely be back! Oh, and there are hippos in their hippo poo

This was one of the best trips we've ever taken. The entire experience from start to finish was amazing. This was our first safari and first trip to Africa and it far exceeded any expectations that we had. We flew into Nairobi and decided to have a private transfer from our Nairobi hotel to the Lodge. Evan was our driver for both parts of our journey (to and from the Lodge) and was incredible. Our trip started around 8:30 in the morning, where Evan greeted us and drove us in a private SUV from Nairobi to the edge of the reserve. We were given boxed lunches as snacks for our trip. Evan was super knowledgeable about every area along our drive and was very accommodating in stopping for breaks when needed. Evan was also our driver on the trip back to the airport, which was great having a familiar face. He was able to get us to the airport in plenty of time despite facing rush hour traffic as we approached the city of Nairobi. When we arrived on the edge of the reserve, we were greeted by Vincent, our game guide for the entire trip. We were met with a private safari vehicle as well as a champagne toast before our short 15-20 minute drive to the Lodge. Vincent was absolutely incredible during our trip. We met and discussed plans with him before every game drive and we were incredibly successful, seeing all of the big 5, a river crossing, and all of the main animals on the reserve in a relatively short trip. His experience and knowledge of the animals and local landscape is unmatched and we could not have asked for a better guide. In between game drives, the staff at the Lodge were also fantastic. The food was a big highlight during the trip. Not only was it delicious, but they were incredibly accommodating with preferences. While we did not have any allergies, there were a few substitutions we requested and the staff helped without any issues. Patrick in particular was incredibly kind and helpful during our stay and was our server for the full trip. On the evening when we were served local Kenyan cuisine, Patrick walked us through each item that was served and how to best pair our foods. Overall a great experience from Patrick and the rest of the team in camp. Another highlight of the trip was the cameras that were available for us to take out on safari. Each guest had the opportunity to borrow a Canon camera to use during the game drives. The resident photographers, Kennedy and Moses, were amazing. Kennedy actually joined us on our first game drive of the trip. At the end of the trip, Kennedy helped us download and edit the over 700 photos that we took during our time. It was great to sit with him and learn a little bit about how to improve our photography skills and to see some of the shots that he was able to capture as well. Overall, just an outstanding trip, made even better by Evan, Patrick, Vincent, and Kennedy.