Fairmont Mara Safari Club

The stay was enchanting. Our room overlooked the Mara River, allowing us to watch the hippos bathe daily. The staff was invariably friendly and smiling. Rose, our waiter, was perpetually cheerful. Caleb, in housekeeping, delighted us with charming notes. Moseka, our safari guide, impressed us with his extensive knowledge and knack for finding incredible spots. Nancy, the hotel manager, made it a point to check on us daily, ensuring our satisfaction. In summary, the experience was exceptional, and I am eager to return. My gratitude to Fairmont for their exceptional service!

A great place. Had a great 4 days here. We drove in--I would recommend a driver or flying in as the road is very difficult. Saw everything possible as far as wildlife. Loved it!

Excellent staff and service, goog game drive experiences

There’s a reason Fairmont is a cut above the rest... just simply the best properties, facilities and most of all service. Service at the Fairmont Mara was the most genuine I’ve ever experienced. The staff cater to your every need and do it with a smile - everything just seems natural, and you can tell they went through the process of ensuring they hired the right personnel. We were met at the airstrip with nice refreshments and small cold towels, followed by a quick 10 min ride to the facility. Check in was relaxed and seamless. The tents were just beautiful - have everything you would need yet you still feel like you are one with nature. The facilities are impeccably maintained. Included in the price are 3 sumptuous meals a day - can’t beat full board! The bar was well stocked and though the premium drinks are a tad pricey, the service makes them well worth it. Tea, coffee, cookies and hot chocolate are complimentary and available 24 hrs/day. The game drives were just awesome! Two game drives a day included in the price, and our driver Jeremiah knew the Mara inside and out - he has been there 21 years and has such a wealth of knowledge! We saw all the animals you could think of - plenty of elephants, lions, giraffe, cheetahs, rhinos, hyenas, warthogs, antelopes, hippos... you name it! Just barely missed catching the big 5 as two leopards disappeared from our view. Overall I was totally impressed with the Fairmont and will certainly be back.

Charging like a 5 star hotel for a 3 star service! Very very disappointing stay! 1) Hotel feels dead (no atmosphere at all) 2) Charges everything as extras on check out (you end up paying more than a 5 star hotel), (supposedly all inclusive but charges u even for water and soft drinks, park entrance...) 3) Service is bad: whatever you order the reception asks you to come pick it up by yourself! 4) Internet only works at the reception 5) Safari drives: the driver would drop us at the hotel half an hour before drop off scheduled time 6) Asked to borrow a mosquito repellent at dinner and they didn’t even have that (in a safari camp)!

This is my second time at the hotel and I’m already planning when I can return. The manager is fabulous and went out of his way to resolve everything when our luggage was lost by the airline. Everyone who works there goes above and beyond. John will make sure you have everything you need when you eat and Steve Larry makes delicious food. Hannah is so sweet and helpful in the gift shop. Joshua took great care of our room. Hot water bottles are left in the bed so it’s extra snuggly when you sleep and he wakes you up with coffee, Kenyan tea or hot chocolate. Last but not least, our incredible guide was Jonathan. I brought my husband back to Kenya for our honeymoon because of my first experience with Jonathan as a guide. He is incredible-let him teach you and I promise you’ll leave with Kenya and the Mara strongly placed in your heart.

Food was fantastic, service impeccable. In the quieter part of the park, so feels really exclusive. Still saw 4 of the big five.

We had a brilliant and unforgettable stay at the Fairmont Massai Safari Club. Everything is perfect including the tents, the game drive, the buffets, and of course the wonderful nature around including all the hippos and monkeys directly coming into the Club sometimes. We had a great guide for the game drive called Boston. He’s so passionate and knowledgeable about the safari animals, and he can even anticipate where the leopard, lions and elephants to go next. That really helped us to have take a lot of very close up photos of the animals. The buffets are also the best we have had during our whole stay in Kenya among different resorts/hotels. There’s a lot of variety and the quality is very consistent. We particularly missed the great salads after we left the Club. We stayed for three nights, and we always had some great choices in every single meal. The only downsides are 1) it’s not close to the main migration area of Massai Mara. You need to take a long ride to go there. 2) the reception doesn’t operate 24 hours. When we wanted to check out early on the last day, we needed to wait for 30 minutes before the receptionist started the day.

Food Needs improvement. Also this is the conservatory which is at the end of the national park. You can see the animals what are available but not the migration, which is plentiful.

Excellence lodge and fantastic service. Fabulous game drives

Outstanding safari experience! All the staff were helpful and nice. Antoine was an amazing safari guide. Very knowledgeable!

This property is excellent!! The staff is extremely accommodating and welcoming. Truly a blessing to be able to stay in this magical place.

Have been on 2 prior safaris, this was by far the best. Simply amazing animals, amazing staff and amazing property.

Amazing hotel in the mara! The tent Accomodations were beautiful!!! Wake up to the sound of hippos, enjoy your coffee looking at the river in complete peace. Excellent privacy. Safari was the highlight. Game drivers were so knowledgeable and really made an effort to make sure you see all the animals. Big thanks to Allen and Henry.

Fantastic place to stay and the drivers are very knowledgeable. Got to see 4 out of the Big 5 in only 2 safari trips. You only need 2 - 3 nights there.

Our family had a wonderful time and would return. Their website accurately depicts their accommodations. The location allows you to view hippos and crocs right from the property and all of the tents are facing the river for a nice view. The food was good to very good. The tents are clean and in good repair. The employees are friendly and want to be helpful, for example I unknowingly dropped some money on the floor and our waiter spotted it and quickly returned it to me. Our game driver John went out of his way to make sure that we spotted the big 5 plus so much more. It is a mix between a tented camp and a resort, it has a larger feel to it but that suited our needs perfectly.

AMAZING stay, great game drives, food is very very good and most of all the service and people are wonderful

Staff (Geoffrey, John, Munene, Miriem) were welcoming & generous with their hospitality from pick up at the airstrip, till departure. There were food choices to suit all, thanks to Chef Nicholas & Team. Delicious wine selection, especially the Mara Red, and great table service, thanks Stephen, Alex & others. Driver Ashford was very skilled in navigating the varied terrains, making me feel safe at all times. His knowledge of game & birds was welcome. Location is great, altitude of 5300 feet, just south of the Equator, with large well appointed tents high above the Mara River, and we could see hippo and crocodiles from our verandah. Plenty of bottled water in the tent, plus fruit plates, coffee machine, tea, minibar. Sammy the room attendant did a great job looking after our needs, and kept the tent immaculate. And the hot water bottles in both queen beds every evening were Devine. The lounges and dining room, plus verandahs wrapping around the main building are all decorated with the African decor that sits so well in a lodge atmosphere. The gift shop has a huge selection of things, reasonably priced. Security at the Lodge is excellent, all vehicles are scrutinised before entry (thanks Wilson), electric fences discretely in the trees, regular patrols, plus personal electronic safe. All in all, just as you would expect from a Fairmont property in the wilderness, and a wonderful way to experience Kenya. We saw lots of animals. The massing for the Migration is stunning.

Great value for money as about half the price of some of the fancier lodges. The rooms are lovely and the food is pretty decent, although the restaurant could do with a little more atmosphere! Some more comfortable furniture on the verandah of the tent would also be nice as the wooden chairs do not lend themselves to sitting for more than five minutes!

We have taken many family vacations around the world. 3 days spent at Mara Safari Club were one of the best. Pros- 1. Terrific location - Located on the Mara River with Hippos and Crocodiles visible from living quarters 2. Excellent accommodations and service - very friendly and responsive staff, our driver Evans was fantastic 3. Plentiful wildlife up close - we saw the big 5 and all else several times at touching distance 4. Easy access and exit from Nairobi Things to be careful about 1. Not cheap - you pay for what you get 2. Food choices - while the quality was uniformly good, picky eaters would find the fare limited; you are in the middle of a jungle after all 3. Limited connectivity - wifi in the main hotel only, ideal if you want to unplug and disconcerting if you are used to plugging in 24/7 without paying exorbitant roaming charges