With demand for safari vacations growing by leaps and bounds, JW Marriott is entering the luxury tented camp market with the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, scheduled to open in February 2023.
The tented lodge will be located on the banks of Kenya’s Talek River at the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve and is Marriott International’s first incursion in the luxury safari market. Plans for the new-build lodge feature 20 private tents, including one presidential canvas-topped pavilion and two interconnecting canopied suites, ideal for families, each with a private terrace overlooking the river. Shared spaces will include a restaurant, lounge bar, spa, and a large outdoor terrace with fire pits that will host traditional Masai dance performances in the evening.
Its prime location is elevated: remind your clients to take their binoculars because they’ll have the perfect platform from which to observe the Masai Mara National Reserve, its stunning vistas, abundant wildlife and endless plains.
Of note is the fact the Masai Mara is home to the “Big Five:” lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceros and elephants. Between June and September, the reserve also hosts the annual great wildebeest migration, when more than 10 million animals travel a distance of 1,800 miles from the Serengeti in neighboring Tanzania.
Clients who take sustainability and conservation into consideration when making their reservations will want to know that conservation of the land and its inhabitants will be at the heart of JW Marriott Masai Mara. The safari lodge aims to employ up to 50 locals from the Masai community and will offer learning opportunities for guests who want to immerse themselves in the destination.
A joint venture with Baraka Lodges Ltd, JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge is JW Marriott’s first venture into the safari market and its third hotel in Africa, joining properties in Egypt and Mauritius. Overall, Marriott International currently operates more than 120 hotels and resorts across the continent.
For more information, visit marriott.com.
