Ehlanzeni Apartments

Hamilton's was a wonderful experience. 3 nights in luxurious accommodation and exemplary service by the local dedicated staff. The food was outstanding, the staff very kind, helpful and funny. Nothing was too much trouble It is a private 10,000 concession inside Kruger and so the experience was very intimate. We rose at 430am each day for a pre-dawn safari before returning around 4 hours later for a sumptuous breakfast. Morning tea, lunch high tea followed before heading out on safari again around 5pm for another 4 hours or so. Dinner followed our return. We spotted, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, leopards, hyenas, buffalo, lions and dozens of other species. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Our guide, Harley, was amazing in his knowledge, humour and ability to track the most elusive of animals. He also mixed a mean sundowner drink in the evening light. The tents were huge with a separate relaxing lunge, a pool and even a bath. Bedding was huge and very comfortable. I would highly recommend Hamiltons to anyone considering an African safari.

Whilst the game drives and our guide were amazing, that's where the magic ended. The lodge itself is extremely overpriced for what it offers. The reception and restaurant staff are poorly trained, do not listen to any requests outside of their normal routine, the food is mediocre especially the breakfast. The drinks on offer were pathetic and there were only 3 different local beers to choose from, and no international brands at all. There was no option of a non-alcoholic beer even when we asked on arrival if it could possibly be arranged. This request was seemingly dismissed. The few wines on offer were on more than one occasion not even put in a fridge before lunch or dinner and an alternative wine would often need to be ordered so as to get a chilled wine. The staff would push you to put in your lunch or dinner order before you had even finished your starter of your current meal - only interested in completing their required tasks as fast as possible rather than concentrating on guest service, enjoyment experience. On arrival the staff were not expecting us, there was nobody to welcome us and the room was not ready for us and we had to wait for it to be prepared. After the game drives there were no staff to meet you on your return as in other lodges and the refresher clothes offered were simply left on the reception desk along with the tray of liqueurs which remained uncovered - seemingly hidden for the guests to find and serve themselves. This was not a single occasion but observed each and every time. On leaving there were no staff to see us off, help with bags or bid us farewell. We were constantly reminded of remembering to leave a tip by any staff we encountered on our last morning - seemingly that was all they cared about, and whilst we did leave a tip, we feel it was definitely undeserved. The lodge itself is in disrepair and seems tired and old. The decking and the pool need urgent maintenance with missing wood panels, exposed nails and screws, rotting and warped wood. The pool itself was a milky green and the bottom of it which could not be seen was littered with branches which was not pleasant to discover whilst attempting to take a swim. The lounge furniture was constantly dusty and all the lodge windows and glass were milky and had not been cleaned in weeks. The electricity was constantly going off with the back up generator not working as it should. Even when electricity was on the air conditioner did not cool the room and merely acted as a fan - definitely in need of a service. Even when electricity was on, the WiFi signal would fluctuate from nothing to a very slow and weak signal at best making any online activity almost impossible. The game walks advertised (and what we were most interested in) were only available on one of the days as the guide had to be brought in from another camp as their own bush walk guide was unavailable. The same applied to the massage treatments with the lady being there on the first day of our stay, b

What a spectacular place!!! Visited with my friend for a few days. It was her first time in South Africa. Experience left such a beautiful impression of our beautiful country and its people❤️❤️❤️ The place and staff were AMAZING!!! So friendly, helpful, cheerful - always a pleasure to be around. The food and drinks provided were delicious and spectacular. Our room was always clean, made up and fully stocked with drinks and snacks. The game drives were informative and spectacular - phenomenal drivers. Transportation from and to the airport was timely and fantastic! Definitely recommend staying here!!! Special thanks to Victor, Benedict, Reyneke*, Sam, Jane, Hamilton, Imagine, Marita, S’fiso, and the list goes on😁😁😁 My friends and I are already planning our next visit back!!!