Reviews of Dead Valley Lodge

"What a pleasure it was to return to Dead Valley where the staff all recognised us and were as helpful as before. As well as oryx we also saw ostrich and interesting birds.

See earlier for a fuller review." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"We arrived mid afternoon after our first drive on gravel roads and through the mountain pass. Reception/management seemed to be run by two guys who were brilliant. We were even told they 'owed' us a lunch and they made sure we had it before we left on our second visit - see below.

We are not great fans of buffets but this one was really good with game meats being grilled by staff to order along with the pre-prepared food which was cleared and refilled very regularly. All the staff were good at their jobs and clearly took the cue from the two guys who worked very hard and had high standards.

Interestingly, this was one of the few places on the trip that didn't ask us to fill in a questionnaire. Most not only handed one out but stood around while it was filled in - and who answers honestly in such circumstances? These guys had confidence in what they are doing and we're happy to endorse their operation.

We were out a 5am heading for the dunes. To be honest the packed breakfast was the least good thing about Dead Valley but who cares when seeing in the dawn over the dunes and Deadvlei! Later the temperature rose to 40C+ which even the locals found hot, so we appreciated the aircon in the rooms." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"Only stayed over night so didn't do any activities. Lodge was in a good position. Staff were very friendly and very helpful. Rooms were comfortable, clean and well appointed. However no heating so the night and early morning were very chilly." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"Situated inside the park but just outside the payment gate. Overall the lodge looked really contemporary and stylish in both rooms and common areas but we did have a few issues with functionality.

The pool was small with only a few sunbeds.

There was very limited shaded parking for the number of rooms and our enormous and stylish room (No. 1) was well lit but had no power-point anywhere near the bed. The air conditioning wasn’t very efficient and the bathroom was very dimly lit and had no mirror.

In the dining area the rustic looking wooden tables had such an uneven surface it was really tricky to balance a drink without spilling it. Limited choice for lunch but the barbecue and buffet dinners were very good with lots of choices.

One morning we had a packed breakfast which was good, as was the breakfast we enjoyed the next day in the restaurant.

This was a great location for our visit to Sesriem Canyon, our climb of Dune 45 just after sunrise, our visit to Deadvlei and our sunset walk up Elim Dune." See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"I enjoyed Dead Valley Lodge. The location is excellent, convenient for the national park. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful and the atmosphere in the hotel always very good. The room was comfortable and beautifully furnished. The food was very good. I think this is an excellent mid-range lodge." See all these reviews: 19n in Namibia; 1n in South Africa

"Lovely lodge, helpful friendly staff but food mediocre.

Not a lot of choice for vegetarians." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia

"Very comfortable tents with adjoining bathroom. Tent windows were kept shut to maintain temperature so the view was limited from inside, although the patio faced a dune.
Breakfast was fine, dinner less so.
Note that the Lodge is situated in the National Park, so park fees have to be paid for the entire stay (we stayed 2 nights so paid 2 days fees although only visited the dune area for one day)." See all these reviews: 30n in Namibia

"Beautiful design. Rooms were comfortable.

Food was plentiful with many options.

Great location" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 5n in Namibia; 1n in Zimbabwe

"n/a" See all these reviews: 14n in Namibia

"The short version: The only good thing to say, it´s inside the park gate.

When you see the promotional material and pictures from Dead Valley Lodge, it looks like a desert fort with a fantastic location. In reality, the lodge is just inside the Sesriem Gate to the right on the border of the busy “Klondike" of NWR office, exposed Sesriem Campsite, medical centre, petrol station, police station, and staff facilities.

However, with a list price of approx. 7300 NAD for full board for one night, our expectations were high. Therefore, we were surprised to receive very little attention at arrival at the lodge. There was limited commitment from our host who handed us the mandatory paper forms. We sensed we were just one of many new guests arriving that day.

As we arrived early and our tent (room) was not yet ready (fair), we waited in the open-air lounge. Open-air was to be taken quite literally, as the area was exposed to the strong winds that prevail. We had dust sneaking in from all sides covering everything. It appeared that it was possible to close the area with glass sides, but that did not happen at any time during our visit.

We asked politely for a cup of coffee (after no reaction from the staff). The waiter informed us we could use the self-service coffee station and pointed us in the right direction. In addition, I ask for a glass of white wine. The waiter informed us, that at the moment, we could not buy white wine by the glass (but whole bottles). They only have red wine by the glass. I replied – I admit now slightly sarcastic - that this was the first time we have been unable to buy a glass of white wine in a (luxury) lodge in Namibia after 5 trips and visiting approx. 60 different "lodges".

Finally, we got our tent. It was in “the back row” of tents with a view to the many tents in the front row. All tents were quite close together.

Inside, our tent smelled of tobacco, even though smoking is prohibited in the rooms. It also turned out that the cooling system was not working. The staff promised to fix it. In the meantime, we waited to see if they would succeed before unpacking. By now, we had already decided to find another lodge if not fixed ASAP. However, the cooling was fixed (telling them we were about to leave the lodge speeded up the service). Yet no apology or regret.

In the evening, we had the dinner buffet, which was included in the full board. Excellent food - but still no white wine by the glass.

The next day, we were glad we were only booked 1 night for this place. Needless to say, we will never return. On departure, our host did not ask us about our experiences with the place nor provided an evaluation form. It actually makes perfect sense.

PRO´s
- Inside Sesriem Gate
- Good dinner buffet with amusing chef

CON´s
- Just about everything, read above" See all these reviews: 35n in Namibia