Reviews of Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

"We have travelled with &Beyond many times and have always been thoroughly pleased with their planning, guiding, service, food, and accommodations. So, I knew that if we were ever to travel to Namibia, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge was a must. The scenery is breathtaking, the villas large and luxurious, the activities well planned and very enjoyable, the food mostly excellent, and the staff very personable and attentive. Some reviews mention the lodge's distance from the park gates as a disadvantage but in fact, we thought it was quite an advantage. Yes, we had to rise half an hour earlier on the days we went to Sossusvlei and did the balloon ride, but that was a small price to pay for the privacy, isolation, and fantastic vistas enjoyed from the lodge.

I mentioned that the food was mostly excellent: On one evening, one of the meal choices - there were always two options - wasn't very good. Every other meal we had was fresh, delicious, and of superb quality. But, that one meal was rather poor.

Sossusvlei Desert Lodge usually has a resident astronomer and we found his knowledge and enthusiasm infectious. There are very few places in the world where you can enjoy such excellent conditions for star gazing and having David as our teacher and guide made the experience even more amazing. An unexpected treat!

The manager, Paolo, mentioned that Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is up for refurbishing within the next year or so. That came as quite a surprise because the accommodations and public spaces are in very good condition. Not absolutely brand new but certainly not tired in any way whatsoever. That just goes to show you the high standards maintained by &Beyond.

We highly recommend that if you go to Namibia, you must go to Sossusvlei Desert Lodge!!" See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia

"Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is a quality &Beyond facility which pretty much ticks all of the standards of this quality group. The Lodge itself is really well located at the head of a rising valley with a splendid outlook over a desert plain, bordered by mountains with a view towards the first line of the famous sand dunes. It is really quite special to sit on your patio or in the lounge area and just absorb the "emptiness" of the desert surrounds and yet be surprised by the arrival and movement of various animals which surprisingly thrive in the tough environment.

The individual lodges are really well presented and have all modern conveniences with an excellent bedroom, really comfortable sitting areas and modern, quality bathroom. There is efficient air conditioning and expansive picture windows which enhance the feeling of belonging with the surrounds. I was told that the Lodge is due for a programmed renovation and on close inspection there were a few small issues such as the door not closing properly and some light switches not working which were a little surprising to find in an &Beyond property - this is why they renovate!

The lounge and guest facilities are really comfortable with more of the great views combined with quality food and drink services and friendly and efficient staff. Paulo and his team work hard to make your stay effortless and enjoyable.

The Lodge is well place for the "Soussusvlei" adventures of the dunes, "dead vlei", some wildlife sightings on drives, balloon ride, quad bikes, walking and just enjoying the desert feel. There are enough things to do here to justify a stay of two or three nights. I do not think that one night would do justice. During my visit there was an additional attraction of a guided astronomy experience which by all reports was well worth attending." See all these reviews: 18n in Namibia; 3n in Botswana

"Faultless. Sossusvlei Desert Lodge obviously ticks all the boxes in terms of setting, accommodation, facilities, food etc, but it was the attention to detail that made it so special.

You really felt that this was your holiday and everything was built around making it an exceptional experience.

A truly great way to finish the holiday and the only thing we didn't like was having to leave." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia

"Set in a beautiful location, great food and services, convenient for visiting the dunes.

Thoroughly recommend this place." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia

"A wonderful place - really helpful staff , amazing location and fabulous rooms. Food is simple but very nice. Guided drives were outstanding. We hadn't focussed on them having their own telescope nor on there being an in house astronomer before we got there but this certainly added another dimension.

If staying at the full moon though cover the roof skylight that lets you look at the stars from your bed as otherwise you end up drenched in light at 2.00am as the moon transits.

Dune buggies are good fun as an alternative to a drive." See all these reviews: 17n in Namibia

"Wow - what an amazing place - fabulous rooms with extraordinary views that changed with the light during the day, well informed guides, pleasant friendly staff, star gazing with experts, top class food and even some of the local singing - what a way to end what had already been a holiday of a lifetime. (We've had a few of these in Namibia!!)

Arriving by plane a real luxury to be spared the long drive - although we do enjoy the driving - but it seemed to give us an extra day of activities. Game drives, balloon flight, trip to Sossusvlei - I've run out of superlatives - just one of the best places we have ever stayed.

The star gazing too was excellent - both with the telescope being tutored by experts and from our bed when waking in the night." See all these reviews: 13n in Namibia; 3n in Botswana

"This was probably our favourite of all the lodges we stayed in. The staff really had thought of everything and went above and beyond with a particularly lovely surprise on our final night! The accommodation is very luxurious and equipped with everything you could possibly need. There was even a dedicated astronomer on hand throughout the evenings - although unfortunately our stay coincided with the full moon so the star-gazing was not at its best. The view from the lodge is fantastic - we spent hours just looking out to the horizon

The guide assigned to us during our stay, Peter, took us on some very enjoyable excursions, including to the dunes at Sossusvlei and was amiable and very knowledgeable. We had our best sun-downer experiences here - in terms of location, drinks and snacks and company.

The food was excellent - the best we had during our stay in Namibia. We would love to have spent more time at this lodge and would definitely return again." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia

"Beautiful rooms with stunning views, lovely staff, excellent service and very good food (and flexible for vegetarian). The managers Emerita and Paola were fantastic

The excursion to Sossusvlei was well worth the drive and the dawn ballon trip was amazing. As an extra we hiked up a nearby hill with the resident astronomer to a group of quiver trees.

We stayed 3 nights - could have done with another just to carry on soaking up the views and atmosphere. We had high expectations both of the lodge and the desert - if anything our expectations were exceeded.

We flew in from Windhoek - efficient, quick and very scenic..." See all these reviews: 7n in Namibia

"As close to perfection as is possible to be---welcoming, every effort to make you feel special, warm ambience, attention to detail, excellent food with good choices, little messages from staff eg warning -- baboons might attack your laundry!!

Architecture & design elegant ---units spacious, private and sumptuous---stunning views of desert from large picture windows.
Only place which provided booklets on fauna & flora of area in room on arrival. Lots of small touches under the heading of little things mean a lot

Final big unforgettable surprise--last night returned to find in celebration of our wedding anniversary --heart shaped from sand in hall outlined with tee lights, bottle of champagne and every surface covered in candles
A magical place" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia

"i spent three nights at SossusVlei Desert Lodge.

Pros:
1. Chalets designed so that each one is very private. Paths from main building to each chalet paved and clearly lit at night.
2. Magnificent setting.
3. Excellent food, huge quantities.
4. Lots of personal service. My guide George, and butler Anna, were very knowledgeable and friendly, and so was all the staff. Excellent cooks, too.
5. Lots of attention paid to personal preferences. Each mealtime, my table was set in a slightly different place, and one night it was set upstairs so as to escape a particularly obnoxious child.
6. Every luxury provided in the chalet; the bathroom with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows was a real treat.
7. The activities were diverse, including a game drive, dune drive, hot -air balloon and trip Sossusvlei itself. They were well-organised and included - guess what ? Lots of food!
8. The star viewing platform was wonderful and the resident astronomer very informative.

Cons
1. No ceiling fans in chalet, only air-conditioning, which was noisy as well. A direct counter to the environmentally friendly image that & Beyond cultivates.
2. The stairs from the main floor of the chalet up to the sleeping area are too shallow, and difficult to negotiate.
3. I found the decor very gloomy and depressing - all ivory and bone and cream and grey. The desert has a lot of colour, too; it would be nice to see colour used a bit more.
4. At times, the personal service seemed like too much, and there was a big emphasis on the activities. It was hard to get time to just be alone and do nothing.
5. Too much food. I started to feel sick after a while. I know one doesn't always have to eat it, and I didn't. It's just being faced with it all the time.

Personal comments:

I found the Lodge almost too luxurious for my taste. It seems unbalanced, in that environment of starkness and scarcity, to be wallowing in such excess. That said, I cannot fault their professionalism. It is all extremely well done." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia