Meliá Serengeti Lodge Member of Meliá Collection

- Very nice and beautiful lodge. - Very friendly and attentive staff. - Big and comfortable rooms with nice balcony looking towards the bush. - Food could be better(( - Food menu should be refreshed. - Bathroom was a bit shabby. - Rooms already require some renovation.

What a location. It's a bit of a drive from Seronera Airport. But it's worth it. Once you reach the site, it is like a fairytale. It's hard to imagine such a place in the middle of the Serengeti. Great service. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. The view from the sitting area is breathtaking. The food is great and money well spent.

The hotel is located inside the Serengeti. The view is amazing. The staff is very helpful and the service is 10 out of 10. The rooms are comfortable but not too big. The pool is cold if it’s not sunny outside Cocktails in the bar are very delightful Definitely will be back.

Going on safari is an expensive undertaking that payment transparency should be paramount when excursions are add-ons and you do not speak the language of the country you are visiting. Unfortunately, it is for this reason I cannot recommend the Melia Serengeti as there were three (3) separate incidents around payment that culminated into an overall negative experience that made me feel compelled to share this story. I do not want anyone to feel as embarrassed as the Melia Serengeti made our group feel! I have also attached a screengrab from another review that echoes similar payment issues, so unfortunately this is not an isolated issue. I did try to resolve this matter privately with Benjamin Paul, Senior Sales Manager, but I never received a response even though my email was sent to an active email address. Our trip was November 2023 into December 2023 and consisted of two couples celebrating two 40th Birthdays. Leading into our trip I had been corresponding via WhatsApp with Rocio Zapata. When we arrived at Serengeti she was setting up for a sunset proposal and when she learned that we had arrived in the lobby she ran up the stairs to greet us. Unfortunately, the greeting began with a full-frontal hug of my husband, who she thought she was corresponding with via WhatsApp even though it was actually me. I felt that was an inappropriate greeting, but it did not bother me until subsequent unprofessional transactions with Rocio. During this greeting, all four of us spoke to her and we heard her inform us that we could do a complimentary walking safari. For context, she and I were corresponding via WhatsApp and she told me about the terms and price for the walking safari, so we were pleasantly surprised to know it would be free. When it came time to book the walking safari with another staff member, they told us we would have to pay. After we explained what we were told by Rocio, the Concierge pulled out a screengrab from my WhatApp conversation with Rocio where she was informing me of the price. I did not want to feel like a thief, nor appear like I did not remember what I was quoted on WhatsApp, so we declined the opportunity. Upon arrival at the Serengeti we were awkwardly encouraged to pay upon arrival, which is not a customary practice at luxury resorts, but we obliged. When I have stayed at various IHG's Six Senses or Equinox Hotels, they never asked to authorize the full freight of the stay in advance. In line with this strange practice, after we checked out from Serengeti we traveled to Melia Arusha for one night before our flight. That day at Melia Arusha, we received a panicked phone call to our room from Serengeti saying that they forgot to charge us for our balloon ride. They offered to send a separate bill to our email which we agreed to pay, even though we had signed and paid for our hotel invoice twice already, upon check-in and check-out. Shortly after they called again and changed the terms of payment. Th