Emanya@Etosha

The property features spacious, modern rooms and a beautiful pool. Guests enjoyed a delicious breakfast and praised the prime location near Etosha Park. The nightly turn-down service enhanced overall comfort.

Unfortunately never again and actually zero stars! The lodge has nice facilities and the waterhole is great and there are lots of animals passing by. We stayed at the lodge a year ago and felt very comfortable. That's why we came back this year to spend a relaxing day by the pool. Unfortunately, the lodge has slowed down considerably in the last year. The local staff are very hard-working and friendly, but the manager/owner seems to be overwhelmed. The staff convey a feeling of enormous insecurity, if not fear. The pool looked completely filthy. The floor and walls were black in places and I think it was mould. It didn't look at all inviting and I assume it was a health hazard. Despite this, my son (10) was personally promised by the manager that the water was clean and that he could go swimming without worrying. I wouldn't have had a problem if the pool had been officially labelled as unusable. It would have spoilt our stay, but things like that can happen. However, I cannot accept that my child was knowingly exposed to danger. When asked about this, we were shouted at by the elderly lady, who was obviously the owner or at least the boss of the lodge, and we were threatened that we would have to pay, if we damaged her reputation. My son was completely terrified after the boss went berserk. He was really scared for our lives. The pictures are attached, you can see for yourself if you would have let your child swim in this pool. After our complaint, they tried to clean the pool late in the evening in a panic, which probably proves that it was not as clean as they claimed. Most guests only stay for one night, which is why a dirty pool and a sun deck in poor condition will certainly not result in so many negative reviews. The rooms are very nice but smelt a bit musty (rooms 1 + 2) and the wall under the roof looked damp. There is no mosquito net over the bed and no mosquito net on most of the windows. It's astonishing how you can let such a great resort get so run down. The deck by the pool is rotting away. Several places are broken or boards are sticking up. Parts of the steps to the viewing deck at the waterhole were missing, which is very dangerous, especially in the dark. Unfortunately, the food wasn't great either. We have eaten much better at other lodges. The prices on the drinks menu did not match the bill. So after two nights we left disappointed and quite stressed after all the trouble and will unfortunately not be visiting Emanya Lodge again. The management urgently needs to change something here so that the lodge can shine again in its former splendour and guests can feel comfortable again without having to fear damage to their health. The lodge advertises itself with the slogan "Discover quintessential African luxury in Namibia". Unfortunately, this is currently far from the case.

We phoned ahead of time to request a room close to reception to accommodate our disability needs - room 1 was perfect for us with a ramp and rails in the shower. Thank you. The attractive thatched bedrooms were situated within a beautiful, well tended garden. The reception and dining areas near the pool were modern and excessively sophisticated for the setting. Meals and service were excellent, however the packed lunch of cold fish and chips was not the best choice. We would have preferred sandwiches and fresh fruit. We thoroughly enjoyed sundowners beside the pool while watching the animals coming and going to the waterhole.