Leopard Sands, Kruger Park

Had a mixed experience here - the hotel itself and staff are amazing. Rooms are gorgeous. Staff is attentive and delightful. Where it falls down is on the game drives. We saw A LOT of wildlife - however the Guide was not well-trained (I have trained as a guide myself and have been on numerous safaris). I have shared more detailed concerns with the hotel. Next time I would stay at a game lodge with it’s own reserve and avoid having to go into the crowded southern Kruger.

While the resort is modern and what you would expect in your room for the price you pay, unfortunately the service is very sub par. I did reach out to the resort once we checked out, to provide them with the below information and just as I thought would happen no one bothered to reply. when we paid over $25k for 2 rooms over Christmas we would have expected at least a reply, given it is stated as a 5 Star Resort. these are the issues we faced, while nothing was life changing with all of this on a daily basis, it ended up being a bother being here in the end. - [ ] Christmas Eve dinner, sat at 6;40 and had to go to the bar to order drinks as no one served us. Then the drinks were forgotten and we had to recorder after 20 mins [so 40 minutes after seated we finally got our drinks which was only Coke Zero], mind you there was only a few other couples in the place when this happened. - [ ] Food came out after chef said he made sure my meal had no spice. Cauliflower and potato had chilli. Chef came out and I told him my steak was amazing but the potato and cauliflower had spice and he said oh yeh they both do have spice. I am confused why I was still served spice when only 20 minutes before I told him I don’t even eat pepper So the following night I only had Pumpkin Soup as an option in the middle of summer. -[] The menu was extremely limited when you are only offered 3 options for main, 2 for entree and a couple of items for desert. I assume this was because it's an all inclusive resort. The menu is on rotation every few days also. - [ ] Our laundry was taken without the sheet filled out, as normally when you have a washing basket it is not taken until you fill out what’s in there. The following night laundry was returned and wasn’t ours. I guess someone may have got our laundry, and took a further 36 hours to get ours back. - [ ] While the staff are all lovely you can tell they don’t have great training for what is expected in a 5 star resort. Both my husband and myself travel extensively and have stayed in a lot of 5 star hotels around the world. We know what to expect with a rating of 5 stars. The staff when the restaurant had more than 20 people were in a state of unorganised which we saw on Christmas Eve. - [ ] Many meals we had items forgotten, and we simply didn’t say anything in the end, as it looked like we were “just complaining” small things like breakfast ordering avocado and being forgotten when it is written down. - [ ] After saying no spicy food at all I was served up the chicken Kiev with chilli on top and in the sauce once again and there was no other non spicy options on the menu. I also heard a mother complain as there was no actual kids menu offered. - [ ] We paid for all guides, to be private in a private vehicle, and had to repeat ourselves several times when asked if we were joining for the next day or afternoon drive. We would say oh we have a private tour, and was asked “oh did you book it” and I had to say yes

Nice boutique hotel with friendly service. But when you charge $1,000+ a night, the bar is high - and this place isn't in that league. Good stuff: Rooms are nicely fitted out with a lovely view of the river from the private terrace. Staff are excellent - warm, friendly, helpful. Food was good. Decent location, but not an immersive safari experience (it's off a main road, a 15-minute drive from Kruger). Disappointing stuff: feels like a $400-$500 a night Marriott, not a luxury resort. That's really the main criticism. Spent two nights here with my wife and two kids before Christmas, and paid nearly $5,000 for two rooms. Just nowhere near enough bang for our buck.

My friend and I really wanted to visit Kruger National Park during our annual alternative thanksgiving trip and this year we chose South Africa! I usually make the bookings when traveling and when I saw this property, I knew I had to make it our home away from home, since I am a loyal Marriott member. Thankfully there was availability since there is less than 2 dozen suites available for booking. The property is just the right size and the customer service is AMAZING! Food was great and they try to switch it up everyday, which we really enjoyed. The dinner show was amazing as well - I would just recommend covering your food for a bit since they will kick sand towards your table (not intentionally but it happens since they are dancing). I cannot rave enough about the game drives - do as many as you can see and see all the beautiful animals. Just a one of a kind experience! Overall, I would recommend this resort due to its proximity to Kruger, the great food, relaxing environment, and how easy it is to get to from the Skukuza airport (they have a complimentary shuttle). The staff are just a joy to talk to and are very knowledgeable of the area. Shout out to Pastor, Fumani and Melissa. I am trying to hard to remember our driver to the game drives (front gate) and to/from the airport - HE WAS GREAT!

The location and atmosphere is amazing and everything about the lodge exceeded my expectations. Because it is situated on the Sabie River, you may see animals closely as they drink or eat in the area. The rooms are spacious, have air conditioning, indoor and outdoor showers, bath tub, mini bar and a private deck facing the river. Above all, the staff is incredible and truly made our trip extra special. They are so inviting and made us feel like family. I worked directly with Melissa to plan our safari drives, additional activities via email and she was so knowledgeable and patient with the myriad of questions I had. Sam is the head chef and his chefs, cooks and servers are amazing. Every meal was cooked to perfection and special requests are honored for allergies and other dietary needs. The front desk staff including Anita, KG and Pastor are so friendly and hospitable and housekeeping is very attentive. The lodge has their own drivers for pickup from Skukuza airport, the game drives, and to take you to additional activities you would like to book. We loved doing the park drives with Sandros who could spot the Big 5 from far away! And we enjoyed driving with Pamley and Earnest. Truly recommend this very special place.

Words will not justify our magical 5 star bush experience at the incredible Leopard Sands Kruger Park. A huge shoutout to the most hospitable team that greeted us most enthusiastically after our long drive from Botswana, refreshing us with cold towels and exotic drinks. Van and his team made our stay most comfortable and memorable, we applaude your service and the warmth you have shown our family. Every meal from entrée to dessert was prepared exquisitely, we acknowledge the amazing and friendly chef, Sam- truly a palatable experience! We were mesmerized by the views of the majestic animals from the deck, a most tranquil experience. The rooms were beautifully designed to enhance your African experience, decorated with gorgeous Leopard photograph frames. The attention to detail in every aspect of Leopard sands was amazing 👏 we recommend booking your next bush trip with them and guarantee that they will not disappoint. We thank you and we will definitely be visiting again. The Bhamjee Family- Botswana