Recently visited Chui lodge... right from the booking process it was a very pleasant experience..Anne was very kind to upgrade us though it was a last minute program in less than an hour I got a confirmation email.. The cleanliness service staff everything was superb...the waiters front desk drivers they have one of the best staff I have ever seen.. Well done and keep it up... will sure see you again.. Asante Sana
Words are not enough to explain how magnificent this place is! Friendly staff, tasty food and the best experience ever! Would recommend to everyone-a must visit if in naivasha! The views are surreal and a beautiful family vacation. The swimming pool is amazing to have a dip after the game drive -super relaxing. Minimum 2 nights <3
Chui Lodge may be the only hotel in the world with electricity supplied by its own geothermal plant. And it might be one of the most expansive places and have the best acreage per capital for guests in the world. 18,000 acres and six to eight cottages. Amazing lovely site at a high altitude with sweeping views to the Mau Summit over plains of herds to zebra, antelope, warthog, bushbuck, giraffe, etc. the place is simply magical. Unfortunately, the lodge has seen better days, the attention to detail is lacking and all those cottages? They don't take advantage of the views of being in such an incredibly magical location. There are now views from the cottages. they are basically arranged around the parking lot and the main reception area/restaurant. We were odd guests. We only wanted to rest and relax with a great view in our lodge and enjoy our anniversary and eat good food. We'd wanted to visit Chui Lodge since it opened almost 30 years ago. We didn't want to do game drives nor see animals. But the lodges themselves aren't places you'd want to spend a lot of time. We were upgraded to a luxury room, but that itself was interesting. All of the back windows were covered with painting of flamingos and wildlife and didn't allow in natural light. the low-hanging thatched roof made the cottages, already set back into the leshwa brush, without a view, even darker. So, if you change Chui, don't stay in Olodien. The rooms are huge, but lack imagation and comfort with furnishing. The bed was comfortable. The tub amazing with great hot water, but the shower was average for a lodge of this stature. Now... the good. We found the food amazing. Great portions. Delicous sauces. ETC. First day chicken three ways with a cream sauce... rice with peas aind stirfry vegetables after an appetizer soup that you won't find better anywhere. Desert was fresh berris from Chui's own garden - strawberries and raspberries - with cream from their own cows. So not only does this place generate it's own power, they produce alot of their own food. Dinner: Grilled steak with a cream corriander sauce, roast potato, and a creamed spinach. My wife's comment: I wish I could cook spinach this way. And I'm sure it was from Chui's garden. The desert was an average sticky toffee pudding and the starter was good, but not paired with the meal. A spring roll in barbecue sauce over lettuce from the farm. It was overcooked. Small. Didn't fit the meal. But our steak was tender, cooked perfectly. Also... the waiter told us, "No soup tonight." We did read that it was supposed to be a four course meal. Breakfast was the usual, with exceptional fruit and a cheese omlette with scant cheese. We had masala chai which was excellent becuase the coffee brought to our room was undrinkable. There is a coffee/tea bar in the room, so, like we always do, take a melitta and some coffee. I always find it shameful that kenyan lodges make poor coffee when we live in a country with some of the best coffee in the world. Lunch was fun. Grilled lambchops over a salad. Had some olives, capers and cheddar, but would have been better paired with feta and perhaps some hummus and foccaccia. The appetizer was a spinach soup - again, not a better one found anywhere, thus I really missed perhaps a mushroom starter soup with my steak the previous night. And desert was a delicious chocolate mouse, but served unceremoiously with various cereals sprinkled on top. It's difficult to complain about such a wonderful time, but Chui has so much potential that is being overlooked. Potentially, with all the intangibles - private game ranch, 18 resident leopards, vast game, gorgeous views, it could easily be one of the world's greatest destinations and with perhaps alot of upgrading and maybe a total make over, could charge $1000 a night per guest or couple... but they've got to clean up some of their issues and work on some of the detail. We were looking for a place for an occassional retreat and had thought of a second night. We'd have stayed for the food and the view from the restaurant and pool, but our cottage was dark and spartan. 30 years ago, Chui was an exception on the Kenyan landscape, but so many botique hotels with amazing views and similar prices and better service have sprung up that it's a place for once-off guests, not repeats. And, with all that geothermal power, the pool is unheated. My suggestions: Rebuild the cottages with views and light. I want to sit in my sitting room and verandah and bedroom and perhaps a first floor deck and stare at the hills and see the watering hole from my cottage. You've got the space. I want comfortable sofas and lounge chairs in my room. Not 30-year old furniture - albeit comfortable, but only two chairs - I want to swim in a warm pool. I want to drink good coffee. Work on detail. We were brought pancakes. We had to ask for syrup, butter. We were brought one course. it was cleared. then we were asked how we wanted our steaks cooked. We were seated in a beautifully prepared private area near a fireplace. One of the funnest places we've ever dined. Nice sofas. Cozy. But the fire was never firing. However, it was on the other side, where there were no guest. All of these things are average and ok for the rate we got. However, you have the potential to be an incredible lodge and destination. But you have some work to do.…
Chui lodge charges US $400 Per night for a double room ($200 per person, full board) on resident rate. It does not deliver the service one would expect for that price. Staff are charming and very friendly, but seem to suffer from lack of direction. The food was the biggest disappointment during our one-night stay. Lunch was a starter of bland cauliflower soup, followed by coarsely chopped fish salad, where the fish tasted peculiar and especially pungent. The chef, in fairness, apologized and offered to cook a new dish. Dinner was somewhat better - pan seared salmon with vegetables - but you can make that at home in a few minutes. The chef is so well-intentioned and passionate, maybe some inspiration could help the kitchen. A few kms away, for example, Sanctuary farm serves up delicious meals from Ottolenghi recipe books. On other features: rooms and grounds are beautiful and well-appointed. The game drive is the highlight. Our guide, Martin, was impeccable and the Bush sundowner is a wow moment. But it’s too little too late. Other guests spoke about “extra touches” like being given a bouquet of flowers on departure but they must have discontinued that service. In sum, there are things to like about Chui but the hotel is in a price class where it doesn’t belong. Kenya is a market saturated with luxury lodges. For a similar price, you can stay places that offer a lot more (i enjoyed Sasaab Lodge and Borana Conservancy). Guests who spend $400 for a one night stay should not walk away with any regret, and sadly, at Chui, we had a few.…
My two nights at Chui were everything I could hope for. Welcoming, so beautiful, great food and restful. The game drives were exciting and all of the staff are so knowledgeable about the wildlife. I loved the sunrise on the lake with breakfast on the shore! The lodge staff are fastidious about preventing coronavirus and there plenty of space at meals. A perfect getaway!
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