Emdoneni Lodge
Location: District Road 123, Bushlands, Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, 3960, Hluhluwe, ZA
Star Rating: 3 Stars
Property Type: Lodges
About this Property
Safari Experience and Outdoor Pool:
Immerse yourself in a safari adventure and unwind by the outdoor pool during your stay at Emdoneni Lodge.
Dining and Socializing:
Indulge in a variety of dining options at Emdoneni Lodge, from a buffet restaurant with a bar/lounge to a coffee shop/cafe. Don't miss out on the daily complimentary reception to mingle with other guests.
Amenities and Comfort:
Enjoy a range of amenities including complimentary Wi-Fi, babysitting services, an arcade/game room, a business center, and free self-parking. Relax in one of the 50 air-conditioned rooms with Tempur-Pedic beds and private furnished patios for a comfortable stay.
Experience the best of Hluhluwe's wildlife and comfort at Emdoneni Lodge. Book now for an unforgettable stay!
Important Information
- Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Policies
Check-in: 02:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Check-out: 10:00 AM
Instructions: The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM. If you are planning to arrive after noon please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests will receive an email 24 hours before arrival with check-in instructions. The front desk is staffed during limited hours.
Amenities & Facilities
- Meeting rooms
- Boat tours nearby
- Express check-out
- Fireplace in lobby
- Arcade/game room
- Free WiFi
- Terrace
- Garden
- Express check-in/check-out
- Wheelchair accessible
- Picnic area
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Golfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Fireplace in lobby
- Scuba diving nearby
- Television in common areas
- Arcade/game room
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Express check-out
- Meeting rooms
- Smoke-free property
- Wedding services
- Pool umbrellas
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free reception
- Snack bar/deli
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Ecotours on site
- Playground on site
- Free self parking
- Pool sun loungers
- Boat tours nearby
- Game viewing nearby
- Game drive nearby
- Safari on site
- Safari nearby
- Couples/private dining
- Banquet hall
- Well-lit path to entrance
- Stair-free path to entrance
Rooms Available
-
Family Room, 2 Bedrooms
2 Twin Beds and 1 Double Bed
269-sq-foot soundproofed room, furnished patio with garden views
Layout - 2 bedrooms
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Tempur-Pedic bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets
Bathroom - 2 bathrooms, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer
Practical - Safe; cribs (surcharge) and rollaway beds (free) available on request
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ceiling fan
- Premium bedding
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Bedsheets provided
-
Family Cottage, 2 Bedrooms, Garden View
1 Queen Bed and 2 Twin Beds
753-sq-foot soundproofed room, located on the ground floor, furnished patio with garden views
Layout - 2 bedrooms, living room, and sitting area
Internet - Free WiFi
Entertainment - 50-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels
Food & Drink - Kitchenette with refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, and coffee/tea maker
Sleep - Tempur-Pedic bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets
Bathroom - 2 bathrooms, separate bathtub and shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer
Practical - Safe and desk; cribs (surcharge) and rollaway beds (free) available on request
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Kitchenette
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Microwave
- Private bathroom
- Satellite channels
- Electric kettle
- Stovetop
- Toaster
- Bottle of water
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ceiling fan
- Premium bedding
- Separate sitting area
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Free WiFi
- No cribs (infant beds)
- Bedsheets provided
- Location - ground floor
-
Deluxe Suite
1 King Bed and 2 Twin Beds
538-sq-foot soundproofed room, furnished patio with garden views
Layout - 2 bedrooms and sitting area
Internet - Free WiFi
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Tempur-Pedic bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets
Bathroom - 2 bathrooms, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer
Practical - Safe; cribs (surcharge) and rollaway beds (free) available on request
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ceiling fan
- Premium bedding
- Separate sitting area
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Free WiFi
- No cribs (infant beds)
- Bedsheets provided
-
Luxury Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds
2 Twin Beds
376-sq-foot soundproofed room, furnished patio with garden views
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Tempur-Pedic bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer
Practical - Safe; cribs (surcharge) and rollaway beds (free) available on request
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Private bathroom
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ceiling fan
- Premium bedding
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Bedsheets provided
-
Standard Double Room
2 Twin Beds
258-sq-foot soundproofed room, furnished patio with garden views
Internet - Free WiFi
Food & Drink - Coffee/tea maker, electric kettle, and free bottled water
Sleep - Tempur-Pedic bed, premium bedding, blackout drapes/curtains, and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer
Practical - Safe
Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping
Need to Know - No cribs (infant beds) or rollaway/extra beds available
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Private bathroom
- Electric kettle
- Bottle of water
- Daily housekeeping
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Ceiling fan
- Premium bedding
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Free WiFi
- No rollaway/extra beds
- No cribs (infant beds)
- Bedsheets provided
Guest Reviews
- Gwyneth (8/5): - The lodge is lovely with very attentive staff. The cat sanctuary is a must visit and trips to Hluhluwe was easy to organise. It is an easy drive to St Lucia and to Bayete to see the elephant education demonstration which is a must-do. Be aware that there is very little around there so likely you will need to eat dinner at the lodge. The foods is quite plain with not much choice. Also be aware that the rooms have no TVs. I would recommend the Lodge for its position and the attentive staff.
- Leon (6/5): - ?
- Karen (10/5): Weekend getaway at Emdoneni Lodge - 5 Star service excellence. The staff are all extremely helpful and only happy to assist. The rooms are clean and fully air conditioned which is much needed. The food is exquisite and well done to the chef. Wonderful experience to be up close and personal with the cheetahs and the various cat family.
- Arnaud (6/5): Alright but not exceptional - THe rooms are ok -they could use a refurbishment but are fine. Beds not great. Lights are horrible. The food is really the main issue -tasteless buffet food. Breakfast is alright I guess but dinner to be avoided. The cheetah project is great though, so I would recommend doing it even if not staying.
- Verified traveler (6/5): - It was an okay stay. Nothing extra ordinary. Good for bush lovers. Not for individuals that love modern lifestyle.
- Wim (10/5): nice place in the middle of nature - arranged a business trip for one night and game drive in the morning, everyone was very excited about the whole program, the accommodation and the service.
- Lyn (4/5): False advertising of facilities - we could not touch the cheetahs as shown in their promo video. the other animals were scarce---4 cats , 1 caracol, 2 servals all behind bars---we went into the pen with the cats and could not touch. we are not allowed to see the bay cheetahs. Iffit is better for the cheetahs I am for it----JUST DO NOT ADVERTISE THAT TOUCHING IS ALLOWED.- IT WAS DISAPPOINTING and fraudulent! too much money for not enough. food was OK and staff was nice---just not what was advertised.
- D (8/5): Great Playing with the Cheetahs - A well managed establishment that pays attention to detail.
- John (10/5): Ingrid the host & the staff were simply wonderful - Rustic , comfortable & peaceful in the middle of nature.
- Verified traveler (6/5): - The rooms were very well serviced and the locations is excellent for accessing that eastern coastline, Sodwana Bay, Richards Bay and St Lucia are all within an hours drive. The food is ok, it's all buffet style so some of it is dry/cold/stale. The WiFi was abysmally unreliable, it took about 30 mins to to purchase a birthday card online. The concierge/reception service was absolutely terrible. During check in she told us we could speak to her later on about tourist attractions in the area so we did "What are some of the best things to do in the area?", and the answer we got was "yes". So we probed a little deeper, "can we go whale watching?", answer "yes". "well where can we go whale watching?", "at the sea". It was painful, she took a long time to answer any question, only ever gave one word answers, and hardly looked up whilst talking.
- Henrik (8/5): Interesting cat project, great food! - The rooms are very chic in design. The beds are comfortable. However, the aircondition was not good enough to make the room cold enough. There are trees right over the cabin and nuts drop on the roof all the time, and since it is a metal roof, there is very large sound every time a nut drops and we woke from it some times. We had breakfast and dinner two nights and the food is really amazing! One night there was a great buffet and the other night a la carte where I ate a perfectly made steak, don't eat anywhere else! Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, sereals etc. They have good wines for a good price. A minus that of the three desert wines that they had by glass in the menu, the two best ones weren't available. Come here for the cat experience, great service and totally amazing food! The pool looks a bit dirty so wouldn't jump in. The cheetah experience is very interesting, and you are aloud to pet cheetahs and also meet some other cats.
- Verified traveler (8/5): Special Place - should be higher than 3 stars - Fantastic stay. We wish we has booked more than one night. We have stayed in '4 star' guesthouse son our trip that were not as good as Emdoneni. The food and drink was very good and excellent value. The staff were all very friendly and professional and it was no problem for them to organise a very special private tour of the cat project.
- Verified traveler (10/5): first class lodge and staff - We stayed for 4 nights ,my lady and I had one room -double - and my the other room was occupied by her sister. Both rooms were the same and were first class. The pool area was good,the breakfast and dinner was first class.The lodge offers game drives and again these were first class.It was my lady's birthday and the staff made a cake and came out singing-wonderful.There is the cat conservancy next door which again is first class. The only down side was the Wifi. Tip drive down the road to the fuel stop and they have good and free wifi.I would stay at this lodge again and would recommend.
- Verified traveler (10/5): - Outstanding place to stay. Loved the Cheetah experience. Great to touch beautiful cats.
- herbert (8/5): there is a lot do to improve quality !! - Ingrid! She was the friendliest, kindest and most helpful highlight of our stay. And the cats. And the really good food. And the pool. The lodge is frequented by bus tours with all the downsides of large travel groups. So the lodge is not really as exclusive as you might expect from the price you pay. The chalets are close to each other, with a lack of privacy. They are old and not too comfy. Plastic stools on the tiny concrete porch. No international plugs in the room. Internet very unstable. Highway close and a bit noisy. Some of the staff could definitely be friendlier.
- Donna (10/5): A once in a life time experience - Fantastic and a great experience
- Leslie (10/5): Great stay at a Cheetah Sanctuary - I truly enjoyed my stay at Emdoneni Lodge. Upon arrival, Rebecca was most welcoming, and I immediately enjoyed the afternoon cat feeding session. Gerry was most informative about the serval, caracal, wild cats, and cheetah, and I loved seeing them so close, and being able to actually touch the cheetah. There were zebra walking the grounds, and it was a very relaxing location. Amanda, the manager, is wonderful, and extended my booking when I missed my first night after getting woefully lost. She adores the cats, and she was most helpful in every way, including when I needed a pharmacy in the area. She also arranged for me to visit the Bayete Elephant Sanctuary nearby, and find my way to my next stop. Also--the butternut squash soup was the best I ever had. Best of all, the next day,Gerry took me for a private visit with the 2 cheetah: Raine and Summer, and I was thrilled to have so much one-on-one time with them. It was a highlight of my trip.
- Samia (10/5): Uitstekend - Zeer correct en behulpzaam personeel. Veel geleerd over de 'katten' en knuffelen met de luipaarden was uiteraard onvergetelijk.
- Eleanor (10/5): Wildlife wonderland - Wonderful experience here, being taken to see the animals in rehabilitation and stroking the cheetah. Extremely professional guide, giving much information on the animals. The bedroom was small but beautifully clean and maintained. You could see zebras and antelope wandering around from the windows, and listen to the birds. The main part of the lodge, eating and lounge areas were great. Very relaxing, the food was excellent and the staff extremely attentive. Well done to the manageress who looked after us so well to make us feel welcome there. We spent the day walking the trails in there and seeing the wild animals, and the beautiful birds around.
- Sarah (8/5): Comfortable room and great staff!! - We very much enjoyed our stay at this hotel. The chalet rooms were roomy and clean. The food and staff at this hotel are wonderful. The lodge is about a 40 minute drive from Saint Lucia and they have game drives leaving from the lodge. We also enjoyed the cat rehab tour that was free if you stay at the lodge. They even let you take picture with 2 of their Cheetah's. Fun!!!
- A Benzon (10/5): all in all: 10 out of 10!!!!! - it was a lovely birthday present from my wife!
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