When you first drive up you view a huge building with a thatched roof. As you step inside, the expansive lobby with large, dark wood beams, catches you off guard. You are enveloped in African design. The light fixtures, balconies, wooden furniture, firepit, art, the entire atmosphere emanates Africa. The back wall is a huge glass window that faces the savannah.
The hotel itself is a huge horse shoe shape, six stories high, and over 800,000 square feet. Because of the size of the hotel, you may end up walking a long way to your room. Ours was 10min from the lobby.
We upgraded to a savannah view room. If you don't, you may be viewing the pool or the parking lot. With a savannah view, you can sit on your balcony and watch as giraffes, gazelles, and other animals wander by.
The rooms are not huge, but they certainly follow with the theme.
Security cameras watch the savannah, to protect the animals. Reminders are posted, that warn you to close your curtains if privacy is a big concern.
The staff was very friendly and helpful. Housekeeping often left cute towel animals for us.
Four trails take you by the 3 different savannahs. You can walk through and see the animals. Each savannah has one or two animals that are more prominent, so when you book a room you may want to ask about that. You can walk through all the savannahs, but from your room you can only see one.
There is a large pool with a number of small spa pools around it. Somehow it blends in with the atmosphere and actually overlooks some savannah areas.
There are a number of restaurants in the hotel. Boma, Jiko, and Mara are the main restaurants. Additionally, there is Victoria Falls and Uzima Springs.
Boma - African dishes as well as buffets style foods.
Mara - Fast food style, with fruits and salads available. Dine inside or by the pool. Open late. We often stopped by here to pick up beer or other beverages when we got back to the hotel late at night.
Jiko - Sit down dining, dinner only.
Victoria and Uzima are bars. Uzima is located by the pool. Victoria is inside the hotel and serves coffee as well as alcohol.
Notes - AKL is located further from the parks than many of the other hotels. It is about 5 minutes to the Animal Kingdom. MGM and Downtown Disney are the furthest away. Downtown can be a 20-25 min bus ride. To provide a safer environment for the animals, no balloons or straws are allowed or used in the hotel. There is a large firepit facing the savannah. At night, they often tell African stories by the fire. The hotel has a small arcade and a guest laundry areas.
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