Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Nestled amid the beauty of Lake Nakuru, the Sopa Lodge has been lauded for its friendly staff and breathtaking vistas, which guests often rave about. The cleanliness of its rooms and facilities is a recurring highlight in reviews.
With its spacious and tastefully decorated public areas, alongside a range of amenities including a stunning pool and diverse buffet, the lodge offers a comfortable and scenic stay. However, while the value is generally appreciated, some guests have expressed concerns about unexpected park fees and room maintenance issues.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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I have to say, I had reservations about this lodge whilst on the drive to it. However, the drive was via some truly beautiful landscape, and the lodge itself is incredibly high above Lake Nakuru, which gives absolutely breathtaking views. The public spaces are very generous with excellent decorative taste (check the lighting outside the shop!) On arrival, we had a lovely lunch which was kindly kept fresh for us despite our very late arrival. Our room, number 11, was one of the largest I've stayed in at a safari lodge. They are all brick built with terraces and huge bathrooms with very spacious walk-in showers plus toiletries. The wardrobe and safe are housed in the bathrooms. The bedroom offers two comfy double beds, a safe, lounge area, a hostess tray, and a working area with a fridge. Hairdyers are available at reception for a deposit of 2k KES. The views from the windows and terrace are spectacular.
The food is buffet style with got and cold and live cooking stations. Lots of variety. A well stocked bar with very comfy lounge alongside the shop which offers a really good variety of clothing, books and gifts. The lodge also offers holistic therapies until quite late into the evening. There is a very good laundry service offered too. There is also a pool which I didn't get chance to use but looks very clean, spacious and inviting.
I really enjoyed my stay at this lodge. It has a peaceful and relaxing vibe and the staff are really very lovely, friendly and knowledgeable. As usual, if you need anything, they will do everything in their power to accommodate your requests.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FOM Nakuru , Guest Services / Front Office at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded Jun 10, 2024
Dear MinMcLeod, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the breathtaking views and the spacious room with its amenities. We are pleased that you found the public spaces generous and well-decorated, and that you appreciated the variety of food options available at the buffet. Your kind words about our staff's friendliness and hospitality are truly appreciated. At Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, we strive to create a peaceful and relaxing environment for our guests, and we are glad that you felt accommodated during your stay. We hope to welcome you back for another enjoyable experience in the future. Warm regards, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
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This is a good choice if you’re going to Lake Nakuru. The property is high on a cliff overlooking large parts of the park including the lake. One downside of this location is that its fairly far away from any of the wildlife so you end up having to travel a fair distance to get to the wildlife rich areas in the park.
The rooms are large with private balconies off each room. The bathroom is very nice and spacious with a double sink and vanity and walk in shower. One complaint is that beds and linens were showing age and should really be replaced. We stayed here in 2019 and I don’t think anything had been changed or updated. It shows and Sopa really needs to refurbish the rooms including replacing the mattresses.
The common areas are well laid out and spacious. This is a large lodge so meals are done buffet style but I found the food to be very good overall. One thing I fould annoying was that you had to pay extra for drinking water. They have complimentary tea, coffee and juice (at breakfast) but if you just want drinking water, that is extra.
Overall this is a good choice for large groups and even smaller groups visiting Lake Nakuru.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sopa Lodges Management, Other at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded Nov 29, 2022
Dear Robert D, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your valued feedback, We are delighted that you enjoyed your recent stay at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge and that the property and team managed to exceed your expectations. Your feedback greatly motivates our team as we continue to improve our product and services. We are all looking forward to welcome you back in the near future. Sincerely Yours, RESORT MANAGEMENT
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I can't recommend Nakuru Sopa enough. The only daunting part is the distance from the park gate to the Lodge. There are several signs along the way which is helpful. The hotel itself is beautiful and the view is amazing. The beds were very comfy and equipped with mosquito nets. I loved the shower especially; great water pressure and hot water. I love that they use glass water bottles in the rooms which are eco-friendly and reduce environmental waste. My favourite part was the meals. The food was delicious from starters to dessert. Kudos to the Chef and his team. The lodge staff were really friendly as well. I'd especially like to appreciate Kennedy (pool) who is also an excellent photographer and Beatrice (Restaurant). The MVP was Zakary who went above and beyond, especially with my Dad who is elderly and frail. Thank you all for the lovely birthday surprise . I had the best birthday ever and hope to be back soon! 😊
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Use Nderit gate if coming from Nairobi
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for one night as part of a private safari tour. We unfortunately arrived after dark so never got to see the resort in full light and can’t comment on the facilities at this resort.
So why the one star? Well, we desperately needed to shower after a long day driving and needed an early night to bed as we had to be up very early in the morning to depart. On entering the shower we heard a very loud explosion whilst I was in the process of letting the water warm up …. and then I heard water gushing from the ceiling. I knew something was immediately wrong. I contacted reception and told them of the emergency and asked for another room. We were politely told that was not possible as the resort was fully booked out.
After my continued protest they sent the reception manager to placate me. He advised me that they would turn the water off and it would all be safe. He then offered to allow us to shower in the spa. (a 300 metre buggy ride away). My wife took a change of clothes and proceeded to the spa to shower. Guess what! No hot water there either, so after a cold rinse, my wife braved the cold night air and returned to our room very annoyed.
They finally sent someone to repair the hot water service around 11pm, by which we were already in bed trying to sleep. I’m not sure what time it was actually repaired but to be in a high class establishment with no running water to wash with, no water to flush the toilet with is totally unacceptable!!!
I protested again in the morning on departure requesting some kind of recompense as this very expensive resort failed me miserably! I was offered a hollow apology but to restitution.
For any hotel (especially one of this calibre) to not have contingency rooms available to deal with emergency situations like this is unforgivable.
And then to expect me to pay full price for what was essentially a bed with no bathroom is unprofessional!
Maybe I should’ve stayed in a tent!
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FOM Nakuru , Guest Services / Front Office at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded Aug 4, 2024
Dear Florra02, We are sincerely sorry to hear about the unfortunate experience you encountered during your stay with us. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we deeply regret the inconvenience you faced with the water issue in your room. Please accept our apologies for the lack of immediate resolution and the inconvenience caused by the situation. We understand the importance of a comfortable stay, especially after a long day of travel. Rest assured, we are looking into the matter to prevent such incidents in the future. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a much-improved experience. Warm regards, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
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Check in was smooth. Room was spacious and clean with a large bathroom, electricity and hot water all the time. Mosquito nets over bed was good addition as most of the lodges we stayed at didn’t have them. Wi-Fi only works in the communal areas which is poor and should be easy for them to place repeaters near rooms. It’s a bit of a trek (approx 10mins) walking down to the majority of the rooms (#20-62) and then uphill from the rooms back to the main area (~15mins). They provide a little shuttle truck to take you up if you call from your room phone but with only four seats to cover all the rooms of guests and people checking in and out they need to provide more shuttles or perhaps electric golf carts. View from the room overlooking the lake was nice. Staff all friendly. We only stayed one night. Unfortunately the food was not good. Poor levels of food safety and hygiene standards. Set up as buffet but the pork at lunch was undercooked, too many Indian dishes (we don’t eat Indian and only saw two Indian during our stay) and the cooked veg options were pretty bland, other lodges we stayed at were much better. Dinner started at 19:30hrs and it was chaos. Massive queue outside waiting for the doors to open, staff seated guests who all then rushed to the buffet. Not enough space to move around and get food, people pushing in front of others plus poor cooking hygiene standards from one chef who used tongs to touch raw beef and then used the same tongs to serve the cooked beef. We called him out on this and then he found another set of tongs to use right next to him. Breakfast was even worse, all the buffet food was cold, made to order eggs chef used a frying pan that still had old burnt from the previous day (we were first in line for eggs) and used spray oil which was no use in making the pan non-stick. Who uses spray? Please use oil like the other lodges we stayed at. We told reception and the manager of our concerns and they seemed to listen so hopefully they improve. This is a big hotel with 62 rooms, normally we wouldn’t stay in such a place as too large for us but based on location, price and reviews we decided to stay. However if visiting again we would not stay here and look for somewhere else. Quality and standards of the food very bad and letting down all the staff.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’ve only had a chance to stay one night at the Sopa. The standout of the resort is its superb location overseeing the park, and the common areas and rooms are laid out to maximize the lake views and Nakuru city. The common areas are also classy and beautifully appointed.
The room was well furnished with the usual amenities, and bathrooms are huge. We had a room at the higher lobby level (there are rooms further down the hill) which offered sweeping views. The service staff are also attentive. Food buffet spread is not huge, but quality is excellent.
The service staff came across as a little aloof initially, but we realised it was because they are expected to upkeep that professional veneer. Chat a bit more and you realise they will crack a joke or 2.
One thing I didn’t like is the poor room soundproofing, which I suspect is due to the porous local rock bricks. We can hear the conversations next door and it was still a little noisy when we went to bed. Fortunately we are not light sleepers.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Take a room at the higher level if possible. These have better views and it’s quite a distance to...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a confirmed booking for 2 nights. We were out for a safari on the second morning and were met with an unpleasant surprise that we were being kicked out. Apparently they were overbooked and they claimed that we did not have a reservation for the 2nd night (in spite of showing them a booking confirmation for 2 nights). We had to scramble to find a hotel. Definitely do not recommend if you're a tourist and do not know the area. The room had a good view for the 1 night we were there.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:They might cancel your reservation at the last minute
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FOM Nakuru , Guest Services / Front Office at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded 4 weeks ago
Dear Shatanik, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced during your stay regarding your reservation. We understand how distressing it can be to encounter such an issue, especially after a long safari day. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and are reviewing our booking procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. We appreciate your kind words about the room's view and hope you were able to enjoy that aspect of your stay. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
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We arrived under torrential rain but were still greeted with a smile and importantly an umbrella!
Having stayed in a few Sopa lodges I would describe the Nakuru Lodge as the most high end. Each room has a wonderful view of the lake (ours was breathtakingly lit up by lightning). The room itself was very spacious, with a modern, but fitting, bathroom. We stayed in room 7 which benefitted from being close enough to reception to have Wi-Fi signal.
All meals are buffet style and the evening one includes a bbq.
Throughout the stay the staff provided attentive, friendly and courteous service.
We only stayed one night but would certainly stay again.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved our stay here and regret we only stayed one night. The view from the dining room and from our room was stunning and the food was fantastic. All of the staff were so friendly and accommodating, which we really appreciated. The room was very clean and much bigger than we expected with a beautiful, big bathroom with a great shower. There is a service to drive you up and down to your room from the main lobby as it is a steep walk but nothing too challenging. Like I said, only regret is that we didn’t stay longer!
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FOM Nakuru , Guest Services / Front Office at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded Oct 29, 2024
Dear Olivia P, Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful views, fantastic food, and friendly service during your stay at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge. It's wonderful to know that you found the room clean, spacious, and with a great shower. We are glad you appreciated our staff's efforts to make your stay comfortable. Please do consider staying with us for a longer duration on your next visit. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable experience. Best regards, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
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We are on Safari with Smartours. Polman’s Tours is our escort here in Kenya. Everything has been exceptional so far. Evans our Driver/ Guide is wonderful. Our experience in Kenya and at all the Sopa Lodges has been great. The view from our room is breathtaking. The rooms are spectacular and the grounds are well manicured. It is by far the best property we have stayed at since arriving in Kenya 6 days ago. This is my reason for giving a low rating: We arrived here at 2:00. Just in time for a delicious lunch on the terrace overlooking Lake Nakuru. The view was sensational and the buffet was very delicious. The wait staff were very attentive. I ordered a Sangria, “special”. I didn’t look at a drink menu or didn’t inquire about the price. When our bill came we were charged 18 American Dollars for the Sangria. I was appalled! I made my comments known to our waitress. By no means was I blaming her. She was lovely. Unfortunately I didn’t get her name. She apologized profusely. I was mortified and very embarrassed that I would spend that kind of money on an afternoon cocktail in a country where the staff serving me probably don’t make 18 dollars in 3 days. Shame on me and shame on Sopa Resorts for charging such an extraordinary amount for 1 cocktail. Don’t presume that “special” means a “special price”. Lesson of the day is “ask the price before you order”, even in Kenya. At the end of the day our group was compensated with 2 complimentary bottles of wine due to Evans our guide making a fuss with the management. I’m not sure if they understood the point I was making? The gesture was great but I would rather have been compensated the 18 dollars for the drink and add the 18 dollars on to our waitress’s tip. On another note, the people here are so lovely and welcoming. We have so much, most of them have so little. I have witnessed over and over tables with 10 or 12 guests getting up and leaving without tipping. Open your eyes and open your hearts people. A few dollars is nothing to us, or we wouldn’t be here, but means so much to them.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Just arrived so I cannot comment, other than on the lunch experience. The staff was amazing.. We...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sopa Lodges Management, Other at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Responded Sep 25, 2022
Dear 261AngelaH, Thank you very much for choosing Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge as your host while on safari in Kenya, and most sincerely thank you too for your feedback and compliments on our facility and the staff. However we regret and feel your disappointment that we did not meet your expectations as far as our cocktail's pricing is concerned, the management has looked into this concern with the deserved seriousness and has affected a corrective review. Thank you very much and looking forward to hosting you again in future Sincerely Yours, MANAGEMENT
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Most flamingoes left more than 10 years ago when the water started losing its salinity. You may consider visiting lake Bogoria where there's a significant population of flamingoes!
There are more places to choose from in the Nakuru area.
PRICE RANGE
C$234 - C$406 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceNakuru
NUMBER OF ROOMS
60
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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