The 3 Best Luxury Hotels in Mpumalanga
From the Savanna Private Game Reserve to the Kapama Private Game Reserve: hand-picked 5-star hotels in Mpumalanga. Every suitespot booking comes with free breakfast for 2, a room upgrade subject to availability, hotel credit and VIP service – benefits worth over €500.
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Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
Unlock exclusive benefits as a premium member
The best-known hotels in Mpumalanga
The hotels in Mpumalanga are spread across several districts, and the district shapes a stay more than the fittings do. First-time visitors usually stay central; those who know the city pick the quieter side. Our own first choice here is the Savanna Private Game Reserve.
| Hotel | Location | suitespot score | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savanna Private Game Reserve | Sabi Sands | ★ 4.6/5 | – |
| Kapama Private Game Reserve | Maruleng Ward 1 | ★ 4.0/5 | – |
| Royal Malewane Thornybush Private Game Reserve | Greater Kruger | ★ 4.8/5 | 3053 € |
Your guide to the best luxury hotels in Mpumalanga
Savanna Private Game Reserve · Sabi SandsOur three 5 star hotels in Mpumalanga are private game reserves on the western edge of Kruger National Park – and what the rate includes differs fundamentally from everything else in this guide.At no extra cost: booking through suitespot costs the same as booking direct with the hotel – the benefits come on top, free of charge.
Three safari lodges in Mpumalanga – and how to choose
A room rate in the usual sense barely exists here: two of the three lodges work with packages that include full board and game drives. At Royal Malewane the entry point is 3,052 € a night; for Savanna Private Game Reserve and Kapama Private Game Reserve your travel advisor will quote the current rate.
Kapama Private Game Reserve · Maruleng Ward 1The best hotels in Mpumalanga offer 21 categories between them, thirteen of them suites – at lodges of this kind the number of beds is kept small anyway.
Why we recommend it: there are far more lodges around the Kruger than the ones listed here. Our travel advisors picked three, and all three lie in private reserves rather than in the national park itself. That is the decisive difference: in private reserves vehicles may leave the tracks and drive after dark. Savanna Private Game Reserve lies in the Sabi Sand, Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit and Royal Malewane in the Thornybush reserve – all three part of the Greater Kruger.
Our travel advisors’ insider tip
For once, read the inclusions rather than the room description. At Kapama Private Game Reserve two game drives a day are included, optionally replaced by a guided walk, plus full board for two with high tea and snacks during the drive – and the airport transfer to and from Hoedspruit. At Savanna Private Game Reserve a lunch or dinner for two (for the Savanna Suite, from two nights) comes with it, as does either a massage or the Shangaan Village tour. And at Royal Malewane you choose between a gift worth 100 US dollars and a donation of the same amount – the only place in this guide where a benefit can also be given away.
Where to stay in Mpumalanga: three private reserves at the Kruger
The three reserves lie close together, but each is a world of its own. Savanna Private Game Reserve belongs to the Sabi Sand, the reserve with the longest tradition of open boundaries to the national park. Kapama Private Game Reserve lies near Hoedspruit, where the nearest airport is. And Royal Malewane stands in Thornybush, a reserve of some 34,600 acres on the western boundary of the Greater Kruger.
Royal Malewane Thornybush Private Game Reserve · Greater KrugerBetween Savanna Private Game Reserve and Kapama Private Game Reserve lie 62 kilometres, between Kapama Private Game Reserve and Royal Malewane only 18. For a safari that hardly matters: you stay in one reserve and drive there rather than commuting between them.
One point of orientation: strictly speaking only the Sabi Sand lies in Mpumalanga; Hoedspruit and Thornybush belong to Limpopo. What connects the three is not the provincial border but the Kruger.
21 categories: the best hotels in Mpumalanga from the inside
The best hotels in Mpumalanga offer 21 categories between them, thirteen of them suites. Among the largest are, at Royal Malewane, the Farmstead Farmhouse with deck and pool and the Royal Suite at Malewane Lodge at 560 sqm. The Waterside House comes to 300 sqm and the Baobab Suite to 280.
One category in between is worth noting: a tented suite at Masiya’s Camp with its own plunge pool, 230 sqm. On safari a tent is not the simpler option but a form of its own – closer to the sounds of the night.
Malewane Lodge takes no more than sixteen guests at a time, and the property employs one of only two Master Trackers in South Africa.
What a night in a luxury hotel in Mpumalanga costs
Royal Malewane starts at 3,052 € a night. For Savanna Private Game Reserve and Kapama Private Game Reserve your travel advisor will quote the current rate. With three lodges we skip the table – and because the comparison would mislead anyway: in two of the three cases full board and game drives are included.
How long to stay: three nights. Fewer rarely pays off, because the journey takes half a day and the first game drives usually start in the afternoon. To be reasonably sure of the big animals, plan four.
None of the three lodges asks for a minimum stay. At Savanna Private Game Reserve the lunch or dinner for two is, however, tied to two nights.
And whatever the date: you get the suitespot benefits in the quietest week of the year just as you do in the busiest.
Three 5-star hotels in Mpumalanga: full board, game drives and transfers
The inclusions differ here more than the rooms do. Savanna Private Game Reserve and Royal Malewane work all-inclusive; at Kapama Private Game Reserve daily full board for two is included, with high tea and snacks during the game drive.
Personal luxury travel adviceOur travel advisors personally accompany your booking – 365 days a year, from the first offer to late check-out. Reach the suitespot VIP service via email or WhatsApp.Phone: +49 30 81452346 · hotel@suitespot.comTwo game drives a day are part of the stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve, optionally replaced by a guided walk. The airport transfer to and from Hoedspruit is included there too – on safari a real benefit, since the lodges lie far apart.
A room upgrade subject to availability and a late check-out come with Savanna Private Game Reserve and Royal Malewane. At Royal Malewane you also choose between a gift worth 100 US dollars and a donation of the same amount.
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Frequently asked questions about luxury hotels in Mpumalanga
How many safari lodges in Mpumalanga does suitespot offer?
Three: Savanna Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand, Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit and Royal Malewane in the Thornybush reserve. All three lie in private reserves on the western edge of Kruger National Park.
What is the difference between a private reserve and the national park?
In private reserves vehicles may leave the tracks and drive after dark. All three lodges in this selection lie in such reserves – Sabi Sand, Kapama and Thornybush are part of the Greater Kruger.
What does a safari lodge in Mpumalanga cost?
Royal Malewane starts at 3,052 € a night. For Savanna and Kapama your travel advisor will quote the current rate. A direct comparison misleads, because in two of the three cases full board and game drives are included.
Are game drives included?
At Kapama Private Game Reserve two game drives a day are included, optionally replaced by a guided walk. Savanna and Royal Malewane work all-inclusive.
How do I get to the lodges?
The nearest airport is Hoedspruit. Kapama Private Game Reserve covers the transfer to and from Hoedspruit; for the other two your travel advisor arranges it.
Which lodge in Mpumalanga has the largest accommodation?
Royal Malewane. Among the largest units are the Farmstead Farmhouse with deck and pool and the Royal Suite at Malewane Lodge at 560 sqm. There is also a tented suite at Masiya’s Camp with its own plunge pool at 230 sqm.
How long should I stay?
Three nights, better four. The journey takes half a day, and the first game drives usually begin only in the afternoon.
Does a minimum stay apply?
No, none of the three lodges asks for one. At Savanna Private Game Reserve the lunch or dinner for two is, however, tied to two nights.
Can I earn hotel loyalty points in Mpumalanga?
That depends on your membership: whether a stay here earns points or status nights in your programme, your travel advisor will confirm before you book. The suitespot benefits apply in any case.
