Marriott International is expanding its presence in the luxury safari space with two new Kenyan properties: the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp and the JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp.
Set to open this August, the Ritz-Carlton property will mark the brand's foray into the luxury safari camp segment. The camp will be located within the Masai Mara National Reserve, situated on an island on the Sand River.
According to Marriott, the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp will be designed as an elevated "treetop retreat," promising guests prime views of the annual Great Migration.
The camp will offer 20 tented suites featuring private plunge pools, separate living areas and indoor and outdoor showers. It will also be home to facilities like a restaurant with a wine cellar, a stargazing sky deck, a traditional boma, a spa and wellness center, a swimming pool and a photography studio.
Guests will also have access to curated game drives and cultural experiences.
JW Marriott plans
The JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp, meanwhile, is on track to open early next year.
The JW Marriott camp will be situated between Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains within Kenya's Solio Game Reserve. The property will house 20 tented accommodations, including two two-bedroom suites.
Other highlights will include multiple wellness facilities; four dining concepts, including a sky deck restaurant; a Spa by JW; a swimming pool; a fitness center; and a conservation house. Guests will also be able to opt for experiences like horseback-riding safaris, night game drives, guided walks, quad biking and visits to a private rhino orphanage.
The JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari camp will mark the second luxury safari offering in the JW Marriott portfolio, following the debut of Marriott's inaugural luxury safari property, Kenya's JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, in 2023.