Zannier Sonop

This was one of the most unique experiences we have ever had. The property is absolutely stunning. It's built around the existing rock formation so as to not damage the natural beauty around it. Our room was well appointed and incredibly comfortable. All our meals were included in our stay and were delicious. The staff were amazing! So attentive and able to customize our excursions so we could make the most out of our time there. The property was amazing but it was truly the staff who made our experience memorable.

We had an amazing stay and experience at Sonop – absolutely incredible location, simply stunning – otherworldly – loved every moment. The staff was professional, extremely friendly, flexible and responsive – Everything was great — every need was taken care of. Loved the beautiful sunrise and sunset drives.

Unfortunately, what local tourist guides and agencies do not tell you is that even in the dry season heavy rain around here is very common because of the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and since the clouds get blocked by the mountains and it does not clear up. We have stayed here in August for two days of non-stop rain, stormy wind, extreme humidity and only +10C. Paid EUR 2.4K per night to the local tourist agency that has brought us to this lodge, which they have described as a “gem”, and “impossible to book”. In fact, this time of the year (end of August), it was half empty, probably because of the weather. We stayed in the room most of the time, no outdoor activities (obviously), however we have offered a sunset tour (I thought it was a bad joke) or a horse riding at our own risk. Obviously, a normal person who does not want to be struck by thunderstorm in the middle of savanna won’t do any of that under the heavy rain. So we stayed in the room, played billiards, ate. The food was really good, as it should be for EUR 2.4K we paid. We have our agency (and ourselves) to blame of course but for those coming here in August, beware of the weather. It is not uncommon here even in a dry season.

An out of this world experience, we have never stayed anywhere like this and at times really felt like we were on Mars! It’s in the middle of nowhere, extremely peaceful but the activities on offer are excellent. The staff and service were exceptional. Martin, Elizabeth, Timothy and others went above and beyond, even remembering our favourite sauce and bringing more each day without being asked. The food was excellent and the little touches like hot water bottles on the bed at night really set this place apart. Would highly recommend! A once in a lifetime stay!

Simply the best experience of all of my life!
I’ve been traveling all around the world in the last 10 years, and this place is probably the best place I ever went.
I can’t describe a lot in words but everything there is kind of a movie.
He staff is what make everything better.

This is most likely one of the most unique hotels I’ve ever been to, given the tents and furnishings it consists of.
Furnishing is a mix of tailor made items and antiques that bring a climate of 1920s safari which we really liked. At the same time, it has all modern amenities that make the stay comfortable in any conditions (AC, pool, gym, SPA etc).
I think that each potential customer should consider this place as rather “destination hotel” rather than just an another lodge on their trip to Namibia. Whereas the surrounding of the hotel is not as diverse (eg limited number of animals) and astonishing as many other places in Namibia, spending there 3 nights, with a wonderful view of the desert / plain, perfect living conditions and food, all made us relax and just rest before continuing our trip.
It’s definitely not an easy accessible place to visit as it’s a bit off the track from the most popular sites in Namibia (ca 4 hr drive on gravel from deadvlei), but it’s worth it, as long as you stay for longer than one night (in such case, this requires a lot of effort to get there and you won’t have enough of time to enjoy everything what the hotel offers).
I found here a several opinions complaining on the staff and I think that these complaints are exaggerated. We stayed in multiple hotels in Southern Africa and I see no reason to claim that this was not in a top 3 that we’ve seen. They were always kind and motivated to help us with any issue.

This was one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever stayed in. The rooms and facilities were fantastic. The service was absolutely amazing — Riaz and Martin and all the team looked after us so well. Victor was absolutely awesome — such a great asset and very kind and fun. Couldn’t recommend this place more highly.

Staying at Zannier Sonop was an unforgettable.
Experience.
The biggest highlight was the staff — incredibly respectful, warm, and welcoming. They truly make you feel at home. What made it even more special was the chance to talk with the local team members. Hearing their stories and learning more about the area added a meaningful, personal touch to the whole stay.
The rooms are beautiful and very well maintained — clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed. It’s clear that a lot of care goes into every detail.
The food was also fantastic — fresh, full of flavor, and something to look forward to at every meal.
Zannier Sonop is a peaceful, elegant place where luxury meets genuine hospitality. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to relax and connect with both nature and people.

I have visited some of the most breathtaking hotels in the world, but Zannier Sonop is on another level entirely. From the moment you arrive, it’s as if time stops, and you’re transported straight into the elegance and adventure of the 1920s. Nestled among massive boulders, this hotel blends luxury with the raw beauty of the Namibian desert, creating an experience that is both surreal and unforgettable.
The Experience – A Step Into Another Era.
Every detail in Sonop is curated to perfection. The design echoes the spirit of a 1920s explorer’s camp, with authentic vintage furniture, handcrafted décor, and luxurious touches that make you feel like you’ve stepped into a novel. The attention to detail is impeccable, from the writing desks with inkwells to the antique leather trunks and brass accents—a true masterpiece of immersive hospitality.
And then there’s the atmosphere. It’s pure magic—one moment, you’re sipping cocktails at the elegant bar with a billiards table, and the next, you’re gazing at a sky full of stars with absolute silence surrounding you. It’s impossible not to feel completely at peace here.
Rooms & Comfort – 100/10
The tents—if you can even call them that—are a dream. Spacious, beautifully designed, and equipped with plush beds, standalone bathtubs, and panoramic desert views, they redefine the concept of “glamping. ” The morning sunrises and evening sunsets from the private terraces are absolutely breathtaking.

After having spent 3 nights at Zannier Omaanda we finally got to new our second (and definitely not last! ) Zannier property.
Omaanda was already amazing but coming to Sonop is mind blowing!
Property:
The installation is amazing and one of the, if not THE most overwhelming places we stayed the last years (check out My TripAdvisor).
Located on a mountain of rocks where you feel settled back in a mix of an Indiana Jones adventure mixed with a luxury Gatsby or Hercules Poirot atmosphere you just get excited every second getting closer to Zannier Sonop!
You enter the lobby and really feel dran back in time traveling some 80-100 years ago in a a very luxury way. There are only 10 luxury tents with either sunset or sunrise view. All off them are huge, with a luxury bathroom featuring a bathtub with amazing views!
The living and bedroom feature very detailed items that you make for your complete stay feeling back in time.
The pool (about 80 stairs to go) features an amazing landscape view (sunset), more than enough cozy sunchairs and all time around bar service. At night you can go to the cinema here, an amazing experience! Very classic movies like Lion King, Casablanca, Out of Africa or 007 Goldfingee can be watched here very night!
They also have a SPA with a small gym and one of the best massage therapist (Gideon) I ever met!
Food:
Is all served at the highest spot of the hotel in the main restaurant. Breakfast is a la cart and delicious!

Wow — what an experience. This was one of the most remote, majestic lodges I've ever had the chance to stay. The effort to maintain this place is incredible, and the staff were exceedingly friendly throughout my visit. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and found the location to be a fantastic place for disconnecting, journaling, reading, and reflecting.
One tip for anyone reading: this lodge is difficult to access… which is part what makes it so special and is certainly part of the appeal. While you can drive from the airport… it would be a ~8 hour — 9 hour trip on long stretches of dirt roads with minimal signage. I would *highly* recommend chartering the plane transport vs. Driving, if you're not familiar with the area already. If you do drive, be sure you have some type of satellite phone or similar device. If you were to get stuck along the way… you'd potentially be pretty far from someone being able to help.

Not recommended, poor service, sending emails to book rooms, the hotel completely ignores the customer's needs, just responds like a robot. The hotel did not even look at the information we sent in the email, and the price offered was much higher than the price directly booked on the website. This type of service is not worth visiting.
I will continue to update the follow-up progress.
The hotel manager Riaz replied to my review with a beautiful improvement suggestion and asked me to email him to help me solve the problem. As a result, there was no action on this reply. I sent the email immediately, and after 3 days, I did not receive any information. Now I understand that this reply message is for everyone to see, not to solve the problem. This is really interesting. I have also learned a lot from such service.

Our stay at Zannier Sonop was exceptional. First of all the landscape is breathtaking and the unique position of the lodge lets you enjoy the views at every angle. The rooms are spacious, luxurious and very comfortable.
In fact, all of the spaces around the lodge are beautifully decorated and it’s colonial style makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. The food was varied, generous and delicious. My partner and I looked forward to eating every meal. What makes this place really special though, is the staff, in a very short space of time they begin to feel like family because they are so attentive, caring and positive. They were all highly professional and were very passionate about what they were doing. Nothing seems like too much effort or trouble and it was really service with a smile. Everyone was positive and friendly.
Justina, Benjamin, Teresia, Elisabeth, Rias are just some of the lovely staff that we met but everyone we came across during our stay were excellent!
The various experiences offered at the hotel are also unique and I recommend signing up to them. A special thank you to our guide George, we loved the sunset drive with him and our trip to Sossusvlei. He really made our trip so memorable and special! He was knowledgeable and we learnt a lot of things about the nature from him. He also had a great sense of humour. I would highly recommend this trip to Sossusvlei, as the scenery and colours are breathtaking, it was certainly worth waking up for.

Amazing place in more ways than one. The location is an extraordinary feat of engineering. It’s a long way from anywhere so come to enjoy the tranquility — paradise on earth. A stunning valley. We were lucky to have George as our guide. A teacher in his last life so his trips were always interesting and you have to pay attention as he may test you after. He made our trip special. All the staff were great. Elizabeth at the front desk, Justina with her lovely sm8le and Benny. A heated swimming pool and outdoor cinema under the magical skies. I could have stayed another month it was so relaxing and beautiful.
Thank you all for such a fabulous time. Your rooms and beds are the best ever. And I’d love the recipe for the corn soup!

The hotel is really nice. It’s very far from everything but this is good sometimes. To be cut off from the world.
The wi fi is very poor and they have good one for the staff but don’t share with the guests.
The food is not traditional Namibian and it’s like french I some times was good sometimes not.
60% of the staff are kind and another 40% fake.
They call me that I have two options for dinner I said I don’t eat both of them and they say ok thank you. It’s was really nice place but I don’t go back.

What can I add to all the other reviews? Maybe this.
Friends raved about the place, and of course the photos look stunning. 3 nights they said, and the drive is faaaar. And I just kept thinking 'but what will we actually do? ' And the answer is 'not much' probably. It's just a stunningly beautiful place to hang out. The pool is lovely, the public lounges have stunning views. The sunsets are the most amazing I've ever seen. But we didn't do much other than read. It was a perfect place to be after some more hectic days (we had been on safari and rafting). I can really see it benefiting from being scheduled as a more relaxing part of a trip.
Namibia is strange. The distances are vast, and there isn't actually that much to do. But the scenery is so mesmerising, that the days feel very rich. Sonop sort of encapuslated that. On one day we biked for 1 hour. On another we did a sunset drive. Apart from that it was gym, pool and lots and lots of reading.
Other points:
— spa is great. Excellent masseuse at v fair rates.
— Wi-Fi is poor. They should invest in Starlink. Don't expect to be able to work or conference call.
— staff are great. Professional, well-paced and very warm.
— the food is fine. Just feels a notch below the rest. Not massively tasty (whereas the cocktails, wine etc absolutely are)
— don't get ill. You're far from treatment! Actually, seriously, this isn't a great place for anyone not in top health. Lots of climbing steps etc.

A hotel with quiet luxury, featuring a highly detailed colonial style and an unparalleled level of care. Excellent choice of activities. The quality of the massages is top-notch. The food is very good, although there is room for improvement in the precision of meat cooking and desserts. The local staff is attentive, motivated, and dedicated. An excellent place for relaxation, with activities to keep boredom at bay and the possibility to disconnect from the world. Ideal for a 2-3 night stay. A single night is not recommended. The price-performance ratio is absolutely reasonable.