Hobatere lodge

I didn't plan to write a review. But the hotel sent me a link to make a review, so here it is. Their fault.
I booked the lodge 9 days before arrival. The day after my 4x4 broke down on the way, I have get an emergency recovery. From the middle of nowhere I was able to get a Wi-Fi signal and emailed the hotel, that I would not be able to come and if they could be so nice as to cancel the booking without a fee or with maybe 50% payment. So this message via the booking. Com site was sent a day after booking and 8 days before arrival. I got NO reply. I sent a second message on 4 days before planned arrival via the booking. Com site. NO reply. In fact I got NO reply at all. And the full booking fee was deducted.
So the lodge could be very nice, I dont know. But the management doesn't seem to care much about their customers even when they have emergencies. They didnt even bother to send a formal message, that they could not offer a free cancellation. Why bother, they had my credit card details and would get their money anyway.

What a wonderful place to stay. The staff is truly amazing and the location stunning. Food really good and the pool is nice and clean. It is definitely worth it.

We had an amazing experience at Hobatere lodge. The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was excellent—every detail was handled with care.
What really stood out was the friendliness of the staff and the local community. The lodge is set in a beautiful location, and you can feel the pride and passion with which the community runs it. This makes the stay feel authentic and special.
If I could suggest one improvement, it would be adding guided walks in the surrounding area. This would allow guests to explore the natural beauty and learn more about the local culture.
Overall, Hobatere lodge offers a warm, welcoming, and unforgettable experience. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this place!
Located remotely, with it's own 'park' and many animals coming around to the waterhole, you can connect with nature here and enjoy your stay. In all fairness, I can say I saw more animals here than in Etosha Park 😉 Rooms might have some space for improvement, but that did not bother me.
Dear Team, thank you for making our stay so amazing 🙏

The absolute highlight of this lodge is its wonderful staff. They are incredibly kind, warm, and genuinely helpful, and they went out of their way to assist us, especially with our little one. Their kindness truly made our stay memorable. However, in terms of value for money, there are areas that need improvement. Our group stayed in three different rooms, and the level of amenities varied noticeably—some rooms had plenty of hangers while others had just one, and toiletries were inconsistent, with some rooms missing basic items like hand and body wash. Towels were placed on the bed instead of on towel rails, which felt odd and inconvenient.
There also needs to be clearer communication to guests, particularly regarding snacks on game drives. We only discovered they were provided when our four-year-old became upset from hunger, which could have been avoided with better information. Breakfast was generally good, but overall the food lacked variety and flavor. The menu felt limited, with single daily options for mains and sides, and even the Europeans staying there didn’t seem impressed, so it isn’t just a matter of catering style. More creativity, seasoning, and variety would make a big difference.
Despite these issues, the heart of this place is its exceptional staff, and with more consistency in room standards and a stronger food offering, this lodge has the potential to be truly outstanding.

What a lovely place to stay! It will be on our list for our return visit to Namibia in the future. It’s a small intimate eco-lodge – no hairdryers, it’s all solar panel here. You’ll understand why as there’s a 13km drive from the gate to the lodge through the reserve! Our lovely room had a private balcony, and our towels were arranged on the bed surrounded by flowers. The staff are friendly, meals are set, but delicious. Tea and coffee are available all day at the lodge, and they will prepare a flask for your room if you ask for it. The lodge lounge area has Wi-Fi, and in the evenings they light a fire outside to sit around. There’s a small swimming pool to cool off on hot days, and a viewing platform across to the waterhole. The atmosphere is lovely, we met people who were on their 9th visit here – that says it all.

We stayed at Hobatere three years ago and loved it, but this time was a huge disappointment. It seems there has been a change of management and the difference is clear. Staff were unmotivated, disengaged and spent most of their time on their phones instead of looking after guests. There was no warm welcome, no explanation of anything, and very little effort to create a pleasant atmosphere, it was a very weird vibe overall because the staff was so disengaged.
The pool area was not clean, no towels were provided until we asked, and even during sunset on the terrace no one came to offer drinks. Dinner was served inside in a cafeteria-like room with zero ambiance — we were told they couldn’t serve outside because they had “run out of candles. ” Breakfast was disorganized and dinner was mediocre. Rooms are outdated and no longer justified by the experience.
The only positive was the guides, who were friendly and knowledgeable! They deserve 5 stars!
Hobatere needs stronger management and staff who care — otherwise there are far better lodges in the region for the same price.

It was really a perfect stay in Hobatere Lodge. We had some game drives and we saw many animals, also lions. The water whole, which you can see from the terrace of the main building is amazing. The rooms are simple but clean. You can hear many animal vouces during the night.
I want to point out the very good dinner we had during our stay. 5 stars for the chef!

We enjoyed the stay in the Hobatere Lodge very much. The rooms were nice and clean, the people very friendly and the foot was also good.
We also did some game drives and had a very good time during our stay.

We had a fantastic time at Hobatere Lodge.
The lodge offers stunning views of two waterholes, with plenty of wildlife—including a variety of antelope, elephants, lions, and an abundance of bird species.
The meals were absolutely delicious and mouthwatering.
The staff were exceptionally welcoming and made us feel right at home. Every team member we interacted with was friendly, professional, and attentive without ever being intrusive. Their passion and pride in the lodge are evident in everything they do.
I would highly recommend Hobatere Lodge to anyone looking for the ideal getaway — a place to rest, relax, and recharge.

We loved staying in Hobatere. Really friendly team, it felt like a great community atmosphere. Our guide King Martin was wonderful on all of our drives. A particular highlight was the team singing and dancing after a delicious dinner — when they stopped singing, a pride of lions came to the waterhole and the team sang just to the lions. You can really tell that the Hobatere team are passionate about the wildlife and are very happy to share that enthusiasm with their guests.

A very good lodge with traditional-style houses. The traditional construction made the rooms comfortable even without air conditioning, but very small. It was difficult to fit your luggage into the room. The beds were equipped with very large mosquito nets. The restaurant, the pool, and the view of the waterhole are fantastic, and you can see quite a few animals. According to other guests, a cheetah even spent lunch there the day before. Game drives are also offered, but due to the long, dry grass, which is very lush and tall after the heavy rains this year, we "only" saw giraffes, mountain zebras, and antelopes. It's not a zoo, but because the guides don't have access to a network of safari tours (as in other areas), it's much more difficult to find predators. The team was great and cooked special broth and rice for my wife, who had gastrointestinal problems, so she quickly felt better. A big thank you again.

Stayed at this lodge and it was lovely. The staff was so friendly and helpful and made us feel welcome immediately. Everything was spotlessly clean. The room decor was a bit dated (as per another review), but it was comfortable and clean. I wasn’t there to review the decor but to enjoy the outdoor nature. The bed was really comfortable after a long day. The food was delicious too. I would definitely go back to this lodge.

Hobatere Lodge as rebuilt in 2011 after a fire and is located 16km from Road C35 and Etosha Galton Gate. The lodge offers 6 twin rooms, 6 double rooms and 1 tree house. There is no campsite. In front of the terrace you find a small waterhole. You can go for a game-drive in the early morning or the early evening. For safety the lodge is a gated compound. There is a restaurant & shop, lounge & bar. Outfit and layout provide a nice safari atmosphere. Service is friendly and helpful. We opted for room 3, with two good single beds, mosquito-nets & — screens, desk & wardrobe, separate small bathroom with shower, washbasin & toilet, tea & coffee facility, and a terrace with table & 2 chairs. All was clean. Between 07:00 and 09:30 a good breakfast is served: eggs made to order, bread & toast, cold cuts & cheese, orange juice & fruit salad, 2 yoghurts, tea & coffee. In the evening & early night we had the repeated roar of a male lion nearby. Hobatere Lodge is a good place to see wildlife, and a fine choice for 1 or 2 nights. Highly recommended.

The staff was absolutely friendly, helpful, and gave us recommendations on drives and activities. They made a great musical show and sang during the dinner. The food at dinner was excellent. The location is stunning; we saw our first giraffe at the waterhole, and several other wildlife, which you can enjoy while sipping a cocktail at the terrace.
However the room clearly needs renovation, especially the bathroom fixtures. They could do some effort in decoration and add a kettle for coffee and tea, as well as extra light.
Because of the rooms, my rating is low, really too expensive for the quality offered.

My husband and I booked Hobatere Lodge’s Tree House for 3 nights as a special anniversary celebration, but what we got was a NIGHTMARE from start to finish.
1. Bait-and-Switch Scam.
Before arrival, we were told the Tree House was "unavailable due to flooding" and were downgraded to a cheaper bungalow without any refund for the price difference. The lodge knowingly overcharged us and refused to adjust the bill—this is dishonest business practice.
2. Disgusting Dining Experience.
Dinner was ruined by swarms of moths and bugs crawling over our food and wine. A moth even drowned in my glass! Other lodges manage this issue with proper lighting or fans, but Hobatere clearly **doesn’t care about guest comfort.
3. Filthy Swimming Pool.
The pool was **filled with dead bugs**—no effort was made to clean it. Meanwhile, nearby Dolomite Lodge (same environment, similar price) kept their pool **spotless**. Hobatere’s laziness is unacceptable.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. There are far better lodges in Namibia that actually respect their guests. Hobatere Lodge is a scam hiding behind "community support" excuses while delivering *ubpar service at luxury prices.
Stay away!

This property is overpriced: accommodation is average, service is below average, the so called private concession has no fences our boundaries to animals can easily move too the real Etosha National Park, which the most of the time do, so don't book their — also overpriced — game drives. The head office of this firm is based in South Africa, and they have no connectivity with local staff. Staff is not well trained, not informed about booking details and generally has no clue (some only started a week before we arrived).