AKV Value studio

[bobbiwoz]

We tried one on Saturday...R. 5132...it faced the savannah.. We saw some animals on the savannah, but if you ask me, something has to be done in the room itself.

The thermostat is on a side wall, and against the side of the wardrobe. You have about 6 inches to maneuver the controls, but you can't see the numbers or controls. DH had to move the wardrobe, no mean feat, just to get some air going in our room. I don't know if all value rooms will have the same configuration, but really, someone wasn't thinking when they did this!

There's another difference as compared to the savannah view studio that we had in September. The sofa bed is not next to the sliding glass door, the bed is.

I love AKV, I would stay in a value room again, ...this was a Saturday night, we wanted to try it out, it was a 16 point experiment. The savannah it faces is the Sunset one. We were not particularly far from the elevators. IF you looked straight down, you see what I would describe as a holding pen. Not particularly pleasant view...in the distance you see condos or some sort of off site apartments. However, as usual, the animals are the draw for me, and I saw some, not any giraffes not from our balcony, but also not from the pool area. There just didn't seem to be many animals around. Could it be because of construction they don't have as many animals out? It was only a one day stay, and I didn't think to ask anyone.

If there are any questions...I'll be happy to try to answer them. The pool was enjoyable, I had a nice swim on Sunday morning, not many other guests were in the pool. I love the lush surroundings and the view of the buildings from the pool.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

There's another difference as compared to the savannah view studio that we had in September. The sofa bed is not next to the sliding glass door, the bed is.

Thanks for the report! A question for you: where was the connecting door in your studio? Jambo House studios will have the connecting door in one of two places 1) between the entry door and the kitchenette or 2) after the kitchenette, in the living area. I'm guessing your connecting door was in the living area. We've had one other report where the sofa and bed positions were swapped and in that case the studio's connecting door was in the living area. I think if you get a studio with that layout they really have to swap the bed and sofa, otherwise you would have to jog around the end of the bed to get to the sliders.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The connecting door was next to the entrance door. The wall safe was there as well.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

The connecting door was next to the entrance door. The wall safe was there as well.

Bobbi

I just looked at the floor plans and thought I found the floor plan for 5132 but I may have counted incorrectly or maybe the rooms aren't number the way I expected. Was the kitchenette on the left or the right as you walk in to the studio?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Kitchenette was on the right. It didn't seem to be any different than the Savannah view studio's kitchenette.

It's location is directly above that "holding pen" enclosure.

I double checked our lodge room card, and I do have the number correct.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

I'm not sure how the villas are numbered but I expected they would want to keep each AKL "bay" numbered the same as the floors below. In that case, they would have to skip a number for each 1BR. Assuming I'm right about that then according to the floor plans your studio has the kitchenette on the right but the connecting door is just after the kitchenette. If I'm wrong about the numbering scheme and they opted to number the villas in sequence, then your studio had a connecting door in the entry way but the kitchenette was on the left.

Here is the floor plan for Unit 49. Your studio is one of the two in the middle of the floor plan. I think it was the one I have labeled "5132 or 5130?" but if I'm wrong about the numbering then it was the one I labeled "5134 or 5132?".

 

[spiceycat]

bobbi - thanks been waiting for a report.

Is the studio alot smaller than you regular SV was?

was the balcony the same size as the SV was?

my visit in Sept was in a Standard studio - pool & roof. to see the animals went to the places around the hotel that showed them.

the animals seemed to like the places with trees (shade) or water - the best.

although someone says the CM's are trying to place food all over the place.
but since they are not feeding them 24/7 - they go back to where they are comfortable.

do you see any fights? when I was there the zebra and the deer with horns (okay really bad about names) were almost fighting. but when the deer put its head down ready to fight - the zebra gave ground.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Yes, we were in the room that you have marked 5132 or 5130? The connecting door to the 1 bedroom was as you came into the room from the hall. That was where we stored our luggage.

Bobbi

 

[bobbiwoz]

spiceycat, I think the balcony was smaller. I say this because the Savannah view studio had a piece of outdoor furniture to serve as a footrest and this only had the round table and 2 chairs.

The wall that has the table and chairs, bureau and wardrobe does look to be very cramped. That's why there's no room to adjust the thermostat. In the other room, there was something like a small hopechest, something close to the floor, so you could see the side wall that the thermostat was on. That piece of furniture is not there.

No, I didn't see any fights. The zebras stayed way out, on the more open "lawn" area. There was a water hole by near the "sunset overlook", but only a crane was using it much. Some ostriches were prancing by, back and forth.

What we saw the most were impalas, at least that's what I think they were. It looked like a small herd of them, (if 5-6 could be called a herd?), they really liked the area, and I enjoyed watching them.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

Yes, we were in the room that you have marked 5132 or 5130? The connecting door to the 1 bedroom was as you came into the room from the hall. That was where we stored our luggage.

Bobbi

Thanks again Bobbi. So the connecting door was in the living area, not in the entryway. The other case where someone had a studio where the bed and sofa were swapped was exactly the same -- the connecting door was in the living area rather than the entry way. They posted some photos and from what I could see, it would have been awkward to move around the room if the sofa and bed had been in their usual spots. I prefer to have the sofa near the sliders since there is more natural light in that end of the room but it looks like that wouldn't work given where the connecting door is located.

 

[AKV707]

Bobbi. thanks for the report. I have been looking forward to valu villa reports. So if i am reading you right, all in all, it was a good experience? Did everything work in the room? TV? Was the bathroom smaller than in the standard size studio?

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks so much for your report. I was wondering about value studio reports also. In order to compare, I'm staying in a value view, standard view, and savannah view studios all in one trip-lots of moving around! I'm especially glad to hear that you got to see the savanah from the value view. What animals did you see?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks again Bobbi. So the connecting door was in the living area, not in the entryway. The other case where someone had a studio where the bed and sofa were swapped was exactly the same -- the connecting door was in the living area rather than the entry way. They posted some photos and from what I could see, it would have been awkward to move around the room if the sofa and bed had been in their usual spots. I prefer to have the sofa near the sliders since there is more natural light in that end of the room but it looks like that wouldn't work given where the connecting door is located.

The connecting door was right (and to the right as you walk in) by the hall door into the villa...not in the living area. There would be no room whatsoever in the "living/sleeping" area to have a door connecting to the 1 bedroom. One wall has the sofa and the bed, the other wall has the table/chairs/bureau and wardrobe.

Bobbi

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks so much for your report. I was wondering about value studio reports also. In order to compare, I'm staying in a value view, standard view, and savannah view studios all in one trip-lots of moving around! I'm especially glad to hear that you got to see the savanah from the value view. What animals did you see?

Yes, we were pleased with the location. We saw cranes, impalas (if the female ones don't have horns), ostriches, zebras and something else, I've lost the identifying sheet.

Have fun scouting out the different views.

Bobbi

 

[bobbiwoz]

Bobbi. thanks for the report. I have been looking forward to valu villa reports. So if i am reading you right, all in all, it was a good experience? Did everything work in the room? TV? Was the bathroom smaller than in the standard size studio?

I think that the bathrooms in both the Savannah view studio and this value studio are so small, that there is barely room to move around in. Right after this we stayed in a VWL studio, and that one is barely larger, but it is larger I think.

The AKV bathrooms have the curved shower rod...VWL doesn't. This particular AKV bathroom had a grab bar in the bathtub... that's good for me.
Yes, it was a good experience. Mostly I will stay in Savannah view that is for sure, this was a 16 points, Saturday night stay, so well worth the try.

I do not have a lot of AKV experience. The public "Sunset Overlook" faces this sunset savannah, but the animal quantity was nowhere near the quantity that we saw from our Arusha Savannah view studio in September. I don't know if that's always the case.

Right now, I have 3 weekend studios night stays at AKV booked for next year. These are all for savannah view studios because mostly I do not want to "risk" not having a savannah view.

I am considering changing a 4 night Value Studio stay in September to a Value 1 bedroom stay however, because I do think my DGirlfriend and I will need just a bit more room!

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

The connecting door was right (and to the right as you walk in) by the hall door into the villa...not in the living area. There would be no room whatsoever in the "living/sleeping" area to have a door connecting to the 1 bedroom. One wall has the sofa and the bed, the other wall has the table/chairs/bureau and wardrobe.

Bobbi

Thanks so much for your patience on this! I hope one day to make a better map showing room locations so I really want to get this right.

I cropped the floor plan down to just the two studios and labeled the connecting doors. So if I understand correctly your door was in the location shown in the studio on the left -- just as you walk into the studio, between the entry door and kitchenette. But your kitchenette was actually on the right, like the floor plan on the right that has the connecting door just as you enter the living area. Perhaps when they published this floor plan they accidentally flipped it. A mirror image of this floor plan would put everything where you've described it - kitchenette on the right and connecting door near the entry door to the villa. Perhaps that is the problem.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I will ask my DH...and please have patience with me because we left the AKV studio for VWL studio and it too was on the left side (as you face from the hall) of what would be a 2 bedroom combo. However, for sure the connecting door to the 1 bedroom was not in the living/sleeping room of the studio at AKV. It would be in the "same place" as is indicated by room 5134, you walk into 5132 and the connecting door is there on the right, then you come to the kitchenette.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

I will ask my DH...and please have patience with me because we left the AKV studio for VWL studio and it too was on the left side (as you face from the hall) of what would be a 2 bedroom combo. However, for sure the connecting door to the 1 bedroom was not in the living/sleeping room of the studio at AKV. It would be in the "same place" as is indicated by room 5134, you walk into 5132 and the connecting door is there on the right, then you come to the kitchenette.

Bobbi

Thanks Bobbi. Like I said, it's possible this floor plan is reversed. I've seen at least one other that appeared to be reversed (based on the fact that all the text on the floor plan was also reversed!) so it does happen.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH agrees with me on this...

connecting door to the 1 bedroom was not in the living/sleeping room of the studio at AKV. It would be in the "same place" as is indicated by room 5134 (in your diagram), you walk into 5132 and the connecting door is there on the right, then you come to the kitchenette.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

DH agrees with me on this...

connecting door to the 1 bedroom was not in the living/sleeping room of the studio at AKV. It would be in the "same place" as is indicated by room 5134 (in your diagram), you walk into 5132 and the connecting door is there on the right, then you come to the kitchenette.

Bobbi

Thanks Bobbi!