MBW said:
BRP from last week, that is.
A kind soul checked BRP for deluxe AKL concierge a few days back for 3/3 - 3/5, and it came in at $470. Just a few minutes ago, I booked that room with a AAA rate for $461. Not the best price I've seen for peak concierge, but not bad either. Plus it's our ten year anniversary.
Now I have to book that sunset safari.
We stayed at AKL concierge for our anniversary in 2003. Loved the lodge & service. HOWEVER - the concierge level is on the 6th floor which is directly above the lobby and DOES NOT EXTEND the length of the hotel. Not bad, but virtually NO VIEW from any of the rooms there (and there are NOT many rooms. Apparently, adding concierge service to this hotel was almost an after-thought, so they had to work with the space they had.
They were kind enough to let us see the view from several rooms when we were checking in, but none appealed to me as I was firm about wanting a savanah view
The concierge suggested (apparently this is a COMMON COMPLAINT) we take a room on the 5th floor (MANY MORE to choose from) and simply use our key to access the elevator to the 6th. Worked well for us.
We did find the food selection, though good - not great, at least during our stay - and seating very limited compared to other concierge hotels. If it had not been for the safari, we would not have paid the extra price for concierge.
On that note, might I suggest, now that you are booked concierge, you call the AKL and TALK to one of their concierge specialist. What we did not realize when we booked was that you only have to be concierge the night before the safari.
Had we made a simple request during our visit we could have saved $$$ as our stay was 3 nights. How? Take a 5th floor room (also quieter & more romantic in my opinion) for BOTH nights, but pay concierge ONLY for the night BEFORE the safari. I think they will work with you on this - at least it's worth a try. You'll have a room with a view but pay less for the second night. Plus, the 5th floor is not exclusive to concierge, so you can stay in the same room - not having to move off the concierge floor.
Oh, one more thing. We bumped in to - LITERALLY - John Travolta one evening on our stay. He was attending a party in the Presidential Suite (corner of 5th floor) and was in the hallway as we passed by. He had his back to us talking to a couple of fellows and, as we approached to pass the group, he turned, took two steps forward and ran right into my hubby! After a quick apology, he actually introduced himself (really!) and asked where we were from, how long we were staying, did we like the lodge, etc. So, there you go! Pixie Dust on the 5th floor of AKL!
I promise you will enjoy the stay, the food, the staff, the gift shop - EVERYTHING. Be sure to go out into the main savanah area one evening after dark to view the animals through night-vision goggles - way cool. Also, try to catch one of the flamingo feedings.
Boy, I am ready for another trip to AKL now. Have a great time!
) so I didn't need much, but they answered all my questions & then some.
