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Reviews of Woodlands Lilongwe

3 out of 5
Woodlands Lilongwe
Youth Drive, City Centre, PO Box 279, Lilongwe

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 23 out of 44 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 44 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 44 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 44 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 44 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Being so close to the wildlife centre, I saw more animals sitting on my porch than I did in the reserve itself. The food at the restaurant was delicious and staff were attentive. The owner had the courtesy of introducing himself and seeing if everything was fine. Rooms were spacious and the grounds were clean. I enjoyed my stay here and would recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

WENDY MARGARET

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Mike

Travelled with partner
I last stayed here 7 years ago and have known it for over 30 years in its previous incarnation. It does not change. The woodland is lovely and it is tranquil. Duiker can be seen in the grounds. The Indian food is excellent. There are multiple minor faults in the chalet rooms which seem to reflect a lack of supervision of staff. The breakfast, which is in a dismal room, is depressingly bad with no-one monitoring the quite meagre buffet.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kerry

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place!
Loved this place. Nice setting, great food, nice rooms, monkeys!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from DHIREN on 16 Oct,2023
Dear GuestThank you for your positive review. This motivates us to even work harder for the comfort of our guest.

10/10 Excellent

Jasbir

Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is a beautiful property set in a state park like setting in the heart of Lilongwe. The staff was very nice.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from DHIREN on 7 May,2023
Dear GuestThank you for your positive review. We have a lot of work in progress and we should be able to give you even a better experience on your next visit. Once again, thank you.

10/10 Excellent

Don, Portland

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
In my opinion, the restaurant offers the best food I've eaten in all of Malawi. The owner visits restaurant patrons every evening. While the rooms need a bit of updating, the property is quiet and scenic.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from DHIREN on 14 Sept,2022
Dear Guest Thank you for your review. We just started renovating the rooms. could not do this earlier due to the uncertainty of the COVID situation. Once again, thank you

10/10 Excellent

Don, Portland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne

Business traveller, Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely staff and delicious Indian food in the restaurant. We all enjoyed our stay, and will be back.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2022
Response from DHIREN on 3 Jul,2022
Thank you Suzanne. your feedback is important to us. this motivates us to work even harder for our guests comfort.

10/10 Excellent

Don, Portland

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff are very accommodating and helped me out of a scheduling mistake I made. The food is some of the best in all of Malawi and the owner is often in the restaurant visiting tables.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from DHIREN on 5 May,2022
Dear Guest Thank you for your review. This is what encourages to work even harder to meet the need of our guests. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent stay--clean, friendly staff, great food. Fantastic.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from DHIREN on 29 Nov,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you enjoyed your stay at The Woodlands. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Dhiren on 3 Nov,2019
Thank you for your feedback

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is too old and needs some refurbishing in the bathrooms
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Dhiren on 2 Sept,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands during your recent visit to Lilongwe and we note your comments> We have already drawn up plans for a re-refurbishment of all the rooms and the works should start soon. We look forward to offering our new rooms soon.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent restaurant, nice cottages and grounds
Overall excellent stay. Food at the restaurant is superb. Grounds are well-maintained and quite nice. Cottages are private, are secure and roomy, and come with A/C, Wifi, television. Walking distance to a nice wildlife sanctuary. Cons: cottages could be a bit better cleaned and updated. Overall would recommend staying here.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from Dhiren on 13 May,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing the Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We have taken your comments regarding the rooms. We are shortly starting a to upgrade all our rooms and I am sure you will see a difference during your next visit.

6/10 Okay

Tim

Liked: Staff & service
Seen better days
This hotel has seen better days. It seems to need some repairs and the shower was not overly clean, potentially mold as can be seen in the picture. The wifi in our room did not work, reception said it would be fixed but no one showed up in the two nights we stayed there. If you want to use wifi in the restaurant/bar you have to pay an extra fee which seems weird as I am already paying to be a guest at the hotel and the wifi in the room doesnt work. The food from the restaurant is fine, nothing to rave over. The staff are friendly and welcoming.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Dhiren on 27 Mar,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We have taken note of your comments. We will be upgrading all our rooms as soon as the rains stop and also add on a few rooms. With regards to wi-fi, yes we do agree that we have challenges when the weather is bad but generally wi-fi is a problem in Malawi. Malawi has just finished connecting to the global sea cable and this should reflect an improvement very soon. Our apologies for any inconvenient you may have faced during your stay with us.

6/10 Okay

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
If only it was an Indian restaurant...
Stayed here for two nights, staff amazingly friendly and helpful, lodges a bit tired but great surroundings. The place is run by an Indian family and the owner cannot be more helpful or friendly. I have to say that the Indian food I eat on both nights was amongst the best I’ve eaten anywhere in the world, it was simply stunning. The hotel has 3 Indian chefs and on both nights local members of the Indian community were dining in large numbers always a good sign. The chicken tika starter was huge and to die for. Unfortunately I can’t recommend for business travellers as the WiFi was poor, it cut out frequently and was totally unreliable to the point of extreme frustration. I changed lodges but to little effect. So, amazing restaurant, great staff, dreadful WiFi so if you’re in Lilongwe on business you might want to stay elsewhere unless you love amazing Indian food
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Dhiren on 18 Mar,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing the Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Malawi. We have noted your concern regarding wi-fi. The wi-fi in Malawi is a problem and can be particularly difficult it time of bad weather. We have tried to change the ISP several times but it is only good during good weather. A new fibre network has been laid out in Malawi and are now awaiting connection. This will link each room with a dedicated fibre cable. We would like to thank you for your review and assure you that we will resolve the issues raised.

10/10 Excellent

Mikhail

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Peaceful Woodlands
Beautiful and tranquil place inside of gorgeous and peaceful park away from heat and bustling city. A lot of trees, shade and calmness. Only issue I had was cabin 6 which had WiFi problem so they moved me to number 9 which was better. Only thing with design about this property is swimming pool which is literally attached to the restaurant and makes it less comfortable. But place is awesome and food is good.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Dhiren on 27 Feb,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Lilongwe and also for your review. We have noted your areas of concern and will be addressing them in our future development plans. There is still a lot of work in progress and we expect further improvements for the comfort of our guests. Once again thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Authentic
Authentic experience of staying in a cabin surrounded by nature. The food is also a highlight. The decor is a bit dated but the friendly owner explained that he's renovating soon.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Dhiren on 27 Feb,2019
Thank you for choosing The Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We note that you had a good experience at The Woodlands. We are in the process of upgrading the facilities in the rooms and this should start in April once the rains have stopped. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Once again, Thank you.

10/10 Excellent

Heinrich

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Dhiren on 7 Dec,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for your feedback. We are improving for our facilities even further for the comfort of our guests. We look forward to welcoming you again on your next visit to Malawi

10/10 Excellent

SRH, Round these parts

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Always love this stay... great lodge with a secluded setting right in the middle of town. Excellently appointed rooms and the food and service is always great.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Dhiren on 30 Oct,2018
Dear Guest We thank you for choosing The Woodlands Lilongwe for your recent visit to Lilongwe. We are happy that you had a good experience. We are working on added new facilities and products to make our guests even more comfortable. We look forward to welcoming you to The Woodlands Lilongwe again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Stanley, Nkhoma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Woodlands is a favorite in Malawi as the entire experience is great from check in to the restaurant and finally the rooms/chalets. Always a positive experience.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Dhiren on 23 Oct,2018
Dear Stanley Thank you for choosing the Woodlands Lilongwe for your recent visit to Malawi. We are happy that you enjoyed your stay with us. We are working on introducing a few more products which should improve our facilities further for he comfort of our guests. We look forward to welcoming you again to The Woodlands Lilongwe soon.

10/10 Excellent

Frank, East London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Brilliant stay, perfect business location.
Another really good stay at Woodlands. Brilliant, quiet, beautiful location, lovely staff and a wonderful restaurant as an additional bonus. Thanks so much Woodlands - I would stay nowhere else in Lilongwe.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Dhiren on 5 Oct,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands again during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We note that you had a good experience. We will continue to improve our facilities further to make our guests even more comfortable. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Frank, East London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful oasis in lilongwe
Stayed on a business trip for two nights on two separate occasions and couldn't have been more happier. Wonderful quiet rooms, beautiful hot power shower, great wifi free throughout the hotel, delicious food and breakfast spread and great service. Definitely easier to have your own car as there are little options nearby as it is on a reserve but still very close and convenient to all the central city based locations. Thoroughly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Dhiren on 1 Oct,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing the Woodlands during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We are glad that you were happy with you stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future. With best wishes and regards Dhiren Thakrar

10/10 Excellent

Rita

Magical place -- true African experience
This place has a solitude and magic to it that makes you feel like you own your own wildlife park. My cabin/chalet had everything I needed including refrigerator, kettle, good mosquito nets, huge bathroom, bottled water, and plenty of space. The real beauty is being able to walk, run, and sit around the grounds with only the baboons, the small antelope, and the bush babies around you. It is truly a unique African experience. The only hiccup I encountered was with the wifi connection (although I believe this was Malawi's problem, not that of the facility). The breakfast buffet is cooked to order which means safer food, i.e., sausages not left sitting at room temp for hours. Great access to the rest of the city. I hope to visit again!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Dhiren on 13 Sept,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing the Woodlands for your recent visit to Malawi. we note that you had pleasant experience and thank you for your feedback. We are working on plans to further improve and add to our facilities to make our guests even more comfortable. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

SR, Alabama

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Love this place. The check-in process is smooth, the chalets are always clean and very nice and the location feels as if you are camping..which you can do here also! The restaurant/bar staff is very friendly and the food is always great. Truly is an oasis in the middle of the city.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Dhiren on 27 Aug,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Lilongwe. We appreciate your positive feedback. We are working on further improvements and additional facilities to provide a better experience for our guests. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Regards Dhiren Thakrar

8/10 Good

Chootie, Cardiff

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good and safe
Had a good stay. Staff members are very friendly. Facilities are very good. For wifi had a tiny problem. There are things to improve. The first day at the reception, the staff members were careless. But as a prepared person asking for details help to overcome the situation. Otherwise would recommend to anyone who likes nature.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Dhiren on 10 Jul,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for your review. Your comments have been taken on board. We have also spoken to our reception staff about your experience. We will do everything possible to improve on area you have highlighted. We look forward to receiving you again to The Woodlands on your next visit to MALAWI.

6/10 Okay

DrFabulous

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Reasonable hotel, not amazing. Very pleasant staff
The staff were all very friendly. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced for the quality. The chalet was much bigger than I expected. The bed was quite comfortable but as it was 2 beds pushed together and made up separately (although I had asked for a queen), I ended up sleeping on one side only. The WiFi wouldn't connect on either my phone or computer (and they are both currently connected to the wifi in a hotel in Jo'berg with no problems). It wasn't a big problem as I just used the hot spot on my phone, but it could be a problem if you didn't have the data available on your phone. The TV remote turned on, but then wouldn't turn off or do anything else so I had to turn it off at the power. I told reception on leaving - as I wasn't that fussed about watching anything and had only turned it on to see if there was something interesting. There were a few holes in the mosquito net and the 2nd night I could woken up in the middle of the night with several bites. Overall it was a bit above average, but not much, for the price.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Response from Dhiren on 5 May,2018
Dear Guest Thank you for taking time to provide a review for your recent stay with us. We have taken your comments on board and will make improvements in areas that you highlighted. We are due for a refurbishment and your comments will considered in our planning. Regards Dhiren Thakrar

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Comfortable stay
Woodlands was a fine place to stay for a recent business trip to Lilongwe - while not billed for business travel, it was far less expensive and perfectly comfortable for our purposes. If you purchase wifi from the reception, the signal did actually reach our chalets, which was nice. The chalets themselves are decent; a little run down it seems (shower in particular was a bit worn) but the beds were fine, plenty of space, etc. Not a ton of hot water, but the heater did work. The Indian food at the restaurant was quite good, and the breakfast was adequate. Close enough to walk to the wildlife sanctuary which was neat though you definitely hear the animals at night!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

MARY A. FROM US, A

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
PEACEFUL
Our stay at woodlands was terrific. The beds were very comfortable. The staff was amazing, very attentive. We felt very safe there. Our breakfast was so good. We ate a few times for supper. All food was very good. Improvements could be made in shower area. Walls were stained. Etc. All around, we will stay at woodlands next year. If you like peace and quiet in the middle of city. Woodlands is for you.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The Woodland is conveniently located very near the Wildlife Centre and the US Embassy. At night you can often hear the (soft) sounds of the animals at the Centre, pleasantly reminding you that you're in Africa. The staff is very friendly and will go out of their way to help. The rooms could use a bit of refreshing (TV, floor, lighting), but they come with a small fridge and a bottle of water. One comfort issue for me was that there is a very bright security light outside the back window with a flimsy curtain, so the room isn't much darker with the inside lights off than when they're on. With the cost of electricity, surely putting an inexpensive motion sensor on that light would pay for itself quickly. The breakfast is quite good, with almost a full English breakfast's worth of options cooked to order, as well as fresh-cut fruit. The internet works well, which is great after a few days in the weak-webbed Malawi countryside, although there is a $10 charge.

10/10 Excellent

Jello, US

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Owner is awesome and goes out of his way to insure you have everything you need.
Response from Dhiren on 20 Nov,2016
Dear Guest Thank you for staying with us during your recent visit to Malawi. We appreciate and thank you for your positive comments. We will continue to improve and upgrade all facilities and service With best wishes and regards Dhiren Thakrar Woodlands Lilonger

6/10 Okay

Tammy, Malawi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Woodlands Lodge, Lilongwe
Great location for purpose of visit. Good room size, individual chalets. Security light right outside window though - could do with thicker curtains or moving light. Good facilities for family - pool, playground, children's menu. Clean but lots of building work at tine of our stay. Would stay there again.
Thanks for your comments Tammy. We always welcome guest feedback as it gives us information on improving our facilities. We have noted your comments on the security lights. We are in the process of moving these and should be finished shortly. The building works will be finished shortly. We are building a new bar on the deck and this should provide an outdoor bar for those that enjoy the outdoors. We look forward to seeing you again when you are next in Malawi

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Business Trip
Expedia advertised at $87 but charged $100. Hotel said the Expedia price did not include Tax. Between the two I belive the full price should be quoted.
Response from Dhiren on 9 Apr,2016
Thanks for your comment. All Expedia bookings are pre paid and therefore we can not change what is advertised. Our walk in rates may at timed be higher due to promotion that Expedia may be running.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
Safari style accommodation
A decent place to stay. Nothing out of the ordinary, but clean and well situated.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Did not match description on website
Our room was 'dark' and definitely needed a fresh coat of bright paint, a good cleanup of the bathroom/shower tiles and better room lighting. The two bedside lamps were small and inadequate for reading in bed. Upon arrival, we had to purchase Wifi, but no one explained that it only worked in the restaurant area - not in your room. The walk from the chalet to the restaurant/main office was a few minutes over uneven surfaces. Not easily traveled after dark ( about 6 pm). One of the main reasons for choosing this hotel was the description of the grounds and the apparent opportunity to walk some trails. Not so, the road around the complex was very short and no other trails were apparent. As in most Malawi hotels, the staff are so polite and kind. Everyone did their very best to help in any way possible. The breakfasts were more than adequate. Though we were usually the only guests for breakfast, the food ( eggs, potatoes, toast) were served cold unless we specifically asked for hot food. We had one dinner at the hotel and the food was good and hot, but took a long time to prepare and serve. We were so disappointed in the room that we would have left the next day if we hadn't prepaid for the room. We also learned that we had not saved very much by pre paying. This facility has much potential but a significant investment is needed to upgrade the rooms.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Mary, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A bushland settling in Lilongwe
Woodlands (formerly Sanctuary Lodge) offers a bushland setting which is very relaxing. The chalets, pool and dining area are very good and staff are helpful. The wild life sanctuary next door is definitely worth a visit. Good to wake up to lions roaring; you forget you are in Malawi's capital city!

8/10 Good

Donatella, Rome

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location
The lodge is located in a very pleasant area. It is clean and confortable, though the amenities are quite basic. The staff is friendly and willing. The breakfast could be improved.

6/10 Okay

Wivie

Business traveller
Liked: Room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022
Response from dhiren on 3 Oct,2022
thank you for your review. We are soon refurbishing our facilities. everything was placed on hold due to the uncertainty of COVID

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Veel ruimte en rust, gunstig gelegen tussen centrum en vliegveld. Wel forse prijs voor relatief bescheiden ontbijt. Opvallend: eenpersoons klamboe, onmogelijk strak gespannen over een double bed.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Dhiren on 9 Oct,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands during your recent visit to Lilongwe. Your review is very important to us as this the only way we can improve. We have taken note of your concerns and we will work with our team to improve in areas you have raised concern. Once again, thank you

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room and facilities are good. Breakfast was so-so. I was staying in a cottage room which was surrounded by woods. In the hotel premises, I found many baboons... In the next morning, a farmers' market was held which was nice to visit.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Dhiren on 14 Jul,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands during your recent visit to Malawi. We have taken your concerns on board and will ensure we work to improve our breakfast. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Heerlijke plek met goede bereikbaarheid naar rest stad
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Dhiren on 10 Jan,2019
Dear Guest Thank you for choosing The Woodlands Lilongwe during your recent visit to Malawi and for your positive review. We are working even harder to improve our standards and facilities and ook forward to wlecoming you again in the future

8/10 Good

Volker

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mitten im Grünen - und mitten in der Stadt
Woodlands Lilongwe ist ein seltener Fund in Lilongwe. Die meisten Unterkünfte in dieser Preisklasse sind entweder drittklassige Betonhotels oder B&Bs, erstere sind nicht vergleichbar in Komfort und Umgebung, und letztere haben oft kleine Zimmer und kleine Grundstücke. Woodlands hat ein großes Naturgelände wo man auch mal Gazellen und Perlhühner sehen kann, und die großzügigen Räume sind freistehend in einem Wäldchen. Und das in Laufentfernung von vielen UN Büros und Botschaften