Accommodation Africa Namibia

Bucket List Stay at Zannier Sonop Namibia: Luxury Hotel Review

Drone shot of luxury safari tents amongst boulders at Zannier Sonop Namibia
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Wondering whether a stay at this bucket list Namibia hotel is worth it?

Read on for my thorough Zannier Sonop review breaking down everything you can expect from a stay here.

Zannier Sonop is an adventure to get to, and usually the best places are. We drove bumpy gravel roads for many hours and many miles, watching the landscape transform from flatter desert vistas to peaks and valleys, before arriving at this gem. The effort it takes to get here, combined with its locale in a remote section of southern Namibia only adds to the allure in my opinion.

Zannier Sonop is one of the most unique hotels in the world and it requires a specific kind of land to bring such a place to life.

The hotel is situated on 13,800 private acres of remote Namibian wilderness and each structure is built atop an outcropping of granite boulders.

Even more astounding is that keeping with Zannier Hotels’ sustainable mission, no heavy machinery was utilized in the construction of the hotel so as not to disturb the landscape.

Sonop is the kind of hotel you go to to get away, and I mean really get away. While there is wifi, this would be the ultimate destination for a digital detox or total life recalibration, or for a family and friends trip where you want to be fully present.

It’s a place for doing less, being still, and simply appreciating the majesty of mother Earth that surrounds you here—a full 360 degrees of it!

My partner and I spent three days here with our jaws perpetually dropped on the floor. If truly immersing yourself in some of the most surreal landscapes in Namibia is on your bucket list then there’s no better place at which to do that then Zannier Sonop.

Zannier Hotels Sonop Review

Why You’ll Love Zannier Sonop

  • This is the ultimate “wow-worthy” hotel. The epic panoramic views and uniqueness of the boulder dotted property lend to beautiful photos—and of course it’s very “Instagrammable.”
  • Sonop is an invitation to reconnect back into nature, put the phone and laptop down and appreciate the beauty of what surrounds you.
  • The hotel’s commitment to sustainability is impressive and felt throughout your stay.
  • Stargazers will go bananas over the night sky here (the hotel takes many measures to optimize light pollution in the evenings).
  • Luxury tented suites here open up fully on one side to invite the landscape into your room.
  • There’s never more than 24 guests on property at a time, creating a super intimate feel.
Drone shot at sunrise of the Zannier Sonop luxury tents sprinkled amongst boulders

Property and Amenities

Once you pull up onto the property’s dirt road and drive past grazing oryx to the hotel’s main gate, you’ll be met by a greeter who escorts you for the rest of the journey to the hotel. This includes not only a drive, but a final golf cart ride along a wooden pathway that felt like hopping on a vintage rollercoaster.

Luckily, the scenery here feels like it’s out of a movie—and it’s a good distraction from the several moving parts it takes to finally land at reception at Zannier Sonop. The winding drive through massive granite boulders with not a soul in sight in the distance provokes a bit of an out-of-body experience. Am I really here right now?

Though we chose to self-drive all around Namibia, it’s worth noting that if the whole drive in sounds less than thrilling to you, they do have an airstrip for guests to arrive with convenience.

Once at the main lodge, the ambiance instantly welcomed us in with a luxury explorer’s spirit. Hanging pith helmets, vintage binoculars and antique trunks decorating the reception call to mind the 20th century age of exploration in Africa.

At the main lodge there’s a restaurant and dining room, an outdoor deck and also a cigar and cocktail lounge for guests to enjoy.

At the other end of the property past all the luxury canvas tents, there’s an infinity pool and bar adjacent to a wellness center with treatment rooms and a fitness area.

All of the buildings are connected by wooden walkways that have been built thoughtfully around the existing boulders, giving somewhat of a desert treehouse feel to the whole place. I loved watching the property’s plentiful oryx graze lazily throughout the day from literally any vantage point of the property.

What’s Included in Your Stay:

Zannier Sonop has two options for booking: Full Board or All Inclusive.

  • Full Board: Includes nightly room rate and breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  • All Inclusive: Full board plus all beverages (excluding premium spirits and champagne). This option also includes two non private nature drives and selected experiences.

Sustainability at Sonop

Overall, the setting at Sonop is otherworldly and it truly feels like you’re at the end of the Earth—or perhaps in some kind of James Bond film.

Once you’ve gotten over the shock and awe of the beauty here, you realize how much effort was put into creating the magic of Sonop in a way that was low impact and sustainably minded.

Sonop has many sustainable initiatives in place including being 100% powered by solar energy. They also strive to create minimal impact on the environment they inhabit, which meant building Sonop completely into the landscape as it was without moving a single boulder. Furthermore, the entire structure is built on stilts in order to prevent erosion.

Sonop also gets their water source from several wells around the property and they reclaim the used water after water treatment for feeding the animals.

Dining at Zannier Sonop

Dining at Sonop is definitely a highlight of the experience, with three extensive meals served per day up in the dining area that features sweeping desert views. I was most impressed by how healthy the menu was with lots of fresh meats and vegetables and plenty of options for those with unique dietary requirements. Many of the dishes were artfully plated which was an additional delight.

The hotel works with local farms and producers to source fish, meat and produce and utilizes seasonal, fresh and organic ingredients as much as possible (which is a true feat given their remote location).

Sonop can work with all kinds of dietary requirements if needed including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. I opted for some of the gluten-free bread just for fun and was shocked by how delicious it was.

Breakfast

Between 7 – 11 am, guests are served an a la carte style breakfast with an assortment of breakfast options. Our favorites were the ‘healthy breakfast’, that came with an assortment of items including eggs, smoked salmon, broccoli and avocado, as well as the omelette that was filled with delicious biltong (aka Africa’s version of jerky).

Lunch

Midday, the restaurant serves lunch fare which is a set menu of an assortment of light dishes with many different flavors to try. If you have dietary requirements, they can definitely accommodate those, but there were not as many options at lunch. Still, I never felt like I was unhappy with the selection of dishes—they were all super delicious and healthy.

Dinner

For dinner, the restaurant transforms into more of an elegant and romantic setting with formal tableware and candelabras. The dining room features a large communal table that guests can opt to sit at, but we found that the majority of guests preferred to sit privately in the adjoining dining area.

Dinner is a gastronomic multi-course meal where guests select their desired option for the main course and receive additional dishes including appetizers and dessert. The dishes are creatively plated and beautifully paired with a nice selection of wines and spirits.

The Rooms at Zannier Sonop

With only 10 total tented rooms at Sonop, it’s an intimate experience here overall and there’s a nice sense of privacy throughout your stay.

Guests have the option to book either a one-bedroom tent or two-bedroom tent, but for families looking to book two bedrooms, it’s worth nothing that children under the age of six aren’t allowed at the hotel.

Rooms at Zannier Sonop are decorated in an authentic 1920s British colonial style. You’ll find antique treasures like telescopes, beautiful wooden vanities and vintage maps that call to mind an older age of Africa travel. My favorite touch was the antique trunk with a hidden ice chest inside to keep beverages cool in your room.

Inside the tented suites, guests have a large four poster king bed, seating area, desk and private bathroom.

The best part about the luxury canvas tents utilized at Sonop is their ability to zip open completely on one side, inviting the dramatic Namibian desert into your tent with you. This option even extends to the bathroom, which made for the most epic sunset soak in the clawfoot tub.

In addition to the clawfoot tub with rain shower, bathrooms are equipped with with two sinks, a toilet, and vanity with seating.

Opening up all the canvas walls truly provides a dreamy ambiance to the rooms, however it’s worth noting that it can get windy in this part of the desert and we did battle some wind on our trip that made things like taking an open air ran shower less than practical.

Pool, Spa and Wellness

The spa and wellness center at Sonop are just as carefully curated as the rest of the property, but instead of the 20th century colonial vibe of the rooms and main lodge, the design here felt earthy and calming with authentic pottery and natural materials.

All the hues of the spa blend in perfectly with the rich warm tones of the surrounding desert landscape.

The whole time we were on property, the staff was raving to us about the sibling massage therapist team they have at Sonop and their sister property Omaanda, that’s closer to Windhoek. I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to experience this family’s famous skills at work and scheduled a deep tissue massage which was fabulous.

It put me into such a deep state of relaxation that was a bit hard to get out of for the rest of the day!

Pool bar and lounging area at Zannier Sonop with Moroccan style cushions

The real pièce de résistance of the Sonop property in my opinion is the epic infinity pool that overlooks the expanse of the Namibian wilderness. I don’t know that I’ve ever swam in such a remote location on Earth, and it’s a surreal experience sunbathing here as oryx casually graze in the grass beyond.

Zannier Sonop safari vehicle

Activities

I would suggest not overloading your stay here with activities. Sonop is an amazing place to slow down and just be present with the majesty of nature. However, there are plenty of things to do should you want to spice things up.

I’ve listed all the activities on offer below, but worth a special mention is the stargazing here. The hotel is located in the NamibRand Nature Reserve which is one of just 16 designated International Dark Sky Reserves in the world, making it an otherworldly locale for taking in the infinite number of stars.

Whether you make a point of it or not, you’ll undoubtedly notice how vibrant the stars are. The lodge has made every effort to minimize light pollution in the evenings and the manager told us that they’re working on improving this even further for guests.

Activities on Offer:

  • Open air cinema in the evenings including classic films (we watched Out of Africa)
  • Horseback riding
  • E-biking
  • Sundowner scenic drive to beautiful sunset spot
  • Epic stargazing
  • Private dune breakfast
  • Private dune dinner
  • Yoga classes
  • Hot air balloon safari
  • Sossusvlei tour
  • Helicopter tours

Sundowner Scenic Drive

During our time at Sonop, we opted for the sundowner drive which was a magical way to take in the surrounding landscapes. First, we were taken to some boulders off property and shown where remnants of tools from tribes were found there as evidence of a home built into the rocky caves.

Our guide then led us to a magical overlook where we could see endless miles of desert mountains. Finally, just before the sun started to lower in the sky we settled at our final sundowner spot with whiskey, wine and light bites. It was such a romantic way to enjoy the sunset—and was further elevated when we caught a spotted hyena in our view along the drive back!

Just a heads up—Sonop is not a safari lodge. For that, you’ll want to stay at their sister property Zannier Omaanda. The focus at Sonop is less on wildlife and more on the dramatic panoramic views. With that said, there are many oryx on the property that you’ll naturally see during your stay.

Helpful Notes for Your Stay

  • For a well-rounded trip to Namibia I’d recommend pairing a stay at Sonop with their sister property Zannier Omaanda, which is closer to Windhoek and more focused on experiencing the wildlife in the country.
  • Sonop is not kid-friendly for those under 6 years old, and with the many wooden paths and lots of stairs, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who is disabled or struggling with an injury (although I know they are currently looking into solutions to make the hotel more accessible).
  • The hotel is at 4900 feet elevation, so prep beforehand if elevation easily affects you.
  • For those that want to avoid the drive to get here, Sonop has its own airstrip for daily transfers to its sister lodge Zannier Omaanda as well as to Windhoek airport.
  • If stairs are not your thing, I’d call ahead and ask to get a room that’s closest to the dining area, however you’ll still have to trek down a bunch of steps to enjoy the pool and spa.

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