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About
4.0
#1 of 7 hotels in Sun City
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Palace of the Lost City hotel in South Africa lavishes its guests with 5-star service. From the distinctive grandeur of the African Suite to the King Suite with its unforgettable maple paneling, delicately coloured ceilings and stunning views over the Lost City. Each room of this Sun City resort offers royal hospitality situated close to the Valley of the Waves and a short drive away from Johannesburg.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Park View
Quiet
Languages Spoken
Afrikaans
Location
Sun City, Moses Kotane Local Municipality 0316 South Africa
The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
2,874 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort is applauded for its opulent atmosphere and luxurious amenities, with many guests admiring the hotel's spacious and well-appointed rooms. Despite the praise for cleanliness and grandeur, some travelers have noted a decline in ambiance and experienced service-related issues such as delays and disorganization.
Additionally, critiques on value for money are not uncommon, with visitors pointing out high costs and maintenance problems, such as unheated pools.
Atmosphere
Luxurious
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Opulent
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Returning to the Palace this time was such a pleasure. The resort has done well to make guests feel at ease about all the COVID regulations and measures. We had to keep masks on in the reception areas and walking around the resort. Things are a little more chilled when you're eating or around the pool. Kudo's to the resort for this. The room was great. A pool facing room, apart from the suites, are one of the best value for money rooms. You get the incredible view from your balcony. What could be better. The presidential suite obviously.
My one gripe was the strength of the air-conditioning in the rooms. The temperature control dial was set to the lowest possible temperature but the room struggled to stay at a comfortable temperature. At one point, walking into the room we were met with a lot of humid air. It could be because of COVID that the resort is keeping their staff compliment to a minimum but the service around the pool area was rather poor. Waiters never came around or just never bothered to take your order when walking past. I'm still waiting for a pizza I had to walk to the bar to order.
All in all it was a good stay and will definitely go back.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Get a pool facing room as high as possible.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francois du toit, Guest Services / Front Office at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Dec 5, 2020
f1dude2015 thank your extensive review in COVID 19 times Your recognition of the measures we have taken to ensure everyone's wellbeing during these difficult times is appreciated. The pool facing rooms are popular due to the views it gives My apologies for the poor service received at the pool. Trust me when I say it will be our pleasure to be able to welcome you back to the hotel Kind regards
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Sun City has been our family vacation for years but this was my first stay at the Palace. It was as incredible as I had heard. Firstly, the architecture is something to marvel at, the high concrete pillars and the larger than statues creates such an elegant Nd grand atmosphere.
The room was large and comfortable as was the bathroom. My only issue is that the aircon wasn't great and the room did more lights but it was still great.
The staff were always helpful, warm and friendly.
But the most impressive aspect about the palace and Sun City as a whole, was their adherence to Covid protocols. All guests are required to wear masks in public spaces. The Covid ambassadors go up to guests and remind them to keep it on. The buffet breakfast was quite something. Everything was prepackaged and laid out for the guests. The hot breakfast was served to you. Your temperature was taken every time you stepped in and out of the hotel and ofcourse sanitizers were everywhere and I didnt see any staff without masks at all times. There were many other smaller things that were done but those were the most significant.
In these crazy times we live in, it wasn't easy to make the decision to go on a holiday but Sun City really ensured the safety of everyone which was a huge comfort.
It was a very pleasant stay, a true 5 star experience.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This was my first time staying at The Palace. My stay as a party of 6 being 3 couple's was great HOWEVER sadly there's a BUT in this review...... The ambiance of the surroundings says it all, beautifully appointed gardens, staff waiting to greet you as you step onto The Palace grounds. Reception staff wonderful very informative just what you expect at this level of hotel. The decor is magnificent very opulent. Our room was beautiful, clean and comfortable. The strange thing was that there was only 1 dressing gown, 1 drinking glass, tea cups that did not fit in the saucers in our room a little disappointed regarding this, I didn't get housekeeping to addressing this as I thought they would see to the problem after the first night when they set out the one dressing gown on the bed and had put the water and glass out on the bedside.The did not! As I am an attention to detail person I was very disappointed to see that housekeeping in the hallways to the rooms needs serious attention, this I blame the supervisors and management for for not being on top of their game. Friday afternoon we arrived to see a black wire coat hanger lying out in the passageway by our room, floor mop string on the floor ,bits of paper on the carpets when we left Sunday morning this was still like this. Friday evening when we went to dinner at The Grill Room a disaster of note which I will do as a separate review,there was a trolley from someone who had room service this was there until Saturday afternoon when I saw a house keeping supervisor and told her about the trolley which BTW was next to the black hanger she had the trolley removed but all the other things we noted was left. The Lifts well let's just say ultra slow,great having a sanitisor in the lift but the carpets are getting damaged from the dripping of the sanitisor liquid, why is there no steel tray to collect the drip. Sadly The Palace does look tired, it looks like this Grand Dame is needing a little attention. This is a tourist destination and I believe that management needs to remember this and honour their guests in the way they deserve especially at the cost of each room. Dont let this beautiful hotel become a relic because of attention to detail lacking The added bonus would also be great if the pools are heated in winter.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francois du toit, Guest Services / Front Office at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Jun 25, 2022
Dear theviponds Thank you so much for you extensive feedback of your stay with us I am sorry to see that you did not fully enjoy your stay with us. Please be assured that we have taken your feedback to heart. We hope to see you again on the resort soon Kind regards
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The check in experience and room were/are good. However we have been so disappointed with everything else. We had to phone 5 times for the plug in our bathroom basin to be fixed (five hours later). We had a very negative experience when we went for dinner in the restaurant. There were countless empty tables and we were told it was fully booked and we should have reserved. (We are guests of a so-called 5 star hotel.) After pleading, we were offhandedly told to choose a table. It was impossible to get a glass of champagne, the service was extremely slow and the hamburger my husband ordered was thick, leathery and tasteless. The music at the pool is played so loud it distorts and is not music we would ever choose to listen to. The breakfast, in this time of Covid, was appalling. A long queue up the stairs and then crowds of people with no social distancing at the buffet. By the time we sat at our table outside the breakfast was ice-cold. We eventually met the manager to give feedback on our disappointment in our long awaited and expensive time at the Palace. The first thing he did was to aggressively tell me to put my mask on which I had moved to my chin briefly to fan the sweat off my face. He was far more concerned about that than the crowded, dangerous Covid protocol at the breakfast. Eventually he stopped interrupting us and listened to our concerns. He told us we could have two dinners on the house and some champagne was delivered to our room which showed some customer care which we appreciated. The next morning we ordered room service breakfast. The eggs were leathery and the sausages hard. But the worst was to discover food in the fork. See pic attached. We appreciate that some effort has been made, but unfortunately the whole experience has felt overpriced and unpleasant. Just nowhere near the 5 star experience that we were so anticipating and that The Palace promises.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Palace looks ‘tired’. Tiles are cracked, bathroom taps have been over shined and lacks lustres. Water features and ponds need a serious detoxing and cleanup. The beds are uncomfortable and creaks at every turn. I actually enjoyed a better sleep on the fold-up bed than the main king size bed. Carpets look washed out and carpet rods are missing. This poses a serious tripping hazard for older people and kids. But the defining moment of my holiday was my Birthday Dinner at The Grill, the atmosphere and air was filled with cigarette smoke and being asthmatic, I couldn’t breathe. The waitress was arrogant and rude and this just spoiled my evening. To give credit where it’s due, the Manager did try to assist by getting us a table inside but by then I just wanted to leave. The hotel has a stunning old demeanour and feel about it but it’s beauty and opulence is deeply marred by old age and neglect. Definitely lost a few stars along the years. The staff though, are polite and 5 star quality.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have stayed a number of times at the Palace and every stay has been memorable. We had another great stay here, the location, the hotel itself are all fantastic and we throughly recommend it but there are cracks appearing (literally). The maintenance is sadly lacking, our room as an example, the shower head was blocked, the bathrooms were not cleaned very well, the basin stand was moved and it just lacked the attention to detail that we were used to. There is evidence of poor maintenance everywhere, in the ceiling of the Crystal court deck, the stair rails on the grand sweeping staircase are two examples. The rubbish in the beautiful lake around the hotel and the lack of maintenance in the gardens all around were very sad to see. The staff were generally attentive, although service was slow with many standing around chatting (at the Tusk Bar) while we waited to be served, and very slow service for coffees etc at breakfast. We had a great time, these are worrying things that show that there are bigger issues at play here. Sun International has led the hotel industry for its attention to detail, great service and well maintained facilities. Sadly we are seeing a different Sun International that fires a warning shot across the bows for what this resort may look like in 5 years time. We will still go to Sun City, we love it there, but we don’t love the slow, spiralling decline of maintenance and service that seems to worsen each time we go there.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mixed feelings about this hotel. It’s has some grand architecture, but it’s getting tired, rooms are too dark. Crystal room has great atmosphere to enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast. We enjoyed the valley of waves, but the beach area is filled with crushed stones which are sharp. Do bring a good pair of sandals. Tip on pool towels on check-out day - bring cash / credit card ! They insist on deposit payment for the towels (previous days deposit was first charged to the room, then reversed when towel return).
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francoisd1540, Guest Relations Manager at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Feb 4, 2020
Dear Anteater222222 Your review of your stay is appreciated. The good news is that we will be commencing with a room refurbishment program later this year. I am glad to see you enjoyed our extensive breakfast buffet Kind regards
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We had the most amazing honeymoon here that anyone could wish for! First of my husband had arranged with Josiah, the GM for a room upgrade as a favour since we would be staying for 7 nights on our honeymoon. He confirmed that this was done and said we would not be disappointed... and we weren't! The room was spectacular and I have to specifically commend the housekeeping team for the way they made us feel welcome every time we entered the room. Nothing was too much trouble and the special touches like the Lindt chocolates and gowns laid out at night was really thoughtful and appreciated.
The breakfast was amazing! We could not believe the variety on offer and the serving staff were always ready with a smile. Robert, the pianist at breakfast really set the ambience and made it an extremely enjoyable part of our stay. Special thanks also has to go to Francois, the guest relations manager who gave us excellent advice on what to do, which restaurants to try (such as the Saturday night dinner at Legends - what an amazing atmosphere that was!) and was always ready with a smile and to make sure we were happy and enjoying our stay. He is a definite asset to The Palace staff. We also have to commend Jafta, the butler assigned to us. He really went out of his way to assist us, even giving us his cell number so we can contact him directly in case we needed him, such as when requiring lifts between the various sections of Sun City.
All in all this was the most amazing experience and if you had ever wondered what it feels like to be treated like royalty, I can recommend The Palace without a doubt.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francois du toit, Guest Services / Front Office at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Oct 31, 2021
Dear Ruche_sieber Thank you so much for your wonderful review I am glad we able to create a honeymoon to remember!!! Trust me , when I say it will be our pleasure to welcome you back to The Palace!!!! (Hopefully on your anniversary, if not earlier) Kind regards
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We visited the Palace of the Lost City in November 2022 for a five day, four night midweek break, and were extremely disappointed.
Compared to our previous visits, the hotel and service have gone down significantly.
The bathroom basin drain was clogged, and we had to repeatedly request maintenance to fix this, with the hotel simply ignoring our request after the second half-hearted and ineffectual "fix". The clogged drain (or something else too?) meant that the toilet area had a generally bad smell for our entire visit.
We asked about spa and gym facilities, only to be told that these would not be available the whole week that we were there. We would have to go to the other hotel, which was too much of a "mission" for us, for what is supposed to be a relaxing spa visit. We had understood that onsite spa and gym facilities would be a standard minimum for a five star hotel. If we had been warned of this, we would certainly not have booked this hotel.
The cleaning staff only cleaned (one of our two) rooms once, while we were out. On the other days, they would arrive very late in the day, when we were relaxing in our rooms, with a half-hearted request as to whether or not we required service. It definitely felt like a reluctance to do their jobs. We were out of our rooms for many hours every day, and there was plenty of opportunity for the staff to do simple things like empty the bins unobtrusively, which we consider a basic standard at a five star hotel.
While not within the hotel management's control, we had bad weather every single day of our five day visit, so that it felt like "Sun City" was very ironically named. This aggravated our disappointment at the lack of spa facilities. There is no heated pool, or other water facilities for cold days.
On two of the mornings at breakfast, the waiter/waitress service (for coffee, tea and toast) was extremely lax. While the breakfast spread is large, the range is not particularly impressive for vegetarians. The fruit juice section and omelette section ran out of certain ingredients on some of the days, reducing our options further.
This trip was meant to be a special, memorable celebration of the end of our son's matric exams. While it was memorable, this was not for good reasons.
To make matters worse, the hotel sent a standardised email requesting feedback, to which we responded regarding various issues, only to hear deafening silence in response.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francois du toit, Guest Services / Front Office at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Nov 24, 2022
Dear Compass324730 Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us, all feed back received from our guests, whether positive or negative is appreciated. I am truly sorry to read that you did not enjoy your stay with us. Our new spa,salon and gym have since opened. Your feedback I want to assure you that we view your review in the serious light that it deserves, and that it has already been shared with the team We shall endeavor to improve in the areas that you have brought to our attention It is my sincere hope that we shall see you soon again on the resort Kind regards
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We recently stayed at the Palace as treat for the Family. We were all excited as there is so much hype about staying at the Palace that we did have some expectations and unfortunately they weren't met. Don't get me wrong not everything about the Palace was awful but there are a few things that need attention. Firstly the hotel was busy and only one lift was working for the entire hotel. I have kids in strollers which meant I had to wait until the lift was free for my turn to go up to our room. Sometimes leaving me to wait for 20 minutes and longer. Speaking to some of the room service staff that it was a big problem. Secondly we had to queue for breakfast. Standing on the staircase for over half an hour every morning staring at everyone while having their breakfast is not my idea of 5 star. Thirdly when it was time to check out, all these lovely cars getting driven up for people to go home. Which was a bit embarrassing as we had all been waiting (some of us sitting on our cases) for a while with our luggage outside. For me 5 star is when everything is effortless for the guest. There should be no waiting or standing around or feeling uncomfortable at any point. Things should flow. You should be able to walk to breakfast and immediately be shown your table, walk outside with your luggage and your car should already be pulling up outside. This is an epic fail on the Palace part. It has nothing to do with the staff. If has to do with how things flow and at the Palace nothing flowed. The family room that we had book was big a spacious, clean and up to par with say a 4 star. The staff in general were friendly and efficient. I can't fault them on that at all. It is just that some systems that are in place just don't seem to be working. For me I would put it down to an experience and that all hype is not worth paying the full price for. In saying that we would rather choose to stay somewhere else when visiting Sun City.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from francois du toit, Guest Services / Front Office at The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort
Responded Jun 25, 2022
Dear Sheryl_Barclay Thank you for reviewing your stay with us All feedback received from our guests, whether positive or negative , is not only appreciated , but also shared with the team. We have taken your feedback to heart, and shall be working on the points that you have brought to our attention Kind regards
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There are more places to choose from in the Sun City area.
PRICE RANGE
C$440 - C$491 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the palace of the lost city hotel sun city, the palace of lost city
LOCATION
South AfricaNorth-West ProvinceMoses Kotane Local MunicipalitySun City
NUMBER OF ROOMS
335
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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