The Palace of the Lost City

Sun City, South Africa

Virgin rating

Twin Room
Twin Room
Twin Room
Plume Restaurant
Super Room Pool Facing
Super Room Pool Facing
Super Room Pool Facing
The Grill
The Crystal Court at Palace of the Lost City
Tusk Bar
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Twin Room
Twin Room
Twin Room
Plume Restaurant
Super Room Pool Facing
Super Room Pool Facing
Super Room Pool Facing
The Grill
The Crystal Court at Palace of the Lost City
Tusk Bar
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Junior Suite

The hotel

One of South Africa’s most sumptuous hotels, The Palace, a member of Sun International’s Sunlux Collection, was based on the idea of a lost African Palace. The Lost City surrounds the Palace - a world of jungles, streams, waterfalls and swimming pools. Each of the luxuriously appointed rooms are fitted with individually crafted furniture. Valley of Waves, one of the most advanced water parks in the world, stands as a central feature of the hotel and will provide endless fun for water lovers. There are also two golf courses designed by acclaimed designer Gary Player that will provide added enjoyment for lovers of the sport.

Amenities

  • Golf
  • Tennis
  • Kids Club
  • Wheelchair access
  • Bar
  • Internet Access
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box

Where is it

Next to Pilanesberg National Park for 'Big Five' safari game-driving in a malaria-free zone. Transfer time from Johannesburg Airport: approximately 2 hours.

Hotel information

335 rooms, including suites, in 4 wings with lifts. Each room and suite offers royal hospitality with wonderful views over water or jungle and all benefit from a personal touch. All with air-conditioning, TV, mini-bar*, butler station on request, safe and hairdryer. Luxury Rooms have mountain views and twin beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Superior Luxury Rooms are more spacious with views of the gardens or swimming pool and have 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Superior Luxury Family Rooms are ideal for families with 1 king-size bed and a sofa bed in the lounge area sleeping maximum 2 adults and 2 children.

Superior Luxury Pool Facing Rooms have the same facilities as above but with a pool view, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Junior Suites are very spacious with a separate relaxing lounge area complete with sofa bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Superior Suites are located on the ground floor overlooking the pool or on the upper floor overlooking the Lost City Golf Course with 1 king-size bed and an open-plan lounge and dining area, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

2 restaurants; Crystal Court (International buffet for breakfast and dinner), The Grill Room (signature steakhouse, dinner). 2 bars: The Palace Pool Deck (snacks and wood-fired pizzas) and Tusk Bar and Lounge (safari-themed cocktail bar and lounge). High tea*.

Whilst there isn't any evening entertainment at the hotel you can hop on a shuttle to the Sun City resort where you can visit the casino or nightclub.

Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool. Royal Spa*. Valley of Waves water park (​there is a flat charge rate of R50.00 non-refundable for Valley of Waves towels to all hotel guests and day visitors). The Lost City Golf Course*, designed by Gary Player. Water sports*. Tennis. Segway, Zip Slide and many more activities. Both morning and sunset game-drives* available in the neighbouring malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park. 'Kamp Kwena' kids' club*. Shops.

 24-hour room service*. Complimentary WiFi.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

3 nights between 24 Dec-2 Jan.

 * Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1701)
  • Very good (573)
  • Average (289)
  • Poor (154)
  • Terrible (154)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating HUGE Disappointment

Jul 11, 2024 Sheryl_Barclay Johannesburg, South Africa

I have just come back from a 3 night stay at the palace with my family of 10 people. I had booked 4 Family rooms for our stay the begining of the year. One would think if there was something wrong with the booking system that someone would have contacted me between then and my check in date. NO... Upon arrival I was told that I need to pay in… Read more
I have just come back from a 3 night stay at the palace with my family of 10 people. I had booked 4 Family rooms for our stay the begining of the year. One would think if there was something wrong with the booking system that someone would have contacted me between then and my check in date. NO... Upon arrival I was told that I need to pay in extra money plus the monies that was outstanding after my deposits. This was not acceptable especailly for an error on their side. Once we were taken to our rooms which were clean and a good size, it was time to shower and get ourselves refreshed for the evenings dinner. NO HOT WATER...We were told that we must run the taps for 30min before our shower or bath so the water can come through. I am sorry but this was ridiculous, a waste of water and a waste of our time frankly. We were not given other rooms. My father in his 70's never bathed or showered for 4 days! Others in the party braved the cold luke warm water. My children ages 3 and 5 had a bath with kettle water. Excuse me but where are we staying again?? The Palace...are you sure? Where room service trays stayed outside a room I walked past for 3 days before being collected. Also where one of the ladies cleaning the room asked us straight out where is my tip as I have a day off tomorrow and won't see you before I leave. Excuse me but where are we staying again?? The Lost City...are you sure? The Grill Room well that is another story. Fine dinning with two waitresses serving the whole restuarant and waiting 45 minutes for our meal. The food was good but the service was terrible. Not the waitresses fault. Managements fault. Breakfast was a beautiful spread of food but most people were not at their stations serving the food. On more than one occassion I had to a waiter/waitress who is frying the eggs. No one cleared our plates at breakfast and we had to stand up and put them on the next table to make space. Is this the service you expect from The Palace? NO. Cappuccino's were ordered every morning for myself and my husband to have with our breakfast that was only delivered to us once we had finished our food on all three occassions. A 20minute wait for coffee or tea at breakfast. Appaulling. Excuse me but where are we staying again?? A five star hotel...are you sure? I have travelled the world and stayed in many 5 star hotels. This I am affraid is not one, no where even close! It is a pity as I have staying many times at The Palace of The Lost City but unfortunately I won't recommend it at all. I am proudly South African and I thought taking my Australian guests to one of South Africa's best has turned out to be an embarressment and a five star joke. I trully hope that they can get this hotel back to its 5 star glory it once was but, for now I will be spending my money elsewhere in Sun City. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beautiful Hotel Let Down By IT Department

Jun 10, 2024 EddieOnTour Waterford, Ireland

Stunning hotel. In general staff were excellent. Rooms were very spacious bathrooms well appointed. Had to run hot water for 5mins before we got hot water in the mornings and late evenings. Breakfast was very very good and in a stunning restaurant/setting. Service throughout was also very good. What totally ruined our stay was the IT… Read more
Stunning hotel. In general staff were excellent. Rooms were very spacious bathrooms well appointed. Had to run hot water for 5mins before we got hot water in the mornings and late evenings. Breakfast was very very good and in a stunning restaurant/setting. Service throughout was also very good. What totally ruined our stay was the IT department. We have a TV box which we have taken everywhere in the world, and it gives us access to our local TV. It initially worked via a VPN then after 1-1/2hrs it was blocked. I removed the VPN and continued watching TV then after an hour that was blocked. I checked my phone, and it was also blocked. Called reception and they advised they would advise the IT Department. 3hrs later someone from the IT Dept. arrived at our room. He advised that they had done a reset and the system worked again. Unfortunately this was only for 1-1/2hrs and then all our devices were blocked again. I called Reception and they advised that they would let IT Department know. Three hours later I called Reception and asked if anyone was going to come and sort out our internet issue. I was told that there are many guests in the hotel and IT Department would deal with our issue when they had time. I said this is supposed to be a 5-star hotel surely, they could offer a better service than that and was told you'll just have to wait. We never had internet again for the rest of the day. The following day I went down to reception and asked to speak with the manager. He was very sympathetic to our issues and said he would take care of it. I explained that I couldn't even use my phone for WhatsApp calls. The manager did take care of it however it only lasted 1-1/2hrs and then we were back to no internet on all our devices. Fortunately, I had a spare phone with Vodafone sim card, and I used that to hot-spot our main phones to get internet access. We never got hotel internet for the rest of our stay. Our experience at reception when asking for assistance to solve the internet problem was very disappointing and felt we were just brushed off and were an inconvenience. The manager did sort out the issue, but this was just temporary. There was no follow up to see if we had any further issues. Based on our experience we both agreed we wouldn't stay in this hotel again as it had the worst customer service of the nine 5-star hotels we stayed in. It also felt that the hotel and guests and front desk reported to the IT department. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Our Dream African Honeymoon 🇿🇦

May 31, 2024 BMadhas

Myself and my wife Emma have just returned home to England from our Honeymoon which we spent at The Palace Of The Lost City in Sun City and WOW what an incredible place to spend it! Videos and pictures will never do this place justice, it is truly breathtaking in all of its glory. Driving up to the long road to the Palace leaves you in… Read more
Myself and my wife Emma have just returned home to England from our Honeymoon which we spent at The Palace Of The Lost City in Sun City and WOW what an incredible place to spend it! Videos and pictures will never do this place justice, it is truly breathtaking in all of its glory. Driving up to the long road to the Palace leaves you in anticipation and the feeling you get when you first get a glimpse of this Kingdom is so special. Outside is the famous Cheetah Hunt statue, the Cheetah hunting Impala and it is a sight to behold in all of its golden glory! Our Room was in the Elephant wing on the 5th Floor, a perfect view of the trees, mountains and the Palace Pool, occasionally the birds and even Monkeys would walk across our balcony! We were always greeted at the main door with a smile no matter how many times we entered or exited The Palace, special mention to Katlego who was so friendly and enthusiastic, always interested to see which Animals we spotted on the numerous Safaris we embarked on, he is a credit to The Palace. The world renowned Breakfast in Crystal Court lived up to the hype, a huge selection of dishes from Pastries, Exotic Fruits, Cheeses, Full English and even Crepes and Waffles made right in front of your very eyes! The Grill Room, The Palaces signature Steakhouse had a delicious variety of meats including exclusive options like Ostrich, Springbok and Kudu with a variety of sides including traditional African dishes like Pap to really enjoy a taste of South Africa. I had a very special request to have a romantic private dinner in The Palace Gazebo (big fans of the movie Blended) as a surprise for my wife and after speaking to Seipati (she was so helpful and friendly) at the Concearge desk she was more than happy to make this a reality! We were collected from the main reception by Itumeleng, one our private waiters for the night who led us towards the famous Elephant Statue Shawu and along the trail towards the Gazebo which had beautiful rose petals and candles leading up to the Gazebo (something the staff took the initiative on themselves) We had a lovely candlelit dinner for two, the waitress Lerato was so kind and chatty. They really pushed the boat and I can't thank them enough for the special moment the Palace provided for us! We embarked on numerous Safaris at Pilansberg National Park at different times of the day with extremely knowledgeable guides and we were even fortunate enough to see all of the Big 5, the Leopard spotted literally at the end of our final Safari which was an incredible experience. Shout out to Sammy at Mankwe Gametrackers who was so determined to find the Leopard for us! The Quad biking Safari was a unique experience which puts you in control of driving through the National Park amongst all of the animals. Our tour guide Mary was nice enough to let us get off the bikes to take pictures next to a Giraffe which happens to be Emma's favourite animal. There is so much to do in Sun city, you're spoilt for choice, whether Relaxation, Safaris, Dining, Shopping or beautiful walks surrounded by nature and wildlife, this is one place you'll be able to create memories for a lifetime. Thank you to all of the Staff who made our Honeymoon special, we can't wait to visit again. Bhavin and Emma. 10/10 Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Staying at The Palace @ Sun City is a little taste of heaven!

May 28, 2024 MiemieH London, United Kingdom

The service and luxury continues! The rooms are luscious, beautiful and spotless, the staff helpful, professional and friendly. Lovely turn down service with delicious nougat treats. Breakfast is divine and the variety exceptional. Fabulous piano artist such as Robert, playing beautifully during breakfast service, Grounds and maintenance superbly… Read more
The service and luxury continues! The rooms are luscious, beautiful and spotless, the staff helpful, professional and friendly. Lovely turn down service with delicious nougat treats. Breakfast is divine and the variety exceptional. Fabulous piano artist such as Robert, playing beautifully during breakfast service, Grounds and maintenance superbly done and the surroundings exceptionally beautiful, Winter or Summer. Excursions and activities exciting and fun, so much to do. Lovely variety of restaurants, Legends being a favourite of ours with live entertainment by the very talented Clinton Viljoen! A stunning new Spa at the Palace for divine treatments. We have had another extremely enjoyable stay at the Palace, thank you! We confidently and happily recommend Sun City and particularly the Palace for a luxurious, relaxing and adventurous stay! A must when visiting from abroad. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Excellent as always

May 12, 2024 steviej1983 Cape Town Central, South Africa

We just returned from another fabulous stay at the Palace to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Everything was incredible, amazing service and food. Our room was perfectly clean and so tranquil and we really appreciated all the extra attention from the Palace. As returning guests it was great interacting with Brandon at the Grill Room and morning… Read more
We just returned from another fabulous stay at the Palace to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Everything was incredible, amazing service and food. Our room was perfectly clean and so tranquil and we really appreciated all the extra attention from the Palace. As returning guests it was great interacting with Brandon at the Grill Room and morning breakfasts, with fast, friendly and warm service - a true asset to the team. We will be back later in the year to visit our beloved Palace. Read less