The Tarangire Wildlife Lodge is located in the middle of the Tarangire National Park, above a watering hole in the river. It's a palatial building, a luxury hotel in the wilderness. Unlike many of the lodges in the national park system, the lodge really lives up to the luxury hotel billing: the floors are polished stone; the decor of the public spaces is elaborate; there's a gift shop stocked with wooden carvings, fine jewelry, hats, photo books, and a few shelves of pricey toiletries; and in the large, elegant rooms, the mosquito nets drape around the double beds like shower curtains, leaving a giant insect-free box.
Unlike all the other lodges we stayed at, dinner at the Tarangire Wildlife Lodge was served at the table rather than at a buffet. There was a four-course menu, with several choices for every course but the soup, which, as I remember, was excellent. The lodge is run by an Indian company, and is clearly influenced by the Indian idea of luxury, which is to say that there's a great deal of emphasis on attention in the service and butter in the cooking. I'm in favor of both. Breakfast was on the buffet model. My favorite aspect was the omelet station.
The dining room, like all lodge dining rooms, has a stunning view; this one over the water of the Tarangire River. This is nice in principle, but we didn't get much benefit from it, as we were out in the park during most of the daylight. I suppose there must be a wonderful view on full moon nights, though. There’s also the usual bar with the usual array of drinks (not included).
Our accommodations (for six adults) were in two three-person suites. Each suite had a main room with two double beds, a mirrored dressing table, and huge French doors opening on a balcony looking out over the park. There was a gorgeous marble bathroom with a giant shower, and a smaller entry room with a hard single bed draped in a cone net. We would have preferred doubles, but we’d booked late and had to take what we could get; in this case, it was very comfortable, and almost as good as having private rooms.
At night, while we were at dinner, someone went to our room and sprayed for mosquitoes, and drew the nets around the beds. It’s the most practical turn-down service I’ve encountered.