This is a destination! After our Fossil Rim Adventure Tour, we stayed overnight at the Lodge in the Parrot Room. The Lodge was the original house for the property when it was privately owned. It was built several decades ago and looks a bit dated, but it is clean and well-maintained. There are only five rooms so it will never seem crowded. When we arrived, we were the only guests, so we were able to snoop around and see the other rooms. As a result, I highly recommend the Parrot Room for the best combination of features. Although the room's private patio faces nothing in particular, it has the advantage of being right next to one end of the driveway which enabled us to unload and load our stuff mere steps from our room. With all the other rooms you have to carry your luggage down to the first-floor entry way and then down another flight of stairs to the parking area. Also, it had the only sunken bathing area, all the rest were standard bath/shower combinations. The bathing area is also a multi-person Jacuzzi. It takes a lot of water to fill and we were too exhausted at the end of the day to try it our fully. But still, it’s pretty cool.

Breakfast is included but it is located a couple minutes away at the Safari Foothills Camp. Seriously, it is the most amazing way to start the day - food cooked for you, sitting inside or outside a glass-enclosed bungalow, watching wildlife roam around a watering hole. Amazing! The food is nothing fancy, but it’s hearty and all-you-can-eat.

One note that may be important, we never received a key to our room even though there was a lock. I don't know if it is because we were the only guests, but make sure to ask the staff in advance if that is important to you. There is usually someone in the office off the foyer as well. Also, you have to make the lodging reservations separately from the tour reservations. If you want to pay for everything on one bill, arrange it with the Lodge. I wasn't clear about what I was doing and ended up being charged twice for the tour.

I am excited to return and highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys watching the sunset as Wildebeasts and Oryx stroll past.