The Palace of the Lost City

South Africa , Sun City- Madikwe
NORTH WEST PROVINCE, Sun City Resort, Rustenburg
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Caroline

Wow everything from the hotel, facilities and staff are fabulous- first visited in 1998, will not leave it that long to return next time - 100% recommend this hotel

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Denise

Staff were amazing across the board, service was excellent as usual. What a beautiful place !!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2026

Sibusiso

Excellent service

Room was always spotless

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2025

Hassan

Complex was lovely, rooms were slightly smaller than expected for a family room, it was too busy to upgrade, electric didnt work first night and there was a leak in our room, no compensation was provided. The hotel overall is amazing but not the attention to detail and client focus you would expect.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Nov 2025

Michelle

Room and resort was fantastic. Service as the valley of the waves was lacking. We were completely ignored at the Wimpy there. That was a bit of a disappointment as the rest of the visit was excellent.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2025

Aaron

All of the above

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Oct 2025

Lester

Superb, elegant, family centric hotel.. my little kids loved it!

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

23 Sep 2025

Sian

We came yo the palace at the end of our holiday around South Africa. This is a huge property and it has alot for families to do and enjoy. The problem is to figure out how to get to things and book activities you need an app. This app is not available for the Australian Apple and Google stores so we couldn’t download it and there is just an expectation that that’s what you will do, so there is no information available anywhere in your room, the foyer, internal tv system for you to learn as a guest. It took us a couple of days to figure this out. The food at the palace - breakfast, pool side and weekend buffets is very good but expensive by South African standards. Also if you have a child under 9 you can’t eat at any of the restaurants in the Palace - which is a bit rude noting it’s a family hotel. You have to catch a bus (which is free and regular) to the shopping centre and eat in a food court or go to another one of the hotels. I object to doing that when I am paying over $400 a night! The options in the food court aren’t healthy and we got food poisoning at the Greek restaurant- which has no Greek food on the menu besides a Greek salad which isn’t a Greek salad. That was honestly one of the worst meals I have ever had.
Also be aware that you share all the facilities like valley of the waves etc with all the other hotels and time shares on the property and day visitors to the property.
It has a lot of potential but needs a major revamp as rooms etc are tired.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2025

rory

Amazing stay, staff were incredible space and venue's stunning. Stay again when back SA.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2025

brendon

Great place and people

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2025

Hugh

A truly special place. So beautifully decorated and designed. The room was truly lovely and the views amazing. Incredible Buffett for breakfast. Wonderful staff

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2025

Terri

The property was beautiful and breakfast was amazing. The front desk staff was so helpful and went above and beyond. If you are in any kind of hurry dining not the place to be. We ordered hot chocolate even from room service. After an hour still never received.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2025

Sharon

2 nights at the Palace

Had a brilliant stay at the Palace. The breakfast was excellent so much choice and Robert playing the piano was lovely, he is so talented and friendly, he played a few notes of my husbands favourite song when requested. Service was top notch. Would stay longer next time.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2025

Eman

Very friendly
Clean
Safety
Location

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2025

Stephanie

This resort really had it all! It’s beautiful and spacious. The staff are very friendly. There are so many options for dining all day long as well as activities and relaxation. We visited during winter which is off peak season. I expect if you go during the high tourist season it will be so busy

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2025

Florentino

My family and I stayed at this resort last week and we were absolutely blown away by the experience. From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly helpful and genuinely friendly, always greeting us with a smile and going out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and well taken care of.

The property itself was breathtaking, beautifully maintained grounds, stunning views, and peaceful surroundings that made it easy to relax and unwind. Whether taking a walk trough its trails or enjoying the sunset, every corner of the resort felt like a slice of paradise.

I truly can’t say enough good things about this place. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable and serene getaway!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2025

carlos

Beautiful clean and comfortable

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2025

Trevor

Great staff and accommodation. Little more quiet and remote from other hotels at sun city. Need to take shuttle to casino

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2025

Morgan

I loved everything about this place. We will definitely come back soon

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2025

Suzanne

This property is simply exceptional. The level of service is second to none. The staff are friendly and helpful and very welcoming. Fabulous rooms. Amazing amenities. Food was sublime.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2025

Reinette

Lovely resort as always you did not disappoint

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2025

Katrina

Pros: bed and pillows are comfortable; has free shuttle around sun city; luxurious and picturesque in every corner; you will receive 5 star treatment from all the staff. Valley of the waves are good for kids. Housekeeping are awesome! They cleaned a lot!

Cons: No free game drives; no airport transport from johannesberg; meals on buffet are repetitive

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

19 Mar 2025

Janesh Harish

Apart from service the place is beautiful

Amazing hotel due to the servicies available! Lots to do! The breakfast choice is amazing but the service is not friendly. The hotel room is spacious and has many amenities but again staff not friendly. Room service is slow. It's a general attitude of some of the hotel staff. The building, the good quality furniture and the amenities are excellent. Still the bad service brings it down. I have had better services for less of the money I paid here.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2025

Susan

Beautiful hotel and surroundings, a special place

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2025

Deon

Very special hotel and facilities with only the offhand staff letting it down.
Best breakfast choice I’ve ever had, beautiful spacious room, absolutely stunning architecture and grounds. Very safe feeling. The added bonus of the entertainment facilities of Sun City.
Overall very impressed with the hotel, food and facilities but offhand staff bring the rating down to Good

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2025

THIBAULT

Excellent holiday resort. Perfect breakfast. Great swimming pool area. Wonderful experience for children.

Rooms are a bit too dark (not enough lighting)
Gym is way too small

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2025

Sonia

Stayed at the Palace after watching the movie Blended. Did not disappoint!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2025

Andre

We had a phenomenal time, staff were super friendly, service was great! The extra steps they take to take your experience from great to amazing are at every turn. Just an overall great time.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2024

Jesus

Staff was amazing and everyone was nice

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2024

Heinrick

Fantastically beautiful place with tons to do.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2024

Jesus

Really good food and the staff was perfect. Thank you for all you did for us

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2024

Louis

The best hotel we've ever stayed in, this is our third time.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2024

Zukiswa

Excellent

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2024

David

An excellent hotel with nice rooms, grounds and food.

The only minor downsides were queues at reception and concierge and delays in getting tea and coffee served at breakfast

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2024

Basil

The hotel setting was spectacular, and the service was exceptional. Our room was exceptionally quiet. Just exploring the hotel grounds was a mini-adventure!

The only area for improvement was in a few of the meals (steak over-cooked, service occasionally slow at Tusk's bar).

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2024

paula

Hotel is nice but breakfast terrible

The hotel is nice enough with good surroundings and plenty to do. However the service in the breakfast room was severely lacking. Cold food, rude staff and no one seems to care at all. Very disappointing breakfasts.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2024

Laurence

This was our third trip to The Palace and it was just perfect. Our friends that came along were South African and they had low expectations until we arrived. Their mind was quickly changed after the first day.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2024

Andrew

5 star hotel with 3 star service.The hotel and the facilities were excellent however the service was very poor on a number of occasions. We also had some issues with the room that weren’t resolved despite raising them a number of times and service in the bars and restaurants was so slow and not very professional. Loved the palace itself and the food was very good but the service was a real let down.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2024

Dilyara

African Paradise

Our stay was very comfortable. We enjoyed excellent breakfast and beautiful environment.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2024

Roland

I had stayed in the Palace Hotel 8 years ago and it was fantastic. This trip was a little disappointing because the standards have dropped somewhat. The tents at the pool were torn, one had a missing roof, some fountains and waterfalls did not work. Tlsime ponds were green with algae and water stank in places. The jungle between the palace and valley of waves was messy. However people were very friendly and well trained, breakfast buffet must be one of the best in the world. The palace is a remarkable and unique building, just a pity that standards have slipped a bit. Having said that i would go back again in the future.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2024

Denise

Excellent

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2024

Irene

Phenomenal Palce

The Palace EXCEEDED all of my Expectations! This place is extraordinary...it is magical! The service provided by the manager, Francois, Gemolemo at the Front Desk, Seipati, Concierge, and Anna, Housekeeping was second to none! They all went above and beyond to make my stay truly magnificent! The Palace and my stay were Phenomenal!

Self

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2024

HERVE

Definitely NOT what to expect in a 5 Star hotel

A broken door mechanism should have been replaced - particularly in a room of this category.

No turn-down service.

Otherwise room is OK. The restaurant \"the grill\" was most disappointing, with two dishes not available and service either painstakingly slow or no service at all. The evening ended in a \"Spur\" manner with a little crowd deafeningly screaming \"happy birthday\" to some guests, in absolute oblivion of the tranquillity of the others.

Definitely NOT what you would expect in a 5 Star hotel.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2024

Karel

The Palace of the Lost City is a feast for the eye

My wife and I would like to praise several members of staff: Itumeleng from Room Service - what a nice and efficient man! Then Maddeleine, Betty, Josephine and Beauty from the Main Restaurant, where we had our 3 breakfasts and 1 dinner

The Palace is an incredibly beautiful place - we just admired the decorations (African annimals as statues at the front as well as inside, floor mosaics, the structure of the Palace you see on arrival and on the passage from the lobby to bedrooms

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2024

Steven

Great stay

Another very enjoyable stay here, as it always is. Would throughly recomend this hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2024

Alan James

My time at the palace was excellent very Friendly stàff nothing was too much trouble food was great it ŵàs wonderful

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 May 2024

Reinette

Splendid hotel with fabulous breakfast in huge park like gardens Huge swimming pool Stayed several times before

Only drawback is the naughty monkeys roaming around

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2024

Nazafarin

The most beautiful hotel I’ve ever been to

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2024

Kirstine

Amazing stay

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2024

Vuk

Sun City is nestled in an absolutely beautiful area and truly offers a luxurious escape. We stayed at The Palace which we were really looking forward to. The resort itself offers plenty to do and see, or just relax by the pool, at very affordable prices. The negatives is that our bedding and the linen used in the main restaurant had stains on them each of the days we were there. The Palace itself needs touching up as paint is peeling and umbrellas and such have holes in them. Lastly, the staff kept coming into our room multiple times throughout the day for reasons we couldn't quite figure out. Sometimes it was to clean our room, other times to ask if our room has been cleaned, and a few times a staff member walked in, saw us there and simply walked out. We would definitely visit again but there is definitely room for imporovement.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2024

Paul

The entire holiday was an unforgettable first class experience from arrival to checkout. We stayed for 9 nights as a family holiday.
Facilities and food were all excellent.
The steaks in the Grill Room were among the best we have ever had.
Staff could not do enough to help and were really friendly.
Would love to come back

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2024

Elsabe

Relax in comfort and style.

Excellent service and great food. All staff very friendly and informstive.Will definately call again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2024

Oren

Unbelievable hotel!! If I could give it 10 stars I would. Great customer service, the hotel is a real palace, amazing architecture and decorations. The place also Sun city is a must go with great activities for a couple with or without kids.
We did Quad, zip line, safari, pools, spa you name it!!!!
Love this place and will definitely come back!!!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2023

Manesh

Beautiful and will be back!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2023

Anita

The resort itself was mind blowing, character filled, it is the biggest and best breakfast we have ever eaten in the world in all our years of travel, the room was filled with South African decor and had everything you needed including a shower and bath and separate toilet, having access to the Valley of the Waves (water slides and wave pool and lazy river) included was an added bonus, having a courtesy bus also included to drop you off at various Sun city locations was amazing including being able to get access to a Spar Supermarket near the entrance to Sun city where we topped up on supplies for our room. The internet was super strong as well. We thoroughly recommend this hotel to anyone and everyone it is one of the best places we gave ever stayed at in the world.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2023

ryan

Highly recommend 5stars

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2023

Kelly-Ann

Excellent customer service, beautiful hotel and a fantastic stay. We will back!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2023

Mousin

The only issue is the food in the hotel is not HALLAL

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2023

George

Everything about this hotel was stunning . It is a large complex so maybe a little more info on how to get about and the map I had to ask for was not very good at all . Other then the lack of information on site the place was stunning

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2023

Huw

Simply Fabulous

The Palace was magnificent when we stayed there 25 years ago and it is still magnificent. The staff were fabulous and could not do more for you. The rooms were sumptuous and the food defies description it was so good. 100% brilliant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2023

Verified traveler

Amazing

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2023

Shane

It was suppose to be my wifes perfect birthday gift.
1. The aircon wasnt working
2. The hospitality wasnt up to standard
3. The lifts carpet was dirty
4. We had to wait outside for our dinner reservation
5. There was no eggs due to loadshedding.
i was dissapointed. going to email the hotel directly

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2023

Renaud

The hotel is located within the huge Sun City complex which has a ton of activities to keep adults and kids busy. The fact that the property is only a 5min drive from the Pilanesberg park makes the location exceptional and going on a safari a breeze. The hotel is perfect for families and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to have the flexibility of doing a mixture of safaris and daily activities. My only complaint is that we didn’t receive any VIP Access amenities during our stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2023

Craig

Great stat

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2023

Natalie

My son and I stayed at the Palace wished we had stayed longer. Staff and all amenities were brilliant. Set up for bedtime was really nice. Ease of getting around really good. You felt good staying there. We will be back next year

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2023

Jane

Amazing hotel. Only problem was the water in the shower where it was either boiling hot or freezing cold no in between. Other than that faultless. Amazing places to stay. So much detail.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2023

Blanca

The place it self is unique, we do like it a lot.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2023

Thoa

The hotel architecture is very unique which is located in a huge area surrounded by gardens and waterfalls. Breakfast is very good with many varieties. Staff is not attentive sometimes. The sound proof of rooms is not good enough when we could hear kids running screaming in corridor in early morning. It was a pleasant stay overall.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2023

Samantha

An experience everyone needs to have.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

20 May 2023

Nikrouz

Excellent property
Top of the line on every thing except:
No privacy in the shower for two men traveling together
Shower water extreme tempeture fluctuations
Steaming hot or ice cold

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2023

Robert

One of the best experiences of our family's life. It was super super wonderful. We woukd recommend this stay to everyone.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

20 Mar 2023

Renee Le

The resort in general was beautiful, the grounds were amazing and the story behind the whole resort is provocative. The 2 things that bothered us were
1) The service on the day that we arrived was outstanding but on the 2nd day we went for breakfast and the room (truly beautiful) was so jammed with people who came for breakfast that the wait staff had trouble keeping up. The room is made for about 200 people but there must have been almost 400. There was about a 30-minute wait in line.
2) That same day we were to have received a room cleaning sometime before lunch and the cleaning person didn't show up until 3:00 pm, then we were to receive a turndown service during our dinner and she never showed up. You have to realize that the resort is supposed to be a 5-star resort, as such, there are certain aspects of service that they are supposed to deliver. For this reason, we are lowering their rating to 4.5 stars.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Mar 2023

Ryan

This property really is the Palace of Africa and an amazing place to stay. Unfortunately aging room amenities lead to non-functional products. While plenty of staff around the palace the attention to detail and customer experience from a service stand point is not up to the level of 5 star and justifiable of the rates charges per night.

In short - incredible location and place to stay, service of a 3-4 star experience and therefore not worth the min $500 per night rates.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 Jan 2023

Ehud

Excellent hotel. Very special, but 24 hours without WIFI is too much. It was not easy to get dinner .

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2023

Verified traveler

Definitely the best hotel at Sun City. Just a shame about the bedding, with the lack of a fitted sheet.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Oct 2022

Emmanuel Patikai

A great place for the kids

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2022

Shandhika

Everything about the property was great except the pool which was way to cold to swim in.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2022

Margaret

Excellency was exceptional

Amazing staff with broad smile.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2022

daniel

We stayed in the elegant room for the two nights and we extended and asked to stay overlooking the pool. This room was so much better than the initial room we had… - ask to sleep in the rooms over looking the pool. It’s like two different hotels

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 May 2022

Bryan

African detail is impressive. Huge wow factor at the Palace. Staff mostly friendly & helpful except breakfast greeting staff who should be replaced!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2022

Catherine

Breakfast : No hygiene - too much food exposure and Hands picking by clients - day 2 & 3 : pastries not freshly backed/ unacceptable. ( tuesday and Wednesday).. freshly squeezed juice with No fresh vegetables…
Stairs leading down from the palace to the artificial beach completely neglected. Very poor garden maintenance.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

05 Jan 2022

Gerhard

Dear Francois,

My wife and I felt we needed to express our utter disappointment with the standard of service at the palace.

I chose the hotel for my Birthday celebration due to a good experience 6 years ago and I am shocked how the service has deteriorated compared to then, and in comparison to other 5 star hotels we recently stayed at.

Let me be specific.

On arrival:
The check-in lady wasn’t able to find either of my booking, both under my name, she could hardly walk and had to check various documents to eventually find both right in front of her. The delay in check in was the first sign…

We immediately went to concierge to reconfirm the numerous bookings we made prior to our trip.
They were not able to confirm everything and we had to come back next day to check again. They did write some notes and a dirty piece of paper. They asked my phone number but were not able to contact me on my USA number, the only number I have.

We asked to confirm dinner reservations for the evening and were told it’s fully booked.? We we asked to go to the casino and find a restaurant there. Surely as hotel
Guest we are entitled to have dinner at either restaurant in our hotel…

To get to the casino we had to wait 20 mins for a bus. It was terrible and the people working outside directing traffic is not doing a great job. There were 3 people talking to each other and when I asked to confirm which bus we need to take, they made me feel as if I was interrupting them and a nuisanc

Business_and_leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Oct 2021

denalda

This is a magnificent property that is showing the signs of age. It’s is still grand and beautiful but Carpets are worn.shower temperature is hard to regulate. We were upgraded to a suite which was great but the A/C was really only good in one room. But I did notice that Upgrades are starting. It is superbly clean and the staff are great but due to current COVID restrictions there were few dining options and the world famous breakfast buffet suffered from all the regulations.the hotel was not full and the great part of that was there was no one in the water park. We will come again in time when the upgrades are finished

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2021

The Palace of The Lost City

Magnificent to look at, great facilities and plenty of grandeur. The rooms could do with updating and some of the food is not great.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2021

The Palace of The Lost City

Spectacular to look at but some rooms are a bit dated now and the food is very average

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

10 Aug 2021

Adrian

Palace Of Lost City - Sun City

It was beautiful.
the only problem was a leaking toilet & the restaurant not accepting guests after 8Pm on Saturday & requiring a booking for Sunday (which we were not made aware of).

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Quiet and restful

Good restful stay, especially under covid conditions. Missed out on our complimentary bottle of wine but otherwise service was good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2021

Ashok

Excellent visit :)

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2021

Petro

Amazing treat for the whole family!

Amazing stay! Had a wonderful weekend. The food is absolutely incredible - best breakfast I have ever seen. The warm and cold taps were very hot - so showering was a bit of a challenge. Other than that - such a nice weekend.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2021

Prince

Amazing place

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Dec 2020

Franco

Missing the Sun King

Ive been coming to Sun City (80s)and the Palace(90s) since it opened.Unfortunately seems that mgts push to cut costs will hurt service and for a claimed 6 star hotel and resort thats just unacceptable.That said the staff i encountered were all super courteous and efficient but problem is too few and thin on the ground resulting in even having to place my own lunch order at the pool bar rather than have staff taking my order.Overall Palace needs a refurb as looking a bit tired .The pool area dissapointing with deck chair covers looking like they havnt been upgraded in ages and were torn, in poor condition.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2020

Naomi

My son and daughter in law stayed at your establishment as a wedding anniversary present from me.
They were very impressed with the hotel, service ,room ,entertainment and food.
They will definitely recommend The Palace to all our friends and family.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2020

Kagiso

Awesome

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2020

Andre

was an awesome stay