GRAMMATICAS CONSULTING LTD
Briefing Note
By Dominic Grammaticas FCA
July 2026
It is a question worth asking. Walk into a dozen high-end lodges and camps across East Africa and you will see beautiful spaces. But you will also see a remarkable similarity. The same palette. The same materials. The same aesthetic language. Leather, canvas, dark timber, brass fittings, vintage maps on the walls. It worked ten years ago. It still works today. But is it enough to set you apart tomorrow?
A lodge or a camp is a statement. It tells your guests who you are, what you value, and how you see the landscape you operate in. When every property in a market is making the same statement, nobody stands out. And in a sector where differentiation drives pricing power, that matters commercially as much as it matters creatively.
Here is the challenge. Many operators are still using the same design teams and the same formulas they relied on a decade ago. The results are polished and professional, but they are not distinctive. They do not surprise. They do not provoke the kind of reaction that makes a guest photograph a room and share it with their friends before they have even unpacked.
The best new thinking in safari design is moving in a different direction. Lighter materials. Local craftsmanship elevated to a central role rather than treated as decoration. Sustainability built into the design intent from the outset, not bolted on afterwards. Fabrics and finishes that tell a story about the place, not about a supplier’s catalogue. Spaces that feel contemporary and relevant without losing the warmth, the charm, and the sense of purpose that guests come to East Africa to find.
This is an area where Grammaticas Consulting Ltd brings a fresh perspective. We combine hands-on experience of property development in remote safari environments with a genuine passion for design that is contemporary, sustainable, and rooted in its context. If you are planning a refurbishment, a new build, or simply feel that your property needs to evolve, we would welcome the conversation.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your business is see your own product through fresh eyes.
Dominic Grammaticas FCA
Managing Director, Grammaticas Consulting Ltd
