Victoria Falls Hotel

The Victoria Falls Hotel is a superb Edwardian establishment on the edge of the Batoka Gorge overlooking the Victoria Falls railway bridge. It is situated in Victoria Falls Town within walking distance of all the craft markets, shops and the falls themselves. The hotel is easily reached by car and approximately 22km from the Victoria Falls Airport. Upon arrival you get a sense that you’ve stepped back in time.

While the building, as it stands today, has undergone numerous renovations since its original construction in 1804, it still looks as if it was built a hundred years ago. The hotel owes its humble beginnings to the plans of Cecil John Rhodes to build a railway track from the Cape to Cairo, crossing straight over the Victoria Falls area. Sadly, Rhodes never got to see the falls as this leg of the track was only built two years after his death.

The 1904 hotel was extremely simple and consisted of a wooden structure with a corrugated iron roof. After the completion of the Victoria Falls Railway Bridge, tourism started booming, and the hotel had to increase its humble 16-room capacity – a process that repeated itself many times over the next 100 years. Today the Victoria Falls Hotel has an astonishing 180 rooms and still remains one of the most popular and attractive hotels in the entire Victoria Falls area. The place is filled to the brim with historical significance and we simply loved the colonial memorabilia, photos of the English Royal Family and English cartoons that grace the walls of the hotel. They also have portraits of late kings and queens and you almost have to remind yourself that you are in the new millennium and not back in the 1800’s.The views of the bridge and the spray from the falls seen from just about anywhere on the property are simply amazing. They have a flagpole in the middle of the lawns, with a plaque stating the distance to the Cape as well as to Cairo. This pole and plaque, with the Victoria Falls bridge in the background makes for a wonderful photograph.
The public rooms are exceptionally stylish and decorated to a true Edwardian theme. They are large and airy and there is room enough for hundreds of people without any fear of overcrowding. All the rooms are named after people and places such as the Livingstone or Bulawayo rooms. The latter was actually the first room in the whole country to install air-conditioning and the original unit can still be seen!
They have a lovely big swimming pool surrounded by comfy sun loungers. The pool is removed from the other public areas to ensure that bathers don’t disturb the guests on the terrace overlooking the beautiful gorge. They have three restaurants, two of which have rather fancy dress codes. The Livingstone Room requires a tie and jacket for the gents and cocktail attire for the ladies. While a bit formal – it does seem to fit the venue and you will understand the significance when you sit down at one of the beautifully set silver service dining tables.

The bedrooms are also extremely luxurious. Although they follow the theme of the hotel, they do come equipped with modern conveniences such as satellite televisions, air-conditioners, hairdryers, safes, and the likes. The service is superb and the staff are very professional, adding to the charm of the place.
The hotel has an on-site chapel which is ideal for weddings and important ceremonies, but is actually still being used for Anglican services on a weekly basis. Guests are welcome to attend and will find themselves amongst quite a few of the local residents of the area. In addition, the hotel also has a couple of curio shops, an internet lounge, hairdresser and beauty treatment room – all conveniently situated near the reception area.
The Victoria Falls Hotel is an exceptionally stylish old-English establishment set in a picturesque area of note. The views, service, atmosphere and proximity to the major sights are amazing and you’ll have to search high and low to find a classier place than this. A must for the discerning guest who values the finer things in life.

The hotel has a total of 180 guest rooms which include Standard rooms (single, twin double and king size), Deluxe rooms (twin and king size rooms), 7 Standard suites, 4 Honeymoon suites, 6 Executive suites and one Royal Suite.
The rooms are very stylish and decorated to an old English theme. They have beautiful four poster and canopied beds, colonial prints on the walls, antique furniture as well as quite a few modern amenities such as satellite TV’s, air-conditioning, mini-bars, bathrobes, tea and coffee making stations, telephones, hairdryers and even umbrellas for those rain forest and falls visits (where you can get very very wet!)
The Suites and the Deluxe Rooms can be found in the original section of the hotel and have some of the most amazing views of the gorge and the historical bridge. They have all the conveniences of the standard rooms but offer even more luxury, space and extras.
The Livingstone Suite is of specific significance as it once housed Queen Elizabeth during the 1947 Royal Family visit to the area. The suite used to be called the Queens Suite, but was renamed many years later.

Many of the rooms have interleading doors to suit the needs of families or groups of friends. There are also a number of single rooms which cater to the needs of individual travellers and guests. All the rooms have large and beautiful ensuite bathrooms with all the latest conveniences.

The Victoria Falls Hotel offers its guests a selection of dining venues. The first - the main dining room - is called The Livingstone Room. It is an extremely classy hall with beautiful chandeliers and tables with silver service settings. They are quite strict on their dress code and require guests to dress in ties and jackets (gents) and cocktail attire (ladies). The formality is all worth it though, as you end up feeling like a VIP at a prestigious function. The Livingstone Room offers an a la carte menu and the dishes are of a very high quality. The elegant dinner is followed by a spot of dancing - quite a treat. Please ensure that you make reservations though!

Another option is the Stanley Terrace. This beautiful terrace dining restaurant not only offers delicious fare, but also an amazing view of the Victoria Falls railway bridge. They serve buffet breakfasts in the morning (full English with all the trimmings), a la carte lunches, traditional High Tea in the afternoon as well as a table d’hote menu in the evenings.
They also have the Jungle Junction restaurant (named after the reach of water on the Zambezi where the flying boats were serviced in the old days) which is situated next to the swimming pool. This venue is slightly less formal and only requires smart-casual dress. They offer breakfast and dinner buffets as well as regular traditional barbeques in the evenings. Dinner is usually followed by a performance of Shangaan dancers accompanied by an indigenous choir.

A poolside snack menu (including full bar service) is also available during the day
 

General facilities:
• Edwardian-style swimming pool
• 2 floodlit, all-weather tennis courts
• 3 restaurants
• Conference room
• Curio shops
• Chapel
• Internet lounge
• Lounge
• Private path to the falls
• Disabled accommodation
• Car hire and touring desk
• Packed breakfasts and lunches for guests taking day excursions
• Hair salon
• Beauty therapist offering massage and a variety of other beauty treatments
• Doctor on call
• Library and reading rooms
• Foreign exchange facilities
• Business centre for photocopying/facsimile and telex
• 2 Curio Shops (one specialising in colonial memorabilia)

Room facilities:
• En-suite bathrooms with showers and baths
• Air-conditioning
• Four-poster and canopied beds
• Antique furniture
• Personal safes
• Minibars
• Bathrobes
• Digital satellite television
• Umbrellas (for guests visiting the rain forest and falls)
• Telephones

Activities:
• Visits to the Victoria Falls
• Casino at nearby The Kingdom
• 18 hole golf course at nearby Elephant Hills
• Elephant back safaris
• Walking with lions
• Breakfast, lunch and sunset cruises
• Game drives
• Bird watching
• Horse back trails
• Bungee jumping, gorge swinging, abseiling and the Flying Fox
• Helicopter rides over the falls and gorges
• White water rafting
• Speed boating
• Visits to cultural villages
• Crocodile farm
• Microlight and Tigermoth flights over the falls
Services:
• Same-day laundry
• Room service
• Babysitting

Open: The Victoria Falls Hotel is open all year long.
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Wedding and Honeymoon Packages
The Victoria Falls Hotel is the ideal setting for romantic weddings and special honeymoons. The hotel has 4 Honeymoon suites available, and its picturesque setting makes for beautiful wedding photos, while the tranquil atmosphere and discreet service ensures an unforgettable experience. The lucky couple and their guests receive sparkling wine, Belgian chocolates, red roses and a lovely fruit platter upon arrival. In addition, the newly-weds are treated to a private champagne breakfast in their room, and receive a special gift from the hotel on their first night. The Hotel has its own little chapel, which is ideal for private ceremonies and weddings. Outdoor receptions can also be organised in the hotel’s lush gardens with views of the beautiful Victoria Falls Bridge.