Tribute Portfolio Hotels in Lusaka

I went to the Ciêla Resort And Spa in Lusaka during a 9-hour layover on September 20, 2024. I thought it would be a nice place to kill time by getting a spa treatment and grabbing a good meal before a red eye flight. The resort was beautiful, the spa treatment was nice and the meal at The Brewery was much nicer than any options at the airport or on an airplane. That said, I was very disappointed to discover I had been charged twice for the spa treatment at the onsite spa and twice for my meal at The Brewery Restaurant. At the spa, I was told my credit card didn't go through the first time and asked to try again. At The Brewery restaurant, I was shown the credit card machine that said failed, however since I was connected to the wifi there, I received a text saying my credit card had been charged. I said as much to the service person who went to get the manager. The manager said it failed, possibly due to the power issues, and that the charge would be reversed because it failed. I was asked to try again so I used a different credit card. I noticed on my layover in Dubai that I was sent two text messages about my credit card being charged at the spa at the Ciêla Resort. Once I got home, I checked my online statement and saw the duplicate charge at the Spa. I tried calling the spa but couldn't reach anyone. The person at the front desk said I had to speak to someone at the spa. Being tired from my travels home and feeling the jet lag, I gave up at that time. I looked for an email address or another way to reach someone to no avail. I was left to hope the Ciêla Resort would notice the error and correct it on their own. As I was checking my credit card statements today to pay my bills, I found I was indeed charged twice at both places I went within the Ciêla Resort And Spa. With no way to contact or speak to anyone at the hotel, I contacted my credit card company to dispute the charges. Beware of being told your credit card didn't work and being asked to try again, don't use a debit card to pay for anything at the resort and check your credit card statement closely when you get home. What I thought was a good idea and a place to go to kill time during a long layover has become a headache. Something is shady about this facility and I won't return to this resort on my next trip to Zambia. Thankfully, this is the only bad thing I can say about my 2.5 week trip to Zambia.