The Victoria Falls Hotel

A very good experience. Friendly people serving us so well, nicely renovated hotel.

We stayed the Victoria Hotel for one night before traveling further. We arrived early and were able to access our room early. The room was very modern and comfortable, the bed cozy and the shower excellent. Breakfast had a great variety of options. Booking tours was effortless ad walking to the Victoria Falls from the hotel was easy and safe. Loved the colonial feel.

Having read various reviews we weren’t expecting the hotel and experience to be as good as we hoped but we were pleasantly surprised! We stayed for x2 nights in a Stables Signature Wing Double Room, prior to embarking on Rovos Rail (that’s a different story) . We found the accommodation to be to an old but very acceptable standard. However, what made the hotel was the charm and character of the building coupled with the friendliness and attentiveness of the entire team. Maybe our experience was a little unique but I would like to personally recognise Christian who went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable. Prior to arriving at the hotel, I experienced an old sports back injury making walking and any movement very painful. Within minutes of checking in and without being promoted, Christian took the initiative to start implementing measures to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Within a couple of hours he arranged for a doctor to visit, and the following morning he had sourced a physiotherapist who visited on two occasions to help rectify my back. As a result of Christian going above, and beyond, I was able to participate in all planned activities including visiting Devils Pool. Having stayed in numerous 5*+ hotels all around the world, Christian’s level of personal care and attentiveness compared with the best. We also found the restaurant teams to be good with a special mention needing to be given to Simba and his colleagues for the fine dining experience they provide. However, I think we were lucky as we were the only guests during the entire sitting on the night in question. Based on our experience, we’d certainly recommend The Victoria Falls Hotel as hopefully what we experienced wasn’t a one off!

We only had 1 night at the VFH as it was the termination point for our Rovos Rail excursion (see separate review). I do however, wish we had booked a couple of nights here as it is a beautiful hotel in a beautiful location. The checkin process was very straightforward (although our room wasn’t ready it didn’t matter for we grabbed a couple of coffees and sat on the sun beds on the lawn). All the staff were very helpful and polite. Had a nice light lunch in the Stanley Rooms on the terrace, while dinner was taken in the Jungle restaurant, complete with traditional African dances. The views are stunning with fantastic views of the spray from the Vic Falls and the bridge. You can spend hours watching the Wart Hogs on the lawns. The monkeys can be a bit of a pain so don’t feed them under any circumstances. Our room was very well presented with a very comfortable bed, great outlook over the small fountain on one of the many lawns and lovely bathroom. Although we didn’t walk down to the Vic Falls (had seen them 2 years earlier), it is within walking distance should you fancy it. All in all a lovely short stay and a hotel I would definitely look to book if I go back to Zimbabwe.

The Vic Falls hotel is both charming and beautiful. It is a trade off. You are in Zimbabwe but they do have a path to the falls that makes it so easy to visit the park. It is a short walk. No place else has that. I say this a lot. They will try and sell you anything as you walk from the hotel to the national park. Can you blame them? Euros and dollars are worth so much more there. Either buy everything or nothing. If you buy one thing they will never leave you alone. I have often given them my shoes, shirt, even one time my pants because depending on where your room is located and time of day no one will cares if you walk around in boxer shorts as long as you are outside when they see you. Definitely have a frozen margarita at the hotel patio bar. It is amazing. Go to the falls everyday because it is so easy to do from the Vic Falls Hotel. Crossing the border is somewhat of a pain but really helps you understand life in Africa. The Devil's pool is on the other side, and if you make this journey DO NOT miss that. Just hire a driver, but book the guide before you go. They are often sold out, AND you want a guide group of Zambians because they know the Devil's pool so well. And there is an element of danger, so experienced guides, etc. are important. Be extra sure to have breakfast on the Terrance so you can see the Mongoose digging up bugs in the morning. They are adorable. But they are very dangerous. They can kill cobras. How many animals can say that! But just hang back and watch, it is truly amazing if you love animals. And they are not aggressive, leave them alone and they will leave you alone.