Victoria Falls gets new US$800 a night hotel

The list of luxury boutique hotels in Victoria Falls continues to grow with another addition scheduled to open its doors in the prime resort in May this year.

Mbano Manor Hotel will bring a unique experience to global, high-end tourists visiting the resort’s pristine surrounds, which include the major draw card, the worldfamous Victoria Falls waterfall, and Zambezi National Park.

The 19 all-suite luxury boutique hotel will be situated between the Zambezi National Park and the majestic Victoria Falls, in the middle of an ancient, natural teak forest. The foreseen rate will be from US$800 per person per night sharing, for full board, including accommodation, meals, beverage and transfers.

Mati Nyazema, Zimbabwe-born businesswoman, the driving force behind the hotel, is ecstatic and says her project is “the ideal product for a renewed travel experience” in the country, especially for discerning clients visiting Southern and East Africa.

However, the new arrival would have to fight it out for the evidently resurgent market share in an environment where others have already marked their territory in black and white. There are other luxury hotels in the Victoria Falls who have made their names on the global stage of travel such as on ratings agencies like Tripadvisor and fivestaralliance, among others.

The market is defined by names such as the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Stanley & Livingstone Hotel, Matetsi Victoria Falls, the Elephant Camp or even the intimate “grand old lady of the falls”, the Victoria Falls Hotel, itself.

Riding on the crest of renewed interest in the Zimbabwean market and the subsequent economic developments, the country was seen as the new investment frontier. Toppling of long-time ruler Robert Mugabe ushered a new glimmer of hope, while the new government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa embraced a reform agenda under the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”.

The first half of 2018 reported 21 percent growth in the local tourism sector in Zimbabwe. A number of hotels in Victoria Falls reported record occupancies up to August 2018, attributed largely to the newly-built Victoria Falls International Airport and more frequent flights being added by local and international airlines.