Radisson Hotel Group opens first Zambian resort

 LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – RADISSON Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort in Zambia.

Nestled on the banks of the Zambezi River, the resort is the group’s first safari resort in Africa and first resort in this Southern African country.

It is seen as a key step towards its goal of reaching 150 hotels in operation and under development in Africa by 2025.

“Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort, Zambia represents a unique destination for our guests to discover and explore,” said Tim Cordon, Radisson Chief Commercial Officer, Middle East and Africa.

The official believes the expansion in Zambia demonstrates belief in the country’s potential.

This hotel is our second property in Zambia, following the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka.

A third hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Lusaka, Longacres, is due to open in 2023.

Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort is ideally located near the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, 2km south of the historic city of Livingstone, and 4km northwest of the famous Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a celebrated World Heritage Site.

It features 200 rooms, suites and villas, many with views of the Zambezi, the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa.

Source: Radisson Hotel Group opens first Zambian resort (19/12/22)

Victoria Falls Safari Spa has Officially Opened in Zimbabwe

 According to AAT Chief Executive Ross Kennedy, the spa is Victoria Falls’ largest and first purpose-built spa, setting a new benchmark in health and wellness. Kennedy said the hospitality group, which operates Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges and The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show, was experiencing its best season yet. Kennedy said the spa, set in indigenous woodland, at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge estate was built in response to the growing demand for wellness travel, and it was hoped it would extend stays in the destination. The spa’s decor incorporates African tented-safari camp style with bold, colourful Ndebele design elements while drawing from the natural environment to portray the rich textures of Africa.

Source: Victoria Falls Safari Spa has Officially Opened in Zimbabwe (05/12/2022)

African Sun shuts down Victoria Falls Kingdom Hotel

 African Sun Limited has announced it is shutting down its Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls January next year after failing to agree on lease terms with First Capital Bank, owners of the property.

The hotelier said the parties had failed to reach common ground on the length of the lease with the property owner firm on a two-year lease while ASL wanted 10 years, sufficient to recoup its investment.

In a 24 November memo to trading partners, African Sun Limited chief executive Peter Saungweme said the Kingdom hotel would close for business with effect from January 5, 2023.

"Further to the formal announcement which African Sun Limited (African Sun) released to the market on 4 July 2022, we would like to inform you that the Kingdom at Victoria Falls Hotel ("the Hotel") shall be closing for business with effect from 5 January 2023.

"We would like to thank you for your past business and support over the years and look forward to continuing working with you at our other ten hotels, which include the Victoria Falls Hotel and Elephant Hills Resort and Conference Centre which are also situated in the city of Victoria Falls," he said.

In an interview, African Sun Limited chairman Emmanuel Fundira said it was unfortunate that the two parties did not reach an agreement.

"We said two years does not work for us. For us to recoup the investment of over US$6 million on the hotel, it will require us at least a minimum period of 10 years to operate.

"So, two years will not work for us. That's where the departure began. We negotiated and negotiated and they refused.

"We see that there was really another hand into this," he said.

Africa Sun Limited has been operating the 294-roomed Kingdom Hotel since 1997.

Source: African Sun shuts down Victoria Falls Kingdom Hotel (30/11/22)

Six Senses Stilted Eco-Lodges on the Zambezi

 November 17, 2022 - Here’s one for wildlife lovers. Six Senses enters its first sub-Saharan project with a riverside game reserve and wellness resort within Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park. Hippos are very much included.

Raised and concealed among the trees, the lodges at Six Senses Victoria Falls will front Princess Elizabeth Island on the approach to the largest waterfall in the world. The resort will offer uncompromising and sumptuous hospitality within a UNESCO-protected area while blending into the verdant nature all around.

Green and gorgeous

The modular scheme of Six Senses Victoria Falls consists of a series of lodges and villas connected by raised walkways and bridges. This balances stringent environmental standards, a weightless aesthetic, and mighty engineering. After all, the stilts need to withstand a heavy knock from a passing elephant!

Everything has been designed around what’s most important: giving you a bird’s eye platform and authentic connection with the natural flora and fauna, which in Zimbabwe come in size XXL. Elephants, pods of hippos, buffalo, big cats, and primates roam the banks of the Zambezi.

Guest services

From the main welcome pavilion, you’ll transfer to the lounge lobby, where amenities will include a raised restaurant and lounge, specialty dining and braai bar, and sunset look-out bar. The Six Senses Spa and wellness facilities will include four treatment rooms, a gym, a yoga deck, outdoor hot pools, a panoramic sauna, and an integrated retail and concept store. The jungle gym is literal, and you’re therefore accompanied by a ranger. 

Along with on-site signature experiences such as the Earth Lab, Alchemy Bar, and Grow With Six Senses children’s activities, Six Senses Victoria Falls couldn’t be better placed for access to the river on the Six Senses cruiser, the falls, the game reserves, and paying homage to Zimbabwe’s heritage and artisan culture.

Accommodations

In addition to the 22 lodges with private terraces, there will be 15 deluxe lodges with suspended pools. Some of these lodges can be inter-connected. Plans are also afoot for 17 individual pool villas, nine of which offer multi-bedroom accommodation. The design brief is to capture Zimbabwe’s  eclectic and authentic spirit, with timber floors and natural finishes serving as a canvas to showcase ceremonial and bespoke furnishings and artwork. The aim is to achieve timeless sophistication and comfort overlayed with colors, textures, and craftsmanship.

The seamless blurring of the interior and exterior design evokes reconnection to nature and moments of mindfulness to breathe in the savannah breezes and river mists to the rhythm of a chirruping cicada. 

Six Senses Victoria Falls is slated to open in 2025. 

Source: Stilted Eco-Lodges on the Zambezi (17/11/2022)

See Also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (March 2019) $500m investment for Victoria Falls... International hotel chain to set up exclusive leisure centre.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (February 2021) Zambezi River Scenes Which Inspired Livingstone Under Threat.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (November 2021) Latest 5-star hotel to change face of Vic Falls.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (December 2021) Glow Petroleum opens US$1,5m facility in Vic Falls.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (May 2022) Prevalence of wild animals worries Vic Falls residents.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (20th October 2022) IHG Hotels & Resorts signs first Vignette Collection hotel in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (18th November 2022) Six Senses Stilted Eco-Lodges on the Zambezi.

 

Read more on this controversial proposal on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Hilton Group keen to operate in Zimbabwe

 The American multinational hospitality company, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc is interested in setting up in Zimbabwe. This was revealed by the national tourism promotion body, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), this week.

Posting on its website, the ZTA indicated that the global hospitality group had told its (ZTA’s) Chief Executive Officer, Winnie Muchanyuka of its intention to operate in Zimbabwe during the Hotel Investment Forum held from 2 to 4 November 2022 at Fairmount Taghazout Bay Agadir in Morocco.

“While at the conference, ZTA Chief Executive Officer, Winnie Muchanyuka and her team met with various stakeholders and potential investors. An engagement with world acclaimed Hilton Group was among the most fruitful as the team met with Samantha Muna, Hilton Development Director for East Africa, who confirmed the group’s commitment to operate in Zimbabwe saying they’re already on the ground and are looking forward to ZTA’s facilitation to connect to project promoters and partner,” read part of the post.

This is not the first time that the Hilton Group has been reported to be interested in setting up in Zimbabwe.

A report by the South African-based CAJ News in July this year highlighted that the Hilton Group had entered into a US$50 million deal with the City of Victoria Falls and Lamcent Capital to build a 120-room hotel in the resort city. Under the deal, the City of Victoria Falls would provide land, which is located next to the four-star Palm River Hotel that was opened in December 2021.

In Southern Africa, the Hilton Group already operates in Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. According to hotelmanagement.net, in 2018 Hilton’s portfolio had approximately 90 hotels operating and under construction across five brands in Africa. At the time the continent had about 39 Hilton-branded hotels, five of which were in South Africa.

Source: Hilton Group keen to operate in Zimbabwe (9/11/2022)

High Court seemingly reluctant to stop threats facing Victoria Falls

 More than five months have passed now since the High Court was approached to stop a substantial riverside restaurant development near the Victoria Falls and the commercialisation of Cataract Island in the tourism city.

Earlier this year information emerged that two private companies were about to undertake commercial operations in the vicinity of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

Adage Success P/L apparently had permission from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZNPWA) to undertake commercial activities on Cataract Island including a natural plunge pool experience on the immediate edge of the Main Falls.

This was subsequently advertised by Zambezi Crescent, Mr Mark Bosch’s company.

On May 30 this year, Larry Norton, an artist based in Victoria Falls filed a case at the High Court in the capital Harare, along with other residents, to stop these developments. The court application was filed on an urgent basis.

But it has been more than five months now and the matter is yet to be heard.

The controversial developments are, however, taking place at one of the seven wonders of the world.

In an open letter aimed at updating the world about the ongoing court case, Norton articulated that the judiciary was yet to hear their matter. He added that they have been writing letters to authorities to act but nothing has yet materialised.

“Despite an urgent application submitted on 30th May 2022, the case has yet to be heard. 149 days have passed with no ruling from the judge on the Urgent Application to stop these activities.

“Three letters to the high court questioning this extraordinary and unheard of delay have been sent. The last letter was acknowledged by the Registrar,” Norton wrote.

He further stated that he was threatened by unnamed government officials who wanted to stop him from challenging the matter.

“At the outset of this process I received a phone call from a government official. I was asked who I represented, ordered to stop enquiries, desist from talking to people about these issues and advised that I was going against the government.

“After the court process had begun another government official approached a number of individuals who had written supporting applications for the case to attempt to persuade them to abandon their applications. He was unsuccessful. I question his interest in two proposed commercial enterprises,” Norton added.

Around 2016 a Victoria Falls tourism company was offered Cataract Island and turned the lease down due to a public outcry. Two other local operators then applied for the same lease. Both offered substantial lease fees. Both were turned down by ZNPWA for environmental reasons.

A lease was later surreptitiously awarded to Adage of Success for US$5,000 per year (as per court papers submitted). This amount is payable in RTGS.

Norton said the restaurant is sited 40 metres from the Rainforest fence, on the water’s edge approaching Devil’s Cataract. The developers have cleared large sections of riverine bush . They are currently concreting foundations.

He added: “These actions, in such a sensitive site, to me, demonstrate a callous disregard for this fragile environment and wild space in exchange for personal profit.”

He appealed to the World Heritage Site monitors to urgently investigate both the proposed riverside restaurant development and the Cataract Island commercial operation on the Zimbabwe side.

Source: High Court seemingly reluctant to stop threats facing Victoria Falls (7/11/22)

Victoria Falls Town Clerk Refuses To Resign Over Corruption Allegations

 Victoria Falls City Council town clerk Ronnie Dube says he will not resign over corruption allegations levelled against the local authority’s management and councillors.

Dube told VicFallsLive that he will not quit over unproven corruption allegations.

This comes after Victoria Falls mayor Somvelo Dhlamini was arrested early this month on allegations of fraud.

Dhlamini was arrested after war veterans from Matabeleland North and Victoria Falls residents raided the town clerk’s office and force-marched him out demanding that he (Dube) step aside to allow for investigations into allegations of corruption levelled against him to be concluded first.

Residents allege that councillors and Dube sold a piece of land which had been set aside for a water, hygiene and sanitation project, for only US$4 million instead of the US$14 million which was agreed to by a full council meeting.

They further claimed that councillors and Dube shared US$400 000 that was paid as a bribe by the lowest bidder.

But Dube insists he is not going anywhere and will only speak about the allegations after ongoing investigations by various agencies are completed. He said:

I have nothing really to say, but I will not be forced to resign because people have said things and judged me for corruption.

All I can say for now is I am watching the space because all these allegations have prompted various legal instruments to be put in by the central government, the police, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and a ministry of Local Government investigation team.

So let it be, let them come and let’s watch the space.

For all those allegations I will only be able to fully comment after all the investigations have been completed, but on the calibre of councillors, that is not my call.

It is the same people who are complaining that voted for them and the good thing is that we are having elections next year.

So they should start choosing councillors that would stand for their calls.

In November 2021, Hwange magistrate Barbara Phiri dropped charges of criminal abuse of office against Dube after prosecutor Kudzai Mudzamiri made a verbal submission seeking to withdraw the charges before plea citing a lack of evidence.

Source: Victoria Falls Town Clerk Refuses To Resign Over Corruption Allegations (29/10/2022)