Making a splash with our new picture-perfect pools and lounge area!
If you are looking for summer sunshine and warm weather, then Victoria Falls certainly delivers…and more! Whilst we all enjoy the high temperatures we experience here, it is equally nice to be able to cool off after a hot day of exploring Victoria Falls. At Ilala Lodge Hotel, we have recently renovated our big pool as well as adding a plunge pool to the lower deck area. To complement the new pools, we’ve added new timber decking around the area as well as a glamorous new pool lounge.
Leading this project was Zeanne & Goss – a well-regarded interior design team. Zeanne really understood the history and style of Ilala Lodge Hotel and wanted toensure the new addition would integrate well. She noted, “When designing a space within an existing project and its interiors, it is always important to understand the energy, thread, and feel of the spaces that have existed before the new. In the case of the pool and lounge, we wanted to compliment the elegance of the existing Ilala Lodge Hotel, its heritage, its family-run thread and to create a lounge that represented a home, a sanctuary and a welcome addition to a beautiful brand. We did not want to compete with the existing but instead to fit in elegantly and quietly into it.”
The new plunge pool has been installed on the lower deck, and allows guests to sit on its shallow steps, in its cool crystal-clear waters, whilst looking over our lush gardens and the magnificent spray from the mighty Victoria Falls. There are also an additional 8 loungers around the plunge pool, allowing guests to relax and soak up the sun.
The main pool has been renovated with new tiling, and lights so that you can dip any time of the day. There is a shallow end with a gentle slope into the deep end – giving ample room for children to splash around and enjoy themselves too.
The inspiration for the new lounge area was found in the subdued colours of the Ilala palm, the Palm motif and “plantation meets bush” palette of texture and hue. Generously sized prints, representing palms and foliage in old-world botanical drawings, have been hung on the walls – a gesture to what may have been found in Livingstone-type diary sketches. Large mirrors create a sense of space and add a play of light reflecting off the newly refurbished pool.
The materials used are elegant and timeless. You will find cane, rattan and weaving, mixed with more classic materials and textures too, such as marble. A guest favourite already is the beautiful central “plug and play” table where there are convenient plugs and USB chargers for those who need to use their computers. Hidden in the table drawers are also a variety of games – time to see who is the sharpest Banagram player around!
The space is held by up-lit thatch, a continuation of the hotels existing roof structure and three plantation fans add a cool swirl of air throughout the day, again a reference to the plantation meets Victoria Falls thread.
A great pool is must-have for an African hotel, and we’ve certainly made a splash with ours – we can’t wait for you to see for yourself!
