With the end of the year, and indeed the end of the decade upon us, we are looking back at what an incredible year 2019 was for Ilala Lodge Hotel. We had the pleasure of hosting guests from around the world and sharing the magnificent Victoria Falls with them as they ticked off their bucket lists, made memories and enjoyed all the feels that travel brings.
New Suite
We started the year off by adding our most luxurious offering yet – The Strathearn Suite. Named after one of the founders of the hotel, the beautiful top-storey suite offers a lounge, private kitchen, bedroom and en-suite bathroom, guest toilet, private verandah and hot tub! Guests staying at The Strathearn Suite receive a private check-in, couples massage, a river cruise aboard the Ra-ikane and private dining experience with our chef – nothing short of magical!
New Pool Area and Lounge Area
In March this year, we completed the revamp of our pool area by adding a sparkling plunge pool on the lower terrace, complete with extra comfortable loungers, new decking around the main pool and a fabulous new modern lounge area. This new area is a firm favourite with our guests who enjoy soaking up our glorious weather with a cocktail around the pool.
New Team
A new management team was appointed this year – Heather Kay, as General Manager and Amy Clements as Deputy General Manager. They are a dynamic and professional duo and have continued to ensure our guests have the best possible experience staying with us. As pointed out recently by the Zimbabwean tourism minister at a function in Victoria Falls, it is noteworthy that the top team is female at Ilala Lodge Hotel and setting a new standard for empowerment in the hotel industry in Zimbabwe.
Green Team
Our new Deputy-General Manager, Amy Clements, has been instrumental in creating a new “Green Team” at Ilala Lodge Hotel to ensure our operations are as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. We’ve made great progress this year by introducing glass bottles and a filtered water system at the bar, increasing our recycling targets, planting trees around the town and fund-raising for Greenline Africa.
Ilala Cares
We are active participants in our community and look to help where we can. One of the highlights this year was running a football coaching session with one of our famous guests for the less privileged schools in the area. This memory will stay with them for a lifetime, and we hope it inspired them to pursue their dreams!
It has been a wonderfully successful year for our team, and we are very proud of everyone’s efforts. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of our guests. We loved this review from one of our recent guests, as it sums up everything we are trying to achieve – we want to make YOUR stay as special as possible!
“I had a lovely 2 day trip to Vic Fall and Ilala Lodge was a terrific spot to stay. Keith, one of the managers at the Palm Restaurant, knew I loved hippos and made sure the night security if they saw one on the lawn in the middle of the night, would come to wake me up and sure enough a guard did so and I had my own middle of the night audience with the hippo. It was that kind of service that made Ilala exceptional. The concierge was lovely, the bellman, the waiters, the whole crew was terrific and the Falls were just a walk away. I would recommend Ilala Lodge to everyone”. Jennifer
Thank you for a great 2019, and here’s looking forward to a new year, and a new decade!
