The Victoria Falls Deluxe Suites Hotel Review is part of the South America & Africa Points Heist Trip Report.
Finding a hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe is an exercise in patience. I looked for hotels in advance, but the prices were ridiculous. It was well over $300 for a night for nothing special. Instead I decided to wait until I arrived and have the taxi driver provide recs.
The Taxi
Of course, the taxi at the airport required negotiating. The published price was $30 and the taxi mafia did not seem inclined to budge. Instead of rushing off, I decided to wait it out and enjoy the entertainment.
Eventually, a driver agreed to $20 and we were off.
The Hotel Search
The hotel search reminded me of hostel hunting in Myanmar. There were either overpriced hostels or fully booked hotels. Tired, I booked a room at the Rainbow Hotel for $109. Or so I thought. Sitting in the lobby for over an hour, I was told that the hotel was fully booked and that I would be moved to the sister hotel.
The Hotel’s Location
The hotel was not located near the town nor did it have a pool like its sister. A ride to and from downtown was $5 or so, depending on your willingness to negotiate.
The Suite
If my goal was to stay in the middle of nowhere, only have room service, and not see any of the sights, this would be the place to stay. The room was modern with a comfortable bed, great WiFi and a strong pressure shower. The Rhino Suite, as it is called, is on par with an upgraded room at a chain hotel.
The Room Service
With nowhere to go, room service was the only choice. Luckily, the food prices were reasonable and, more importantly, the food was quality. For $21, we had chicken wings, four beers, and pasta alfredo.
Overall
The hotel is nice but out of the way. I booked a hotel in the city center because I wanted to be in the city center. Hotels.com has some explaining to do.
