AVANI Victoria Falls

I stayed three nights and four days at the Avani Victoria Falls Resort as part of a group reservation for vacation. There was a 1-day conference hosted at the hotel upon my group of 29 arrival. So it was a bit crowded. We arrived around 13:30 about 30 min before check in at 14:00. So our rooms weren’t quite ready. But they offered a delicious and refreshing ginger tea while we waited about 30 min until we got our keys. The good… 1. Given we were a large group check in was well organized and staff was super responsive. 2. Breakfast buffet was delicious every morning - best meal of the day at the property! Bfast spread included local specialities as well as American fare like made-to-order pancakes and omelets, yogurt & fruit bar, bacon, sausage and tasty homemade muffins, scones and pastries and juices. 3. Our room was clean, bed was firm but comfy, and no trace of mosquitoes. Though that could be because we traveled during the dry season when humidity is super low and temps are pleasant - both of which are not optimal for mosquito breeding. We stayed in room 3441 which faced the courtyard. 4. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a good selection of movies to peruse and watch at night. 5. Free shuttle service between Avani and sister property Royal Livingstone. Views at the Royal are much better along with lunch and dinner food, esp the ice cream at their Grab-n-Go store on site. The not so good… 1. The rooms are dated in terms of decor. In that respect I would give it a 3.5. That’s not a deal breaker though as long its clean. And we were only there for a couple of days. (Tip: if you want luxury you can pay 3x the amount at the Avani and stay at their sister property the Royal Livingstone) 2. The room was extremely humid and warm upon arrival. Tried to turn on AC and it didn’t work. Front desk said their generator was being overloaded due to hotel capacity and suggested we request a fan - which we did. Tip: if you need a fan make sure you request one with 2 round pins so you can plug it directly into their outlet. 3. There were various outlet types in the room and not all of them worked even with the correct outlet adaptor plugged in. 4. USB ports on the desk didn’t charge mobile phones, but it fully charged my power bank. 5. There was no hot water after 10pm only early AM and during the day. 6. Lunch and dinner menus were the same. I didn’t find anything I wanted so I ordered off the kids menu and that was pretty good. Hubby liked his chicken sandwich that he ordered off the Lunch menu. We booked dinner one night at the Royal Livingstone Resort and it was much more tastier. And we went to the Mukami Boma dinner the other night. Food there was good, some of the meats were over cooked and not tender. But prefer over- to under-cooked! 7. Pool had some debris throughout and didn’t really see it being cleaned once while visited. Unless they cleaned it at sunrise and tree debris fell right back in. 8. Oh and that refreshing arrival drink, was not available at meal time at Avani, but the Royal Livingstone had it at dinner! Overall my short stay was pleasant at Avani. I would give it a 4 had the AC and hot water not been on the fritz. But if I were to stay more than 3 nights, I would definitely upgrade and book at the Royal Livingstone. There is also a spa onsite at the Royal as well! Read less

This hotel was great from the warm Zambian welcome by the dancers to zebra and impala roving the grounds. The location is excellent within a short walk of the falls and local safari to see the white Rhinos. The food and service at the pool bar and restaurant were excellent and the lavish breakfast prepared you for a big day sight seeing. Nothing was too hard for the management team. This is the place to stay to see Victoria Falls in Zambia. Read less

The resort is beautiful, with a gorgeous layout and welcoming atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and the service is good. The proximity and easy access to Victoria Falls is worth it within itself. The room was clean and the bed was very comfortable; the mosquito net provided excellent coverage. My only complaint would be that there were a lot of mosquitoes in the bathroom upon arrival; I also went to the front desk for more water but the water never arrived at my room. Other than that, this resort went above and beyond my expectations! Read less