The renowned Ilala Lodge Hotel in Victoria Falls celebrated
three decades in hospitality at a private event held with longstanding regional tourism
partners on Monday evening.
The family-run hotel hosted 60 regional partners, including travel agents, Destination
Management Companies (DMC’s) and industry partners who have supported the hotel in its
successful history. Guests travelled from Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Livingstone,
Maun, Harare and Victoria Falls to join the celebrations.
The event took place within the hotels luxurious poolside lounge and commenced with a
speech from the hotel owner Jim Brown, who shared his gratitude to industry partners for
their support and their contribution to the on-going success and longevity of the
establishment. Brown made particular reference to their loyalty in the past 18 months during
Covid-19.
In addition to thanking industry partners, Brown gave his appreciation to committed staff
members of Ilala Lodge Hotel. “Our most important cog in the machinery of a successful hotel
is its staff. Hospitality is a people business, but the staff and management are by far the most
essential ingredient in making for prosperous hotel, ” said Brown.
He continued to thank two particular members of staff who have been with the company
since 1991. Brown commented, “Peter and Basil have been with us since the beginning and to
them, and others who are nearing this milestone, we owe a big affirmation of gratitude for 30
years of loyalty.”
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Brown attributed the hotel’s accomplishments to remaining relevant, adaptable and flexible
while applying a mindset of persistence and perseverance as the hotel steps forward into
another chapter and many more years of hospitality success.
An evening of networking and reconnecting with fellow colleagues unfolded, and guests
expressed their excitement to Ilala Lodge Hotel for providing the opportunity for industry
partners be reunited after months of separation due to travel restrictions.
30 Years of Ilala Lodge Hotel
Ilala Lodge Hotel is ideally located only 8-minutes from the Natural World Wonder, Victoria
Falls, in Zimbabwe. The family-run hotel equipped with 73 stylish and well-appointed rooms,
offering the ultimate in comfort and luxury.
The hotel’s history dates back to 1991 where it first began as a boutique hotel with 16 rooms,
owned by the Brown family. In 1994 the hotel expanded to 32 rooms and in 2015 the hotel
unveiled its new Deluxe wing bringing it to a total of 56 rooms. Further developments took
place in 2018 with the expansion of the Deluxe wing, growing the hotel to a total of 73 rooms
made up of Standard and Deluxe rooms and suites.
In 2019, Ilala unveiled its most luxurious suite, the Strathearn Suite, named after the hotel
founder, Strathearn Brown. Fashioned with modern and sophisticated décor, the suite is
complete with a lounge, kitchen, en suite bathroom, and private balcony where guests can
relax in a large spa bath while enjoying world-class views of the spray rising above the mighty
Victoria Falls waterfall. The suite can also be transformed into a spacious family villa known
as the ‘Strathearn Family Suite’ through interleading doors with an Executive Suite and
Deluxe Room.
In March 2019, a new plunge pool was added, providing guest with the option of two
swimming pools to relax in during their stay. An elegant poolside lounge was also completed
and decorated with hand-crafted furniture and wall prints representing palms and foliage.
The lounge, in which Ilala’s 30th Celebrations took place, offers guests a calming space in
which to relax.
In the last 18 months, the hotel has adapted to face Covid-19 travel restrictions by shifting
focus to human resource development. This enabled staff members to diversify their skill sets and learn new trades within the hospitality industry, for example, kitchen porters became
gardeners and front of house personnel assisted with maintenance teams.
The hotel plays a critical role in the growth and development of Victoria Falls community and
its team of passionate staff are involved in multiple corporate social responsibility projects. At
the forefront of their efforts is the Ilala Lodge Hotel Green Team, a committee driven to bring
about meaningful solutions for more environmentally conscious practices.
Established in 2019, the Green Team has implemented a sustainable waste management
initiative presented to the Greenline Africa Trust and the Victoria Falls Recycling Project. The
team continues to support and attend all local events which endeavour to better the future
of green development within Victoria Falls. Other initiatives include monthly town and
rainforest clean-ups, community events, fundraisers for local charities and aiding the Pristine
Victoria Falls Society – a new community programme to make Victoria Falls the most pristine
city in Africa.
In October 2021, Ilala Lodge Hotel was awarded the ‘Environmental Stewardship and Social
Impact Award’ by the Environmental Management Adency (EMA) and Corporate Social
Responsibility Network Zimbabwe. The award recognises organisation that dedicate time and
resources to the preserving the environment, waste recycling and wildlife conservation. The
hotel has been a Silver Member of the Green Tourism certification programme since 2016,
which identifies the commitment of tourism businesses that actively work to become more
sustainable.
For more information visit www.ilalalodge.com, email reservations@ilalalodge.co.zw or call +
263 (0) 83 2844737/8/9 or +263 (0) 712 401814.
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ABOUT ILALA LODGE HOTEL
Ilala Lodge Hotel is ideally located only 8-minutes from the spectacular Victoria Falls, in
Zimbabwe. As the closest hotel to the natural World Wonder, the family-run hotel is
equipped with 73 stylish and well-appointed rooms, offering the ultimate in comfort and
luxury. The hotel offers convenient access to historical sites, restaurants, and activities
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available in Victoria Falls. Ilala Lodge Hotel has been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of
Excellence Hall of Fame 2019 and has been recognised in the 2021 TripAdvisor Traveller’s
Choice awards.
The hotel’s award-winning restaurant is famous for its gourmet cuisine and al fresco dining
under the starry African skies. While soaking in the ambiance of the restaurant, guests can
see the spray and hear the rumble from the world-renowned Victoria Falls waterfall.
Ilala Lodge Hotel’s fleet of luxury riverboats provides unique and unsurpassed river cruises on
the mighty Zambezi River. The Ra-Ikane I, II and III, offer a variety of cruises, including
breakfast, birdwatching, lunch, sunset and private charters.
ABOUT SPENCER’S CREEK GROUP
The Spencer’s Creek (Pvt) Ltd was founded in 1970, and completed its first establishment,
Ilala Lodge Hotel in 1991. The Palm River Hotel marks the groups’ second hotel, both of
which are located within minutes of Africa’s Natural World Wonder, Victoria Falls. The Palm
River Hotel opens to guests on the 1st December 2021.
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