AVANI Victoria Falls

The perfect resort hotel for experiencing Victoria Falls. Wildlife abounds on the grounds. Zebras come for a drink at the pool in the afternoons, giraffes graze among the trees and the baboons frolic just about everywhere. The baboon patrol does a good job of keeping the baboons away from the dining areas, but sometimes they are not fast enough! The rooms are well appointed and the staff is very gracious and accommodating. The food selections at breakfast and lunch are plentiful. The dinner menu is a bit limited, but not to a point where it is a problem. You can always go to the Royal Livingstone Hotel restaurant, the Avani's sister hotel, which is only a short walk or shuttle ride away. Read less

First, the good things: The breakfast/dinner buffets and the extremely friendly staff. Wildlife on the compound (velvet monkeys frolicking on the lawn in front of the sliding doors, zebras, giraffes and a crocodile, just to name a few). The IT-guy is super nice too. When my laptop wouldn't connect to the internet, he actually came and solved the problem. The tour desks offer nice day trips and activities. Now, the disappointments: The "family room" is tiny. It is the size of a normal hotel room for two people. The beds are smaller than queen size, meaning 2 adults are supposed to sleep on a 1.40m-wide bed... yeah, not really my idea of vacation. In the US this would be considered a regular double room. Pushing the beds together isn't possible because of there is some built-in pedastal-like contraption between them (not even a nightstand, which would be useful in terms of storage space!). The mattresses are on the harder side, which isn't my taste, but understandable at a hotel. The family room only has a dresser/desk combination with 3 drawers and 1 storage compartment plus one closet with 8 (!) hangers - they brought additional hangers upon request. This may be okay for a couple for a long weekend, but for a family of 3 staying for a week? Think stacks of clothes on the desk. There was no iron or ironing board, which they remedied by bringing one, but when I tried to use it, it leaked and fell apart. Yay to water-stained pants after ironing attempt and wrinkled blouses straight out of the suitcase. Then the lighting. If you like twilight, this room is for you. The same applies for the bathroom (do people who design some hotels ever consider women who apply makeup in the bathroom?). When we arrived (a family of 3) there were 2 sets of towels in the bathroom. They also resolved it upon request, but if I pay over 250$ a night, I kind of expect enough towels to be a given. Except for the desk with one chair, there is no further seating in the room. there All-in-all pretty concept, nice location, but way overpriced. Read less

I recently got the chance to spend a few days at Avani and I was certainly impressed by the entire place. While not very far from the airport, it is certainly a world away from everyday life! The property is located within the park boundaries along with its sister hotel The Royal Livingstone. As soon as my bags were in my room, I set about to explore the area and was immediately offered a chance to see the four resident giraffes that settle in between the two hotels. I was also escorted to the back walking gate which literally dropped me about 50 steps from the entrance to Victoria Falls. The poolside bar does a great job with “quick eats” while the breakfast buffet is opulent to say the least. Additionally, all of the facilities at both hotels were available for us to enjoy. The activities office filled in my free time with great advice and the front desk went out of their way to double check reservations and transport for us. Thank you to each and every staff member! The rooms were lovely and always seemed to magically have some sort of local resident in view and the WiFi signal is strong. Lastly, the resort provides a few pressure free vendors and shops to enjoy. I literally can not think of a better place to stay! Read less