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Ilala Lodge Hotel is a family-run hotel nestled in the heart of Victoria Falls town, only an 8 minute walk away from the Natural World Wonder, Victoria Falls, making it geographically the closest hotel to the waterfall in Zimbabwe. Its unique location affords guests panoramic views of the mist that rises from the mighty waterfall. The hotel is equipped with 73 stylish and well-appointed rooms and suites that exude a sense of sophisticated old-world charm. As a fond favourite of visitors to Victoria Falls for over 30 years, the hotel is renowned for its true Zimbabwean hospitality, offering a warm, welcoming and attentive five-star service. Experience the hotel’s top-rated Cassia Restaurant, serving a delicious breakfast buffet, lunch and al fresco evening dining under the starry African sky. The calming and tranquil ambience is further complemented by the gentle rumble of Victoria Falls in the background. A truly unforgettable dining experience not to be missed.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
A8, Victoria Falls Zimbabwe
Ilala Lodge Hotel
2,087 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
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At Ilala Lodge Hotel, guests frequently commend the prime location just a stone's throw from Victoria Falls, with wildlife encounters adding to the charm. The hotel's rooms are hailed for their comfort and cleanliness, while the ambiance of the African-themed decor and live music during outdoor dining receives high praise.
Though some travelers consider the pricing steep, the professionalism and friendliness of the staff, along with diverse dining options and meticulous upkeep, often justify the expense.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Well-appointed
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Detailed Reviews
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The hotel is within walking distance of the falls and offers very good comfort, which has already gotten a bit old and could use a refresher. The staff is friendly and helpful throughout and tries - sometimes almost too intensively - to make the guest feel comfortable. The rooms are well equipped, from hairdryer to TV, from safe to minibar everything important is available. The original equipment of the minibar is included in the price, all other drinks from it are to be paid. The aircondition is quite windy, but unfortunately is directed directly at the bed, so use at night was impossible (for us). Mosquitoes are available, chemistry is provided by the hotel, unfortunately there is no mosquito net around the bed. Bar and pool area are OK. Two pools that are not very large but sufficient. Unfortunately, one of them has just been noisily renovated, which has hindered the stay not only by the pool. Since the rooms are partly directly below, the sound of the hammers was clearly audible during the day. The gardens are mostly wild, only the areas close to the house are more well maintained. The reason for this is that wildlife comes to visit both day and night: From elephants to mongooses we have experienced life. Breakfast is a combination of buffet and served hot dishes. Quality and choice are excellent. The same goes for dinner - very good quality! Unfortunately, the central location of the hotel entails a considerable noise load. The helicopter flights offered over the falls are used intensively, so that 2-4 helicopters are permanently in the air during the day. Honestly, it has to be said that this issue should also have significance for the other hotels in the area. But also the historic bridge over the falls is still a border crossing to Zambia, which is used by many trucks, which then come up the road at hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Husband and I had a few days here by ourselves before family joined us. We absolutely loved the hotel, location was fantastic (walking distance to falls) we had views of the mist from the falls from our 2nd floor balcony, sunrises were stunning. Room was very spacious and accommodating, appreciated the mosquito net, comfortable bed. There were tradesmen performing some painting maintenance along the corridor to the rooms but we didn't notice any paint fumes, noise etc Grounds were well kept, spent quite a bit of time in the bar/pool area. Plenty of lounges and areas for family groups to gather and enjoy themselves All food was fresh and tasty. Breakfast selection was very comprehensive and well presented. Dined outside under the trees for dinner and it was a beautiful atmosphere, The icing on the cake was the pianist that played all night, it was just gorgeous listening to the music drift out. Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we loved it. Staff were very attentive, professional and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble and always with a smile Not a fault of the hotel, but we did find in the afternoon it got noisy from the helicopters taking tours over the Falls. I would imagine a number of hotels in the areas would suffer the same thing. Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, would not hesitate to stay again and would highly recommend
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sara Ellis, Other at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 28 May 2024
Dear Pomeroys, A very good morning to you from the majestic Victoria Falls. Thank you for choosing Ilala as your base whilst here and for taking the time to leave us such an incredible review. We are thrilled that you immensely enjoyed all aspects of the hotel and thank you for being so complimentary of everything. We appreciate you making special mention of the pianist who is a firm favourite in enhancing the ambience of our dining experience. Please rest assured we will engage the relevant authorities regarding the helicopters and would like to apologise for the noise. We look most forward to welcoming you back one day in the future. Very warmest regards, The Ilala Lodge Hotel Team
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Ilalla Lodge has thought of everything. The guestrooms and entire property are scrupulously clean, the grounds are well manicured and maintained and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The guestrooms have all bathroom amenities and they provide coffee, tea, cookies and a fridge full of all types of beverages, including wine and beer! All rooms have decks looking out over a yard which can include the odd wild animal. The breakfast is a beautiful selection of exotic juices, dried breakfast items, yogurt parfaits, fruits, breads, meats, cheeses, coffee, teas and several hot gourmets breakfast selections. The lunch and dinner menus are delightful, well thought out combinations of local delicacies and comfort food. Every meal was delicious! Ilalla will also help you plan all available activities and you can be assured of reputable operators. A great stay at a great Lodge.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jane Masamba, General Manager at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 28 Sept 2023
Dear northerngrrl2018, A warm and sunny greetings to you from Victoria Falls! Thank you for choosing to stay at Ilala Lodge Hotel during your visit to Zimbabwe and for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback! We are so happy to hear your great compliments on our well manicured grounds, friendly and helpful staff, rooms and facilities, Activities Office and dining experiences at Cassia Restaurant. We truly hope to welcome you back to Ilala Lodge Hotel for a return visit in the future! Warm Regards, Jane Masamba
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I cannot say enough about this lodge. My husband and I are from the United States and came to Zim to visit with his family who live here in Zim. On short notice we were able to book rooms enough for 16 people and were accommodated without any issues. We were able to easily arrange airport transportation to and from the Vic Falls airport through the hotel (for an extra charge) as well as the Sunset River Cruise, which I highly recommend (the ambiance is luxurious and we saw so many hippos!) The concierge was also able to arrange taxis for us to other parts of the town - the drivers were all professional and wonderful people.
The rooms were beautiful. We visited in winter, and though there is no heat in the rooms - with the bedding and blankets we were not cold at all! The bathrooms are well equipped. We had no issues with hot water. The rooms overlook a well kept lawn that antelopes, impala, and warthogs graze on!
There was one evening when the internet was spotty, but this was easily remedied with obtaining a new access code. The WiFi signal was reasonable throughout the lodge.
The on-site restaurant serves top quality food. The staff was wonderful and attentive. The concierge also can make reservations to other area restaurants (we tried Dusty Roads and Boma, both of which serve traditional Zimbabwean food and we highly recommend as well).
Overall I cannot say enough good things about this lodge. We and the family loved the experience and would happily travel here again.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We recently stayed for 2 nights in an upstairs deluxe double room in this beautiful location with views towards the mist of the Victoria Falls, waking each morning to the sunrise in front of us. Our room was spacious, bed so comfortable, and bathroom amenities plentiful. The breakfast buffet had a wonderful variety with many hot choices of eggs, pancakes, etc. Staff were quick and attentive to our needs and made us feel very welcome during our stay, especially when one evening when it was slightly cooler, we requested that our outdoor dining table which had been set for our group of 11 be relocated indoors. The location on the edge of the village made walking anywhere in town easy, especially the Victoria Falls arts & crafts centre located right behind the hotel. The hotel is also the closest to the entrance of the Victoria Falls National Park, meaning a 10 minute easy stroll. An unexpected bonus was seeing a hippopotamus grazing on the lawn one evening, which hotel security ensured that everyone maintained a safe distance.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Sleep with your curtains open, so you can wake to the glorious sunrises.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jane Masamba, General Manager at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 7 Sept 2023
Dear B1373IManneb, Greetings from Victoria Falls! Thank you for choosing to stay at Ilala Lodge Hotel during your visit to Zimbabwe and for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback. We are so glad to read your outstanding compliments on our rooms, breakfast, attentive staff, and location of the hotel. How amazing to have seen a hippopotamus grazing on the Ilala lawns during one of your evenings with us. We truly hope to welcome you back to Ilala one day for a return visit! Kind Regards, Jane Masamba
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The hotel is set in lovely grounds. Staff are really friendly and helpful. The Rooms are clean and of good standard. We saw a hippo grazing on the grass one evening just outside our ground floor room. We also saw elephants drinking from the water hole Great location to the falls, only $5 for a taxi . Reception will call a taxi. You can hear the thunder of falls from the hotel and see the mist, yes there are helicopters flying over the hotel but being that close to the falls you would expect it Breakfast was really good, with great a choice. Overall we loved the location of the hotel and the helpful staff
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sara Ellis, Other at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 6 May 2024
Dear Tessa, A very good morning to you from the majestic Victoria Falls. Thank you so much for choosing to Ilala as your base whilst here and for taking the time to leave us such a great review. We are absolutely delighted that you had such an enjoyable stay with us and even got to see a hippo and a herd of elephants. How special! We are so glad you enjoyed the location and got to hear the beautiful roar of the falls. Thank you so much for making special mention of our staff too. We look most forward to welcoming you in the future. Very warmest regards, The Ilala Lodge Hotel Team
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Spent three nights here. Location allows you to walk to Victoria Falls or the local town unlike most accommodation where you are bussed in.
Rooms are spacious and pleasant with generous balconies and mini bars. Great wildlife viewing from here including hippos every night.
The thing that lets the place down is the restaurant. We had dinner here on the first night. It was pretentious and the food was confusing - too many flavours (ostrich doesn't need popcorn and candied fruit on it!). We also had breakfast here. The food was uncovered and flies were all over it (hygiene aspects should be resolved at the price people are paying and it would be an easy win). The first day I had a piece of plastic in my drink and on the second day the juice had gone off. Also asked for a change to my breakfast order which they acknowledged and then didn't provide.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sara Ellis, Other at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 4 Dec 2023
Dear neeq27, A very good morning to you from Victoria Falls. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed the proximity to the Falls and the town, as well our spacious rooms and mini bars and that you got to see some lovely wildlife during your stay too. We sincerely value your feedback regarding the issues you experienced in the restaurant and have elevated them to our Food and Beverage Manager who will be in contact with you directly for further information. We hope to welcome you back to our special part of the world one day in the future. Very warmest regards, The Ilala Lodge Hotel Team
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We had a wonderful two nights at Ilala Lodge. The room was very confortable and the setting was perfect - we could see the spray from Victoria Falls in the distance from our room. There was also a range of pubs within walking distance and we had a couple of great meals out in the evenings. The staff were wecoming and hospitable and made every effort to make our stay as pleasant as possible. The breakfast was great with a range of drinks and food available, There was a small pool which was lovely to make use of after a tour of the Falls A great place to stay.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Try the Dusty Road restaurant and the Boma experience. Great fun!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jane Masamba, General Manager at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 25 Oct 2023
Dear helenhuntley2017, Greetings from Victoria Falls! Thank you for choosing to stay at Ilala lodge Hotel during your travels to Zimbabwe and for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback! We are so glad to hear you lovely commendations on our comfortable rooms, view of the spray of the falls, hospitable staff and great breakfasts. We truly hope to welcome you back to Ilala for a return visit in the future. Warm Regards, Jane Masamba
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This hotel is located in the heart of Victoria Falls, which made walking to shops and restaurants very easy. The rooms are clean and beds are comfortable. The restaurant provides a large selection of dishes at both breakfast and dinner with a smaller selection at lunch, as most people are out during the day, but the best aspect and what sets this establishment apart from the others is the wonderful staff, from check in to room cleaners and bar staff all perform their duties diligently and with a smile and a positive attitude. Peter D.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jane Masamba, General Manager at Ilala Lodge Hotel
Responded 26 Nov 2024
Dear preduffy, A very good afternoon to you from the majestic Victoria Falls. Thank you for choosing to stay with us at Ilala and for taking the time to leave us such a great review. We are delighted that you thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of your stay with us. We hope to welcome you back again one day in the near future. Very warmest regards, The Ilala Lodge Hotel Team
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great facility,very large,very well maintained.in the evening can watch hippos in front of the terrace while grazing. eat very well and plentiful. cards are recognized.just next to hotel good shopping..priced higher than in nam.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sorry, I don't know about the laundry for sure, as I didn't need it, but I think I have seen something.
The Wifi is free and worked very well for me (but I have not streamed any movies during my stay).
Hi there - it is always suggested to have a rough itinerary pre-booked before you arrive, that way you are guaranteed not to miss out on anything. Please contact our online reservations for assistance with booking these.
Hi Shirley,
The hotel doesn’t have a self service laundry available - however, our team in the hotel laundry are happy to wash and iron your personal items. There is a small fee for this service which can be billed to your room and settled upon checkout with cash or credit card.
There are more places to choose from in the Victoria Falls area.
PRICE RANGE
£262 - £528 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
ilala hotel victoria falls
LOCATION
ZimbabweMatabeleland North ProvinceVictoria Falls
NUMBER OF ROOMS
73
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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ILALA LODGE HOTEL - Updated 2025 Reviews, Photos & Prices
Frequently Asked Questions about Ilala Lodge Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Ilala Lodge Hotel?
Nearby attractions include The Victoria Falls Theatre (0.1 miles), Victoria Falls Snake Park (0.08 miles), and Elephant's Walk Shopping And Artist's Village (0.10 miles).