09/07/2020
The Victoria Falls Hotel, of old hotels and unmatched luxury. https://www.bestofkaza.com/torchbearer/kaza-tfca/of-old-hotels-and-unmatched-luxury/
Regarded as one of the best hotels within the KAZA- TFCA, the Victoria Falls Hotel is not only a hotel but a tourist attraction in its own right. The grand Edwardian era hotel that opened its doors on 8 June 1904, was to be destroyed soon after the completion of the Victoria Falls Bridge, as it had been agreed that no building was to remain within the vicinity of the Victoria Falls. The newly founded town of Livingstone, just north of the Zambezi, was to be home to all new developments.
Originally built as staff quarters for Rhodesia railways staff working on the construction of the Victoria Falls bridge. The story of the Victoria Falls can be likened to that of an unwanted pregnancy, that eventually gave birth to a great leader.
Arrival at Victoria Falls – the original railway line ran in front of the Hotel
The arrival of the railway from Capetown to Victoria Falls in 1904, sparked the growth of Victoria Falls into a small town. The hotel’s bar soon became a popular place amongst the railway workers. This was met with much resistance by the residents of Livingstone, just North of the Zambezi, led by Robert Coryndon the Administrator of North-Western Rhodesia.
However, once established it proved impossible to stop its expansion and by 1905 traffic to the small town had increased tremendously and so was the need to expand the hotel. This prompted the Railway to dismantle two of its locomotive shed in Beira and send them to Victoria Falls. One of the sheds was converted into accommodation facilities, and the second one turned into a dining hall.
Victoria Falls Hotel Annex
Percy Clark described the hotel in one of his memoirs written in 1934 “The hotel, in the beginning, was simply a long structure of wood and iron containing a dining room and bar, bedrooms and offices. Later on, it was enlarged by the addition of two large engine sheds removed from railway headquarters. One of these was converted into a dining room and the other into bedrooms. Later still two annexes of wood and iron were put up, complete with bathrooms… In the hot weather the rooms were ovens, and in the cold, refrigerators – but nobody grumbled much. After all, what could one expect in the heart of Africa?”
The hotel was managed by Pierre Gavuzzi, an Italian who once managed the Grand Hotel in Bulawayo. Together with a French Chef, an American Barman, and Indian waiters the ran the hotel.
The prominence of the hotel was to be further bolstered in 1905 by two major events, the Zambezi Regatta which was held in June 1905, saw competitors and spectators coming from all over the southern region, resulting in overbooking of the hotel. This was followed by the official opening of the Victoria Fall bridge in September of the same year, turning the hotel into a popular watering hole.
The First Annual Zambezi Regatta , 1905
It is during this time that the railway line ran right in from of the hotel before it was swept away in a rainstorm in 1909. The railway line was then rerouted to run behind the Hotel as it is currently.
In 1920 a hand operated railway trolley service to the Rainforest entrance was built to following the original railway line. The trolley had a capacity too carry up to eight passengers. The downhill journey to the Falls was the easy part with gravity playing a major role. The return journey required the shear power of two men to push it uphill. In is 37 years of operation the trolley service had carried over 37 years. The Trolley has since found a new home at the Railway Museum in Bulawayo, were it can be viewed.
Hand operated trolley service from 1920 to 1957
The Victoria Falls Hand Trolley, now at Bulawayo Railway Museum
Over the years the hotel has grown both is size and reputation, as one of the leading hotels in the region. The Victoria Falls hotel now features deluxe suites with magnificent views of the Zambezi gorges and spray from the Falls. The Stanley Terrace overlooks the Victoria Falls Bridge and is an ideal place to relax and enjoy afternoon tea. Beautifully manicured lawns, lily ponds, and shade trees complete the picture of this leading hotel found in the heart of the KAZA-TFCA.
High Tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel
Today the hotel offers sunset river cruises for the romantic and can arrange guided game drives, as well as helicopter flights over the Falls. The Victoria Falls Hotel undoubtedly stands out as a Torch Bearer for the hoteliers in the KAZA-TFCA.
The Court Yard
Additional Information
143 Rooms(Suites 18), Business Centre, Hairdresser services, Babysitting, Fitness Center, Swimming Pool(s), Tennis Court & Wedding Chapel
Current photographs of the Luxurious Victoria Falls Hotel
Vintage photographs courtesy of www.tothevictoriafalls.com.
For more information on the Victoria Falls, you can visit them on http://www.victoriafallshotel.com/
