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Leonard Ncube, leonard.ncube@chronicle.co.zw
VICTORIA Falls’ luxury 5-star hotel, Stanley and Livingstone, has rebranded into one of the Minor Hotel group facilities to become the second-only hotel in Victoria Falls to associate with an international brand.
The only other hotel with an international brand in Victoria Falls is Mbano Manor Hotel, another 5-star luxury property that partnered with Mantis Collection to become Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis.
Stanley and Livingstone, located in a private game ranch just outside the resort city, officially became part of Minor Hotels on Sunday (December 1), parting ways with theformer brand, the More Family, which had operated the hotel since 2017 when it underwent a US$5 million upgrade then.
With 16 luxury suites, Stanley and Livingstone Hotel becomes the hotel by Minor Hotels in Zimbabwe and 13th in Africa.
Worldwide, the group has over 600 hotels in 56 countries.
In Southern Africa, Minor Hotels has facilities in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.
The group operates seven brands namely Anantara Hotel and Resort, Avan Hotels and Resort, Elewana Collection, NH Hotels and Resorts, Oaks Hotels and Resorts, NH Collection and Resorts, Nhaw Hotels and Resorts and Trivoki Hotels and Resorts.
Stanley and Livingstone becomes one of the Anantara brand facilities.
The official transformation was made public on Sunday when Minor Hotels Cluster general manager for Zambia and Zimbabwe, Mr Laurie Burr, cut the ribbon to announce new brand with a photoshoot with management and staff.
This is a major boost for Zimbabwe’s hospitality and tourism sector, as Minor Hotels makes a presence in the country with a commitment to contribute to skill set of the over 130 staff while also bringing innovations to the hotel.
In an interview at the hotel, Mr Burr said the new brand brings lots of positives to the facility and tourism industry in general.
“Today marks the official opening of the Anantara Stanley and Livingstone Hotel. This is part of Minor Hotels, an organisation with seven brands and Anantara is our luxury high-end brand contributing to the Stanley and Livingstone Hotel,” he said.
“We operate in 56 countries worldwide with 600 hotels and this is our first hotel in Zimbabwe. So, it is a great honour to be here in Zimbabwe and Stanley and Livingstone here in Victoria Falls,” said Mr Burr.
He said Zimbabwe has always enjoyed a very fruitful inbound tourism, especially with vast attractions, hospitality, and connectivity as shown by a dozen airlines flying into Victoria Falls each day.
Mr Burr said the new brand seeks to market the country’s tourism capital as a world destination of choice.
“What it means being in Zimbabwe is to elevate the current offerings and skills set within the team. This is an incredible country with incredible diversity, the people make the country welcoming hence Zimbabwe has a great future in terms of hospitality, which is why we are here,” he said.
“We are giving a destination like Victoria Falls a new era in terms of luxury travel into the country. As Minor Hotels, we have been operating for many decades and what comes into us is innovation, stabilisation, the brand means everything to us.
“The over 130 employees and joining Minor Hotels allows them to go on a development plan and our job is to support their growth. We need to share these experiences so that everybody sees this and boost tourism numbers in the country,” Mr Burr added.
He said engagements are already in place about the future of the hotel whose history resonates with the history of the city.
Mr Burr said besides upgrading the hotel, there will be cross-pollination of ideas and skills and exposure for everybody including workers who will have an opportunity to be spread across other hotels under the group.
Stanley and Livingstone is sitting on over 40 000ha of land and is the only hotel facility with the Big 5 in Victoria Falls.
It offers outdoor activities including interaction with wildlife, game drives and giving clients a full experience of the ‘Big Five’ because of the presence including the rhino.
The top deck 1871 Restaurant and below deck 1871 bar complete the list of Stanley and Livingstone’s basket that also includes private experience.
Stanley and Livingstone Hotel general manager Ms Dionne Mutsonziwa said the hotel has 135 workers across all its sections including anti-poaching and game reserve, contributing immensely to job creation and uplifting of livelihoods.
“As we bid farewell to the More Family, we are grateful for the contribution they made into who we are today as we continue to grow and evolve. We are the custodian of the Big 5 including the endangered black rhino,” she said. — @ncubeleon
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