A Six-Decade-Old Hotel Steps From Victoria Falls Just Landed a Major Luxury Rebrand
Hyatt is bringing its Grand Hyatt brand to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls, transforming a landmark that has stood for nearly 60 years.
Hyatt has signed an agreement to convert one of Victoria Falls' most established hotels into Grand Hyatt Victoria Falls The Kingdom, the company announced this week. The property, in the Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls, is set to reopen in late 2027 after an extensive renovation and will become just the second Hyatt-branded hotel in the country.
The building carries real history. It was originally constructed in 1966 and last redeveloped in 1999, and the deal — struck with an affiliate of Albwardy Investments — will give it a top-to-bottom design transformation in line with the Grand Hyatt brand. Once complete, the hotel is expected to offer 245 guestrooms, three dining venues, a spa and fitness center, a grand lobby lounge, and roughly 1,800 square meters of meeting and event space.
Location is the headline here. The hotel will sit closer to the entrance of Victoria Falls National Park than any other property on the Zimbabwean side of the border, putting guests about a five-minute walk from the rainforest surrounding the falls. Victoria Falls — a UNESCO World Heritage Site known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "The Smoke That Thunders" — is one of the planet's most dramatic natural attractions, and the surrounding town has become a compact hub for safari circuits, guided tours and cultural experiences. Victoria Falls International Airport is a 20-minute drive away.
The signing continues a steady push by major hotel groups into Africa's leisure and safari markets, where demand for branded luxury near marquee natural sites has climbed sharply. For travelers who have long stayed in independent lodges around the falls, a globally recognized flag with a loyalty program attached marks a notable shift for the destination.