African SunLimited – anoption forevery traveller

African Sun Limited (ASL) was first established in 1952 as Rhodesia and Nyasaland Hotels (Private) Limited, which became Meikles Southern Sun Hotels in 1979 and was renamed Zimbabwe Sun in 1980 after Independence, which was later rebranded to ASL in 2008. With over 50 years of experience in the tourism and leisure industry, ASL is undoubtedly the leading hotel investment company in the local hospitality business. They offer a broad stable of hotels, resorts, casinos and timeshare operations, located in all the major cities and tourist attraction areas across Zimbabwe. The company is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and is an important part of the Zimbabwe Industrial Index.

There are four main divisions of the company –

Resort Hotels based in the main tourist attractions including Elephant Hills Resort and Conference Centre, The Kingdom at Victoria Falls, Caribbea Bay Resort in Kariba, Hwange Safari Lodge and Great Zimbabwe Hotel in Masvingo.

City and Country Hotels including Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga, Holiday Inns in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare as well as Monomotapa Hotel, also in Harare.

Sun Leisure Tours provides a variety of luxury vehicles offering safe, convenient and reliable airport and inter-city transfers as well as professional guided tours and activities in Zimbabwe’s major towns and tourist attractions. The group also operates 2 casinos under Sun Leisure, Harare Sun Casino, a charity casino located at the Harare Show Grounds and Makasa Sun Casino within The Kingdom at Victoria Falls Hotel.

But perhaps the most glittering jewel in their crown is the Victoria Falls Hotel Partnership jointly operated with Meikles Hospitality. The grand old Victoria Falls Hotel is a 5 star establishment recognised as one of the leading hotels of the world.

For this edition we’ll focus on ASL’s Victoria Falls holdings but we’ll take a look at their other properties in future issues.

Elephant Hills Resort and Conference Centre boasts 276 rooms including a Presidential suite, 1 deluxe suite, 11 Executive suites, 261 Luxury rooms and 2 Paraplegic Access rooms. All rooms are tastefully decorated with hints of ethnic style creating a combination of African ambience with comfort and elegance. There are four in-house restaurants to choose from: Samukele – carvery which has traditional entertainment in the evenings, Kasibi Terrace which has a buffet or a la carte options, Mapopoma Lounge which is more informal, and the outdoor Pool Area. In addition, there’s 24-hour room service which includes full meals, light snacks and vegetarian options. There are also three fully stocked bars in the hotel.

Passage leading to rooms pass through open green spaces and views of the modern geometric lifts.

The Presidential Suite

Leather inspired comfort and serene

Boadroom Setup

Close up of bedding luxury

Panoramic views from the Presidential Suite

Apart from the great views of the river and the abundance of wildlife which can be viewed, the main attraction is the 18-hole golf course designed by the legendary Gary Player himself. The hotel offers a number of other activities and facilities including tennis and squash courts, a fully equipped gym, as well as a hair and beauty salon. They also have a Tours desks situated in the hotel offering a range of activities like sunset cruises, safaris and game drives.

Elephant Hills Resort and Conference Centre has successfully hosted global conferences such as Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the Solar Summit in the 90s, the 20th Session of the UNWTO Assembly in 2013, Routes Africa and the 34th SADC Summit in 2014 and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Forum on Sustainable Development Goals in 2020. The resort has 8 conference rooms, with seating capacities ranging from 14 to 500 delegates and up to 7000 delegates for an outdoor setup.

text by Michael Nott | photos by Fotohaus

From DESTINATION ZW EDITION 1