Suite | In-room dining

Reviews of The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel

3.5 out of 5
The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel
Nakavango Estate, Ursula Road, Victoria Falls

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 35 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 40 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 40 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.8/10

Amenities

9.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

John

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A hidden gem that recreates the essence of Victoria Falls
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Roddy Meiring, General Manager on Feb 22, 2024
Thanks so much John for your kind words. We are certainly blessed to be in such an incredible location. We do hope you will join us again.

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Elegant suites away from the city very quiet and relaxing.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Roddy Meiring, General Manager on Jan 30, 2024
Thank you so much for the review. We are glad you loved your stay. We truly love our location, it's an adventure in itself. We hope you will visit again.All the best!

10/10 Excellent

Tammy

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Service was outstanding, the hotel is beautiful and the game viewing was some of the best of our 2 week trip - we saw 3 Black Rhino's at very close range! Outstanding!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Roddy on Jun 12, 2023
Thank you so much for the kind words, and for supporting our black rhino conservation experience. We are glad you loved Stanley & Livingstone, and we hope to see you again for some more Victoria Falls adventures.Kind regardsRoddy Meiring, General Manager

10/10 Excellent

Helene

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A beautiful hotel in the bush… the staff were all lovely & the setting is idyllic. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Dionne Mutsonziwa, Hotel Manager on Mar 29, 2023
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We are incredibly blessed to have such a perfect location. We are so glad you loved your stay and hope to see you again.All the best.

10/10 Excellent

N.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
FABULOUSLY FABULOUS!!!!
Absolutely fabulous!!! Don't ever think of staying anywhere else; this is THE place!!
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Alan Rose, General Manager on Jan 8, 2023
We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.We hope to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautifully styled, incredible staff, food and beverages are top-notch. A must-stay hotel!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Seonaidgh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Alan Bailes on May 30, 2022
Thank you for taking the time to rate us and for your outstanding rating of our property. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Located in a fabulous setting , yet oly 20 minutes from the town and the wondrous falls
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Horace, San Francisco, CA

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a wonderful stay here. The property was beautifully designed and decorated, and the incredibly attentive and friendly staff took great care of us. Only sixteen villas on the property meant that it felt very private and exclusive. We didn’t have time to do any of the game drives, but the watering hole on the property provided several opportunities to see the wildlife. The food was acceptable, but we we wished the menu were more diverse — it was almost entirely Western. We would’ve loved to explore more local fare.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Corinna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous
Unbelievably fantastic! Beautiful, 1st class service and accommodation
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Service was excellent. The staff are polite and very professional. They could increase their options of drinks but the food was lovely.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Entire experience went well above expectations. Peaceful, serene and comfortable. Every detail was not overlooked.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Hotel team on Oct 18, 2019
Thank you for the feedback. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your stay with us and were well taken care of.

10/10 Excellent

Albert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome Victoria Falls
Polished discreet staff. Fantastic suites overlooking a waterhole with wildlife traffic through the day. Well stocked honor bar. Restaurant staff accommodated last minute ethnic fusion requests without fuss.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Kishene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Chetty6
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Out of Africa Luxury
The Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel was everything and more that we could have imagined and made our stay at Victoria Falls very special. Our room was five star with a balcony overlooking the waterhole where Zebra's and Antelope grazed and the grounds were perfectly manicured and absolutely stunning. The staff were amazing and Clive the manager sorted out some South African Visa issues we were having. The main lodge, bars, restaurant, lounges, food, wine list were absolute world class and we were amazed that such high standards of service could be provided in what is a very remote area of Africa.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything wa superp in this hotel best best best real 5 star hotel
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Stanley & Livingstone team on Jan 25, 2019
Thank you for your kinds words. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely place to stay on the game reserve.
We loved our stay here. All the staff looked after us very well. Thank you.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017
Thank you Anne for the valued feedback, we are glad you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Keith, Maputo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place; amazing staff
We only booked for one night ... but within an hour of arriving, we extended to two. It was the perfect place to relax ... and to visit Vic Falls ... and to watch wildlife. Superb facilities; wonderful rooms; courteous staff who were always willing to talk with us - offering advice on our trip, giving insights into the hotel, talking about life in Zimbabwe, etc, We are reluctant to leave ... it has been so great. We cannot recommend it highly enough.

10/10 Excellent

Ross, West Virginia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Watch African wildlife from your room.
Hotel is situated inside a 6,000 acre game reserve. The hotel tries to replicate the period of Stanley and Livingston. Suite was beautiful and well maintained. The setting was idyllic. Grounds were very well groomed. The dining menu was very nice and provided the ability to taste african wild game. The kudu was wonderful.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely worth it!
I was visiting Harare and decided to make a quick trip to Victoria Falls. As soon as I arrived, I immediately realized this was not a place anyone should plan only a 1 night trip to. The hotel offers complimentary shuttle to/fro the airport and around Victoria Falls village. Upon arrival at the hotel, a staff immediately showed up at the entrance with a fresh damp towel for my face and a pretty flower obtained from one of the trees around. The lobby was furnished Victorian style and was a sight to behold! Check in was very quick and while my bag was being taken to my room, the receptionist showed me around. Another staff showed up with a glass of chilled fruit cocktail. Life saver...I was dehydrated! The rooms are chalet-style and mine was a suite...exquisitely furnished Victorian style with a bedroom, living room, huge bathroom and balcony that overlooked the wild where you can spot animals if they pass by. There was a personalized welcome message on the reading desk and some fresh fruits. I loved loved loved the bathtub! The living room had books and magazines on the neighborhood and travel in general. There were also two vintage bookshelves/library with some classics and historical books. Breakfast was amazing and you can have it on a terrace overlooking the wild where you can spot game. The hotel helped book all my tours and the staff were unbelievably helpful and you can instantly tell they enjoy their jobs and are pleased to ensure you have a wonderful stay.

10/10 Excellent

Mrs Emelina, Coventry Uk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay
Relaxing and peaceful

10/10 Excellent

Warren, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We were meet on arrival our activities for our stay were arranged in this lovely Victoria era room. Our chalet was in the Victoria style with three large rooms, bathroom, bedroom, lounge with patio which overlooked the game reserve where we could watch the animals. The reserve is breeding rhinos so you should see them on a game drive which we did. Breakfast was on sundeck terrace overlooking the waterhole where you can watch the animals. Dinner is a fixed menu which is changed daily which we enjoyed, you can also order what you want. The lodge is about 10kms from Victoria Falls and lodge will take to town and back. The currency to take Zimbabwe US dollars and South Africa Rand in small notes for tips etc.

10/10 Excellent

Miah, Coventry, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Holiday in Zimbabwe
The stay was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble to them. The hotel room was as described. I highly recommend it.

10/10 Excellent

Mel, Torquay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Top resort
Everything very good Food a little basic Staff excellent

8/10 Good

João, Lisbon

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely Victoria Falls hotel in the African bush
We had a lovely time in this beautiful hotel. Rooms very spacious and comfortable. One bad thing were the mosquitoes that made our nights less peaceful.Staff very gentle, helpful and competent.We could enjoy both the African bush and closeness to the mighty Victoria Falls.

10/10 Excellent

Andrew, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great end to our honeymoon
We stayed here at the end of our honeymoon. The reserve is about 20 minutes drive away from the Victoria Falls, and is incredibly safe. The hotel overlooks a watering hole - we saw zebra, cape buffalo, and baboons while relaxing by the pool! The room was luxurious and comfortable. The staff are helpful and friendly - they organised all of our activities and transfers while we were staying. I definitely recommend the Chobe day trip, game drive, sunset cruise, and guided tour of the falls. Note - food and alcohol is extremely expensive due to local taxes and tipping culture. Expect to add US$150 per day for two, excluding activities.

10/10 Excellent

Thomas, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place to stay. Everything was perfect

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Gem at Victoria Falls
Outstanding customer service Beautiful grounds Great game park on site Food is satisfactory but pricey

8/10 Good

Michael, Austin, TX, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very unique + great service but a tad disappointed
It's all about expectations... My mother had stayed here and raved about it. She told me that the water hole was worth the splurge alone, and when I saw I could have a room for ~$160, I jumped at the chance.... Turns out the S&L is really two separate hotels. One (the lodge) is a 5-star experience, with gorgeous rooms and a beautiful lodge, and the other, the Ursula (where I stayed) is more like 3.5 stars. I should have known that ahead of time, but the website doesn't really make it explicit. My little bungalow was very basic -- no TV, basic carpeting, hostel-style shower, etc. I even had the impression I could mosey between the two properties and experience some of the lodge (meals, pool, etc) despite being a guest at Ursula. That's not the case (they don't even let you walk between the two -- you have to schedule a shuttle even though it's only about 100 meters). The other thing the website should mention is that the animals aren't at the water hole half the year. So, I paid largely for the chance to gaze out my veranda at elephants & giraffes, but turns out that only happens during the dry season... All that said, this is a classy place with great service. A few of the staff members haven't quite nailed the concept of "Western" service, but they'll mostly go out of their way to accommodate you and make sure you're having a great stay.

8/10 Good

Marius, Belgium

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good hotel for seeing the Victoria Falls
I stayed only 24h on site then is difficult for me to judge. Nevertheless everybody was doing his best for making my stay pleasant.

10/10 Excellent

Geoff and Debbie White, spalding UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
fantastic stay at a dream hotel
Despite an initial misunderstanding the management quickly ironed out any issues and turned our stay at the Stanley and Livingstone into a wonderful 3 night stay.the staff, Vincent and Moline were superb. the Hotel is a few miles from the town itself and the falls, but don't be put off by that, really its a super place, a colonial feel and an abundance of wildlife and exceptional staff. The food in the hotel is some of the best food we have eaten during our 3 weeks stay in southern Africa! We will be back for sure!! thanks again for everything!

10/10 Excellent

Hudds traveller, Huddersfield

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect location, excellent service!
The hotel has a colonial look, but with every modern convenience, including the internet. The staff are very attentive and willingly arrange transfers and activities for you. We were only there for one night , but it would be an ideal place to combine relaxation with a range of activities. It was 30C in August but not oppressive. The hotel is located outside of Victoria Falls which is a real benefit. It is in the bush about a ten minute ride from town and has its own water hole which attracted a range of animals for great photo opportunities. Transfers to and from Victoria Falls were easily arranged on request. Well worth a visit.

10/10 Excellent

Cindy, Cleveland, OH

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best and first international trip
As stated earlier the staff was very friendly and the hotel was immaculate. Believe me I looked, because the hotel we came from in Cape Town was beautiful and I was ready to be let down and kept my expectations low, but no need. I loved it except for the fold away bed, not comfortable. There were three of us girls. We rotated the three nights we were there. I just got more than I expected with the accomdations. We did have to pay for lunch at the lodge and you have to pay for transport after one on the house transfer. That is ridiculous considering there the only game around if you want to go to town. This was a once in a lifetime trip for me so I planned on spending so no problem. The staff more than made up for anything I felt was superfluous in the way of charges. I like the quiet and secludedness of the S and L. I viisited the VF hotel beautiful, but a lot of people. The lodge is intimate even though full while we were there it didn't feel that way. Again bring cash, dollars, rand, or euros, not ATM, bank, or credit cards accepted. Do the helicoptor flight over the falls and the Zambezi River cruise, breathtaking!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
It was great
This is a lodge not a hotel and its on a reserve so you can see all the aninmals such as elephants, springbok, and baboons behind a fence so your safe while the aninmals are free. The rooms were great two twin beds that were very comfortable and beautiful bathroom. There is a sleeper sofa that is not so comfortable to accomadate up to 2 more. The staff was great and was sad to see us leave. The location is about 5-7 minutes from the falls and they will transport you. You get one complimentary trip on your stay and then $* per person per trip. We only used once the other days we had tours and they will come get you as part of tour. Nice and intimate would stay again in a heartbeat.

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Exceptional boutique hotel. All the staff want to make your stay memorable…..they achieve it with flying couleurs. Congratulations.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Dionne Mutsonziwa, Hotel Manager on Mar 27, 2023
Thank you so much David for your kind words. They are truly appreciated by our team. We do hope you will find another opportunity to stay with us.All the best!

6/10 Okay

gino

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022
Response from Alan Rose, General Manager on Jan 8, 2023
Don't hesitate to contact our team with your feedback.dionne@stanleyandlivingstone.co.zw and/or alan@stanleyandlivingstone.co.zw

10/10 Excellent

Fabiana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel maravilhoso
Excelente equipe!Nossa estadia foi maravilhosa, já sinto saudades.

8/10 Good

Jukka

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paikka oli hiljainen ja kaunis, hotellin ruoka erittäin hyvää. Henkilokunta ystävillinen ja palvelualtis. Huono sää satki vähän muuten hyviä retkiä.

10/10 Excellent

Ann, Stockholm

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Avkopplande med egen kock
Utmärkt service. Trevlig personal. Härligt läge med utsikt i det vilda där djuren vistas. Lugnt och skönt, med max 8 gäster samtidigt där vi bodde på Ursulas Camp. Egen kock där du fick beställa vad du ville till den tid som passar dig. Bil service som hämtar och lämnar dig där du vill. Enda anmärkning är att poolen kunde vara insektsfyllda och att dushens strålar inte var så bra.