The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara

This is a truly wonderful hotel. Customer service is consistently outstanding. The location is amazing and must be among the best in the world. From the zebras, giraffes and impala striding around the grounds to the fast flow of the Zambezi - not sure it gets better than this.

What a hotel. The location is just superb. To be next door to the Victoria Falls is such a bonus! The hotel is just beautiful. The site is well maintained. To be able to sit and have your breakfast with zebras and monkeys roaming free on the lawn is a...

What a hotel. The location is just superb. To be next door to the Victoria Falls is such a bonus! The hotel is just beautiful. The site is well maintained. To be able to sit and have your breakfast with zebras and monkeys roaming free on the lawn is a unique experience. The rooms are so relaxing. Facilities of the hotel superb. Staff extremely friendly, kind and attentive.

The Royal Livingstone is, without question, the most overrated and overpriced hotel I’ve ever had the misfortune of staying at. From the moment you arrive, it’s clear this place isn’t about delivering an exceptional experience—it’s about draining your wallet. The food? Terrible. Bland, uninspired, and completely unacceptable for a place...

The Royal Livingstone is, without question, the most overrated and overpriced hotel I’ve ever had the misfortune of staying at. From the moment you arrive, it’s clear this place isn’t about delivering an exceptional experience—it’s about draining your wallet. The food? Terrible. Bland, uninspired, and completely unacceptable for a place charging these prices. The service? An absolute joke—clumsy, slow, and uninterested. And then there’s the overcharging. Every little thing comes with a price tag so inflated it borders on criminal. I didn’t feel like a guest here—I felt like an ATM they were eager to empty. This isn’t luxury. This is a second-rate hotel dressing itself up with a fancy name and price tag, preying on people expecting world-class standards. Avoid this scam at all costs. You’ll save yourself a lot of money and an even bigger headache.

This was our second visit to Victoria Falls, having stayed previously in January 2019, on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. This time since we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary so we thought we would treat ourself to a bit of luxury on the Zambian side of the falls....

This was our second visit to Victoria Falls, having stayed previously in January 2019, on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. This time since we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary so we thought we would treat ourself to a bit of luxury on the Zambian side of the falls. The Royal Livingstone certainly lived up to expectations and the whole resort is very nicely done out in a colonial style building (even though it was only actually built 25 years ago). The reception area with it's fountain leads to views over the lawns, pool and the Zambezi. There is a main restaurant, but you can also get bar style food like burgers, sandwiches etc in the bar itself (for cheaper prices). The bar in particular is decorated beautifully and on certain evenings they have pianist playing as well, which adds to the ambience. The food at breakfast was outstanding, which you can enjoy overlooking the lawns & river. You have a choice of eggs and you can also help yourself to the buffet, which is probably one of the best buffets we have ever had. Everything from omelettes, to cereals, to cakes, to home made breads, fruits etc. You certainly won't go hungry! We only ate at the main restaurant one of our 3 nights and the food was decent. The bar food wasn't quite as good but that is to be expected considering it doesn't market itself as fine dining anyway. We only stayed in a standard room, so can't comment on the other rooms but thought it was nicely decorated with a very comfortable bed and a balcony overlooking the Zambezi and hotel grounds. Our only slight criticism was that the room was a little on the small side especially since there is a lot of furniture in it, but it was very nice & comfortable none the less. The highlight of the hotel for us was the grounds & pool area. It is manicured perfectly and if you are sat around the pool there is no need to even get up to order a drink as the staff walk around the pool taking drinks orders & bringing them over to you, so you really are treated like royalty. There is also a lovely deck area overlooking the river & you can see the mist from the falls in the distance. It's a fantastic place to have a drink watching the sunset. One evening we were still sat there once the sun had set & most of the other guests had gone up to the restaurant for dinner... all of a sudden two giraffes walked directly in front of us. It was like having our own private nature channel! Speaking of animals there are plenty of zebras & monkeys around the grounds and another afternoon a giraffe wandering past the pool & was hanging around the reception area. It was almost like Disneyland in Africa. And actually that is how we would describe the Royal Livingstone. It really is like Disneyland in Africa. Not with all the crowds of course, but it is a little bubble away from the reality of how the locals really live. If you walk across the border on the bridge & through passport control you will see the real Africa, which personally is something we like to experience & did last time we stayed in Victoria Falls town. The Royal Livingstone exists as it's own little oasis protected from the real Zambia outside, but that's not a bad thing it's just something to be aware of of course. We also enjoyed a walk down to the Zambian side of the Falls on our last morning. Entry is included in the hotel rate which is nice & you can walk there in 10 mins. The Falls were notably smaller & less dramatic this time around during the dry season versus when we last visited in the wet season, but it was nice to see them at different times of the year. We additionally arranged a day trip to Chobe in Botswana which we would thoroughly recommend. You can arrange this yourself for less cost than the hotel charges and the same is true of the airport transfer from Victoria Falls as the price quoted by the hotel was over 3 times what we paid with a private firm. This is a lovely hotel and we would gladly recommend to anybody wanted to experience some luxury in a beautiful part of the world.

A truly marvellous hotel in one of the most mystical places we have ever seen. The entire colonial-style hotel complex is an African dream. You can see directly onto the Zambezi from the beautiful rooms. The food - whether breakfast, lunch or dinner - was excellent. A real luxury hotel...

A truly marvellous hotel in one of the most mystical places we have ever seen. The entire colonial-style hotel complex is an African dream. You can see directly onto the Zambezi from the beautiful rooms. The food - whether breakfast, lunch or dinner - was excellent. A real luxury hotel that is absolutely worth the price. The service staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Our absolute favourite was Edward, the hotel's concierge: not only a helpful, extremely friendly and humorous man, but also simply a great person who told us a lot about the Zambezi way of life and demonstrated genuine hospitality. For his sake alone, we would stay at the Royal Livingstone Hotel again at any time.

Staying at Anantara Royal Livingstone was nothing short of magical. Nestled on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, just steps from the thundering Victoria Falls, the hotel offers a front-row seat to one of the world's greatest natural wonders—complete with zebras grazing on the lawns and mist from the...

Staying at Anantara Royal Livingstone was nothing short of magical. Nestled on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, just steps from the thundering Victoria Falls, the hotel offers a front-row seat to one of the world's greatest natural wonders—complete with zebras grazing on the lawns and mist from the falls drifting in the air. The colonial-style architecture and refined décor evoke a timeless elegance, while the rooms are luxurious, comfortable, and offer stunning river views. The attention to detail is impeccable—from the high tea on the riverside deck to the warm welcome with hand towels and local music. The staff were extraordinary—gracious, professional, and sincerely invested in making our stay special. Dining here was a delight, with delicious dishes that highlighted local flavors, and sunset cocktails by the river were unforgettable. One of the highlights was direct access to Victoria Falls via a private gate, making it easy to explore without the crowds. Add in the unique experiences like river cruises, spa treatments overlooking the water, and close encounters with wildlife—it all felt surreal. Anantara Royal Livingstone is a blend of African beauty, luxury, and adventure. It's a place that stirs the soul and leaves you dreaming long after you leave.

This hotel is beyond your expectations! Located in the middle of the National Park, next to the Victoria waterfalls, where you can listen the power of the water from your balcony and have your coffee with the accompaniment of giraffes, zebras or antelopes. The Zambezi river gives you unforgettable views,...

This hotel is beyond your expectations! Located in the middle of the National Park, next to the Victoria waterfalls, where you can listen the power of the water from your balcony and have your coffee with the accompaniment of giraffes, zebras or antelopes. The Zambezi river gives you unforgettable views, especially by the sunset! You have a warm welcome the minute you arrive, very nice choice of food and drinks in the restaurants and at the bar. And now, what makes the place even more special is the service. All the staff are extremely polite and helpful. Housekeeping service twice per day! Rooms are spacious, well equipped and decorated with style. I want to mention especially one name: Chola Kasengele - Guest Relation Executive, the treasure of the hotel! After visiting hundreds of hotels around the world, The Royal Livingstone will remain in our memories forever!