Reviews of Royal Livingstone Hotel

"The view of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya) from the Royal Livingstone Hotel is very picturesque no matter where you sit outside at the hotel. Our favorite place was at the end of the swimming pool in a lounge chair. There are zebras wandering the grounds and they keep the very green grass clipped short. Impala and giraffes are a bit more shy.

We found the service impeccable at the Livingstone. Our room was immaculate and, though not very large, it was very nicely furnished and had a patio with a table and chairs that also provided a nice place to watch the sun set over the river.

Check-in was very efficient and accompanied by their signature iced tea (very delicious). The hotel wasn’t very crowded when we visited at the end of October, which was very nice. The property is very spread out with a large indoor and outdoor bar area. There were several dining locations. The Old Drift restaurant is more formal with indoor and outdoor seating options. The food was outstanding. The breakfast buffet is served here in the mornings and was very good. Kubu restaurant is outdoor dining (dinner only) on a deck just along the Zambezi River. It it a very pretty location and the food is not as formal here, but it sure was delicious.

A very friendly staff member took us on a bit of an impromptu walking safari our first morning and showed us the giraffes, impala and zebras. The second morning we made the 10-minute walk to the Zambian side of Victoria Falls to view them. It was low water, but the views from the Zambian side at Danger Point are beautiful and we did see a magnificent rainbow at Rainbow Falls. The view of the Victoria Falls Bridge is also quite nice. After touring the falls we took the Boiling Pot Trail down to the Zambezi River. It is quite a steep and rocky trail. We sat and watched the rafting groups put in and float down the river. It was shady and cool and quite a nice experience. There is no charge for entering the park from the hotel.

The Royal Livingstone was a perfect stop for us between safaris in Zimbabwe/Zambia and Botswana. It was nice to sleep late for a couple of mornings and not be on a schedule. We will stay there again." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 10n in Botswana; 6n in Zimbabwe

"Extremely beautiful location right on the edge of Victoria Falls.

Zebras, antelope, and giraffes wander through the hotel's grounds." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia

"We were very happy we chose the Royal Livingstone Hotel for our third trip to the Victoria Falls area. It’s a lovely hotel with very comfortable rooms and excellent service.

We particularly enjoyed the location which has allowed us to stroll over to view the falls and which meant we had a lovely view of the Zambezi river from our room. Another highlight for us was the outdoor bar down near the river where we could see the “smoke“ from the falls in the distance and hippos across the way. The activities desk was very helpful in booking several activities for us (Sunset cruise, Livingston’s island/Devils Pool, and elephant café).

The complementary ride on the Royal Livingston Express train that was included in our booking was lots of fun." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 4n in Malawi

"Excellent location made repeated free visits to Victoria Falls possible. The flow over the falls was low because of successive low rainfall in wet season.
Free roaming zebra, giraffes along with impala and baboons in the grounds.

Lovely view of Zambezi river from our room.

We had a problem with our room which management addressed less promptly than would have been desired." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia; 2n in South Africa

"Luxurious but welcoming accommodation. Great location with prime view of the Zambesi river, definitely a plus, as well as easy access to the Zambian side of the Falls.

Attentive service, helpful staff assisted in arranging self trip to the Zimbabwe side of the Falls. Ideal start of the Southern Africa journey after the long flight. Wildlife on premises also a great introduction pre-safaris, e.g. zebras, giraffes, impalas, mongooses, monkeys as well as hippos in the river." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia

"The Royal Livingstone is a high quality hotel in a perfect position on the banks of the Zambezi above the Victoria Falls. Whilst the main objective was to see the falls again and relax for a day or two between our safari in Botswana and the long trip home, we did fit in a walking safari in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park where they have all the big animals including white rhino that are guarded 24/7 without any predators. To get close to the Rhino on foot was great.

A great base to see the falls." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia

"We arrived at Victoria Falls and wanted to treat ourselves by immediately upgrading from the Avani to the Royal Livingstone Hotel

The hotel was really lovely with great food, terrific service and of course an outstanding view!

I wept when we arrived at the waterfalls, such an incredible experience which reminded me of my insignificance on the planet and the awe of the natural world.

We loved our microlight experience over the falls, one we will never forget!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia

"The Royal Livingstone boasts stunning, colonial-style decor and a magnificent location alongside the Zambezi. We spent many an afternoon lounging on the sundeck, drinks in hand, admiring the beautiful river views, and listening to the thunderous power of the Falls.

The rooms are comfortable, with safe-to-drink tap water and views of the river (not to mention views of our zebra and impala friends, too!). The hotel is a short walk to the Victoria Falls park, where we ventured to get close-up views of the Falls (or at least, experience the mist given the volume of water contributing to the Falls).

However, the level of service was not reflective of a five-star property. The staff, while friendly, were a bit robotic, delivered incorrect items at meal services, and could have been more attentive. Aside from the breakfast spread, which was vast, the meals on offer were mediocre (though, we did enjoy the meal on the Livingstone Express). Ironically, after each meal, the staff provided guests with feedback cards; however, one felt compelled to not only provide a review, but a positive one at that, given the waitstaff hovered over you as you filled the card out." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia

"The staff were very well trained - as at Machaba. Only the 'major-domo' was a bit of a pain although not offensively so! We had room 5100, which with 5101 -2-3, had doors that opened directly onto the parkland in front of the river. Often we would wake to see impala or zebra no more than 15 metres away." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 4n in Zambia

"Celebrating our anniversary in this fantastic hotel was like a dream.

It was marvelous and we've been treated as members of the Royal family would have been.

Our romantic dinner in front of the Zambezi river was unforgettable!

Victoria falls were beautiful even during the dry season." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 6n in Botswana