Ilala lodge hotel completes $200k new plunge pool and poolside lounge

Ilala Lodge Hotel has today announced the completion of a new plunge pool and a new poolside lounge. The new features overlook breath-taking views of the mist that rises above one of the seven natural wonders of the world, in Zimbabwe's tourism capital, Victoria Falls.

The USD $200,000 investment took just under two months to complete and follows a number of significant renovations set to enhance guest experiences at the hotel. The addition of the new pool and lounge increases the hotel's entertainment and relaxing spaces by 172 square metres, and presents guests with a stylish, comfortable and serene setting in which to relax.

"We are experiencing an increasing number of guests visiting us from around the world as a result of a number of recent expansions and with this comes the demand for larger public areas," said Martin Vaughan, General Manager of Ilala Lodge Hotel.

"It is with great excitement that we announce the opening of a new plunge pool and an elegant new lounge at Ilala Lodge Hotel. Together, such developments provide a contemporary and sophisticated elevation to the hotel and its public spaces for guests, while continuing to reflect the elegance and charm that Ilala Lodge Hotel is best-known for," added Vaughan.

The plunge pool marks a modern addition to the existing swimming pool located on the newly refurbished deck above. While immersed in the cool waters of the plunge pool, guests can enjoy views of the spray that rises from the powerful Victoria Falls waterfall, known locally as ‘The Smoke that Thunders'.

Styled by Cape Town architects and interior designers, Zeanne + Goss, the poolside lounge overlooks both swimming pools and exudes a peaceful and sophisticated feel of understated elegance. The lounge is decorated with hand-crafted furniture and generously sized wall prints, representing palms and foliage in old-world botanical drawings.

Zeanne Duminy, Zeanne + Goss said, "When designing a space within an existing project and its interiors, it is always important to understand the energy, thread and feel of the spaces that have existed before the new. In the case of the Ilala Lodge Hotel poolside lounge, we wanted to compliment the elegance of the existing hotel – its heritage, its family-run thread – and to create a lounge that represented a home, a sanctuary and a welcome addition to a beautiful brand. We did not want to compete with the existing, but instead to fit elegantly and quietly into it."

Equipped with 73 stylish and well-appointed rooms, Ilala Lodge Hotel has undergone several recent expansions, including the addition of 16 deluxe guest rooms and the hotel's most luxurious suite to date, the new Strathearn Suite.

Ilala Lodge Hotel is home to the award-winning Palm Restaurant, famous for its gourmet cuisine. While enjoying al-fresco dining under the starry African skies, guests can listen to the rumble and see the spray from the mighty Victoria Falls waterfall.