Laid out around two swimming pools and beautifully manicured gardens that are home to museum-quality Shona sculptures, the colonial style Bronte has long been the Harare hotel of choice for NGOs, friends of ex-pats and savvy business travelers. The Avenues neighborhood location is ideal for doing business: it just east of the CBD proper, but still within walking distance, offering the accessibility of downtown with the comfort and space of suburbia.

The four room classes, all housed in low-slung buildings centered around a pool and interior courtyard, feature pleasing but very traditional colonial décor with comfortable beds and up-to-date amenities like flat-screen TVs. There is no air-con, however Harare’s climate rarely requires it, and overhead fans plus Victorian-era high ceilings keep the air circulating. The included breakfast is on par with other top-end Harare hotels, and should you feel like dining in-house, two restaurants oblige. Emmanuels, the more formal option, prides itself on its selection of local, wild game dishes and more. The Palms, where breakfast is served, offers a range of Western dishes in a casual buffet setting. The Wild Date Bar, which is adjacent to the Palms, offers imported wine, beer and a range of liquors.

With limited in-house computers and printing capabilities, and no high-tech conference room, the Bronte isn’t the best pick if you need these types of services. But the hotel’s Wi-Fi is fast and free, and there are a number of print/copy shops in the CBD that the staff will be happy to direct you towards.

What the Bronte may lack in business facilities, it makes up for in beauty and peacefulness. The surrounding gardens, filled with trees, ponds, shrubs and two swimming pools, offer a delightful respite from city life. And despite its proximity to the city center, it provides a decidedly non-high-rise environment.