Stepping into the gracefully aging Bulawayo Club, which until recently was a gentleman’s club (women were only allowed into the bar in 2013), is like entering the Twilight Zone. From old photographs of British and white Zimbabwean royalty and gilded oil paintings of steeplechasers and hunting horses gracing the cavernous public spaces, to the in­room televisions with just two channels that can only be changed by reception, staying here feels like journeying back in time to colonial Rhodesia – with one major change: the management is African and blacks are more than welcome.

This relic from another era is right in Bulowayo’s CBD at the corner of 8th and Fort Sts., and if you can get past the faded colonial vibe, it is the best place to sleep in town. There are just 15 rooms, and each is a huge suite with sky­high Victorian­era ceilings, polished hardwood floors, blue curtains, and doors separating the bedroom from the sitting room. Décor is sparse, but the beds were comfortable and it is hard to beat the location – across the street from the court and parliament buildings and next to the Ministry of Defense – if you’re conducting business downtown. Be aware that when leaving the hotel, walking to the right of the High Court building is not safe – the area is rife with pickpockets – but heading left towards the Nandos and other downtown restaurants is fine. Wi­fi is fast and free, a full breakfast included in the rate, and there is an on­site restaurant and bar serving excellent fish and chips.