A large western-style hotel managed by South Africa’s excellent Sun Hotel Group (and part of the Intercontinental Hotels conglomerate), the four-star Crowne Plaza Monomotapa has been a CBD stalwart for decades. Rooms inside the unique concave shaped building are divinely comfy with true double, rather than twin-only, rooms. The sheets are starched but not scratchy, and the choice of pillow styles – from fluffy to firm – was excellent. The free Wi-Fi is fast, and TVs are big flat-screen affairs with the usual African satellite TV lineup, including a few international channels like CNN. I liked the little “extras,” such as the note in the bathroom telling me management would be happy to deliver a razor or toothbrush – a rarity for hotels in Zimbabwe. Furnishings were a tad on the generic side, but the rooms are spotless, with big windows overlooking the city, and decent sized. And despite the fact that I was in a smoking room, the ventilation was excellent — there were no lingering stale cigarette smells that I as a non-smoker cannot stand. The Monomotapa caters to business travelers, and has seven dedicated meeting suites and the ability to host up to 250 people at a conference or reception.

There are a number of dining and drinking options on site. Just off the African-themed large main lobby is Parkview Brasserie, which offers buffet-style meals. Le Français (which just underwent a name change and menu re-vamp) is also on the ground floor and offers a Gallic-influenced menu and a swanky bar. The Aquarium Lounge Bar on the second floor serves cocktails in a trendy black-matte floored and shiny metal bar space and offers easy access to the lovely hotel swimming pool, which features a stylish mosaic tile bottom. Room service is also available, and though it takes a while to be delivered, is more than palatable and decently priced.