Holiday Inn Mutare (Mutare)

 hotel, restaurant, bar

On Zimbabwe’s border with Mozambique lies a verdant valley with what many say is the country’s most picturesque city – Mutare. It is Zimbabwe’s gateway to the east and the Indian Ocean and home to African Sun’s Holiday Inn Mutare.

In keeping with other Holiday Inns, its clientele is a mix of the business traveller and the adventurous leisure seeker. Only a short distance from the border post with Mozambique, it is a favourite stopover and meeting place for Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.

Within an easy drive of the city is the added bonus of some of the most spectacular tourist attractions Zimbabwe has to offer. The country’s highest peak, Mount Inyangani is a half-hour away; the Hot Springs Resort, with its fascinating natural and, some say, health-restoring hot springs is also within easy reach. The magnificent Bvumba Mountains and the Botanical Gardens, luxuriant with remarkable plants, are half-an-hour in another direction.

Surrounded by spectacular scenery, in many parts reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands, Mutare is at the centre of a collection of myths and legends of tribal origin as well as the history of the early European settlers.

Business and leisure travellers are well catered for by Holiday Inn Mutare’s 20 twin rooms, 49 deluxe rooms, 1 paraplegic room, 4 suites and 23 executive rooms, all superbly appointed and maintained. The Forester Arms Bar, paying tribute to the surrounding forest areas, is a favourite watering hole for locals as well as guests, who can also enjoy refreshments by the swimming pool and on the Sun Deck.

Healthy, mountain-air appetites are well catered for by the Inn’s Spur Restaurant, a ranch-style, full service, grill turning out succulent steaks and great burgers.

The Hotspring Restaurant, with its extensive and varied menu choices, served buffet-style, is popular with guests and locals alike. It also provides the famed Holiday Inn “great breakfast”, an ideal start to a day spent exploring the Eastern Highlands.

For guests not content with the exertions of hill-climbing and mountaineering, the Inn has a special arrangement for them to use the nearby tennis courts, gymnasium, bowling green and 18-hole golf course.

Efficient and qualified staff are adept at arranging all aspects of conferences or other functions with the Odzani and Murahwa rooms holding up to 35 people each, and the splendid Vumba Room able to accommodate 100 people.

The city of Mutare, in its spectacular surroundings, is well worth a visit in its own right. When the visit is combined with being hosted by the staff of Holiday Inn Mutare, it is not only memorable, but unforgettable.

www.africansunhotels.com/HolidayInnMutare