Reviews of Bulawayo Club

"We were warned in advance, so no complaints. But this is strange place. After the very warm welcome we received everywhere else, the laid back staff and funereal atmosphere came as a surprise. Food service was incredibly slow, particularly given the small number of people staying. But it was interesting to get some feel of 'Colonial Rhodesia' and see all the memorabilia.

The shower was dangerous (no control on water temperature, no bath mat, no non-slip mat in bath etc.).

No mosquito nets provided (the only place we visited where that was so) and we got badly bitten on our last night." See all these reviews: 13n in Zimbabwe

"I did not actually stay at the Bulawayo Club. I had a room booked but it became apparent very shortly before I left, that the booking had been "mislaid". They had a big function that evening and presumably needed the room. I was warned that the Club was unreliable. I did visit during the day - it seemed nice. Bit disappointed.

I did stay instead at the Banff Lodge, which was good. It was a little noisy (Rugby World Cup Scotland vs. South Africa) and the rooms are close to the bar.

Kudos to Nick at Expert Africa - he arranged a change of accommodation at short notice and a driver for the day.

Bulawayo is very interesting. Railway museum is excellent." See all these reviews: 15n in Zimbabwe

"The Club conjured up so many images of a different time and was delightful. The staff were very helpful and very apologetic about the noise from an evening celebration the night we were staying.

We weren't troubled by the noise, nor by the lack of electricity the following morning when our Full English was imaginatively cooked without electricity.

Bulawayo was an interesting town to visit, but the amount of litter lining the street and public places was a deterrent to the enjoyment. However, it was good to see local colour in absolute safety." See all these reviews: 9n in Zimbabwe; 1n in South Africa

"An excellent place to stay when viewing old Bulawayo where the Natural History museum and the Railway museum were both very good.

The Art Gallery did not have much to offer, other than the only political satire I saw in Zimbabwe (two paintings, one of a Mugabe postered vehicle with a flat tyre and a Changiri vehicle where the wheel had come off)

Everything in the Club was charming apart from the shower facilities which were not as good as Hwange or Amalinda" See all these reviews: 10n in Zimbabwe

"Our pick-up from the airport was on time and efficient.

We loved this place, just one or two small points could have made it a really excellent stay.

Despite only a few guests, on one morning all the hot water was taken by the room next door so we had a cold bath.
Rooms were quite cold with no extra heating, so a hot water bottle would have been nice or an electric blanket perhaps?

Just a bit more TLC around the hotel would have made all the difference as it was a bit 'tired' in a few places - but we really loved the 'colonial' ambience and the quality of the woodwork and fixtures. Staff were good and attentive, although the breakfasts were not to the same standard as the rest on the trip, but still OK.

They also now accept VISA credit cards." See all these reviews: 13n in Zimbabwe

"The Bulawayo Club is an interesting and unique experience, well situated for seeing Bulawayo. It tries hard to meet guests' needs but is hampered by not being a hotel, but a (men's) club. Eg, the only women's toilet in the downstairs area is for staff, not signed and not particularly clean. However, short of returning to your room upstairs, there is no choice but to use it. Freshening it up and cleaning it would not cost money as we appreciate that might be an issue. The men's toilet is huge - women seem to be an afterthought.

The tea-making facilities are not in the room but in a guest lounge. This is not a problem except they didn't refill the supplies or cups, or take away the used teabags etc. We were there for 3 days and eventually had to ask for teabags and cups

Shorts are not permitted in the bar as my husband found out, and we did not feel that women were particularly welcome there. However, as it was so cold, we rarely used it, preferring to sit by the log fire in the entrance hall.

The staff were very friendly and helpful but the club isn't geared up to modern tourist needs. The bar seems to close quite early in the evening without warning. There was no indication of whether we could get lunch and were only asked whether we wanted any after we had gone out to find somewhere else to eat.

It was unusually cold in Bulawayo, and the rooms were freezing. However the log fire in the reception area became the venue for dining and drinking.

These are nit picking comments really as we enjoyed our stay and would probably stay there again. We had an excellent guide in Paul Hudson." See all these reviews: 9n in Zimbabwe

"Relies heavily in its history and character. Ideally situated for a short visit to Bulawayo.

Our transfer/courtesy driver looked after us extremely well throughout the stay which enabled us to visit St Johns Cathedral, the Railway Museum (a must for children of all ages) and the very well presented Natural History Museum.

We were recommended not to take any street photographs which was a shame." See all these reviews: 10n in Zimbabwe

"It was an amazing experience, staying in this old colonial club, now sitting at the heart of a new, emerging Zimbabwe. Well done to the Amalinda Group for saving it from extinction.

We rated the overall facilities good rather than excellent but that is not to underestimate the work that the management have done in upgrading them. The rooms are clean and comfortable, the food is fine. The service can be slow but the staff were lovely.

The Club has the longest bar we've seen and is now letting women in every night (at last!). The snooker room was deserted (until we played a very amateurish game there) and the dusty side rooms echoed with history. The clientele, however, reflected modern Zimbabwe and an interesting mix of tourists.

We were accompanied by Paul Hubbard, our guide from Camp Amalinda, and he took us to the Railway Museum which was a fantastic experience, seeing Cecil Rhodes private coach, alongside the Garratt engines. He also took us on a pub crawl and architectural walk around the city centre. The next day we drove out to the Khami Ruins, a World Heritage Site second only to Great Zimbabwe. A great way to finish our trip before flying from out from Bulawayo Airport (quite an experience!) and home via Jo'burg." See all these reviews: 12n in Zimbabwe

"Wonderful old building and nice staff. The room was a bit noisy at night so ask for one that faces away from the streets.

Good food, and we enjoyed a couple of special cultural events in Bulawayo. Nice town!" See all these reviews: 11n in Zimbabwe; 6n in Malawi; 1n in Zambia

"Wonderful historic place. Great photos. It will take a long time and a lot of investment to make it into what it could be. First room had a noisy fan and a dirty duvet. Second room was bright and airy but again an unclean duvet which had to be replaced. Both bathrooms did not have a shower curtain!

Paul Murray in the Bradt Guide says that it has recently been restored inside and out. Really? Must have been bad before. Well the stairs could do with a good cleaning and the removal of tattered and frayed carpet for a start!

Again Murry says "excellent food served in truly elegant dining room". Diningroom is interesting without being elegant. And as for food. Breakfast was again mainly full English with a few other bits. Dinner was set menu and not very appealing with the result we found other places to dine for the two nights we were there.

Could be great with the right investment and management." See all these reviews: 10n in Zimbabwe