Hyatt Regency Harare The Meikles
by the TopOfHotel team
The Meikles is a 100-year-old 5-star institution, fully renovated, sitting right across from Africa Unity Square — and reviewers are unanimous about the warm Zimbabwean service.
The Meikles is a 100-year-old 5-star institution, fully renovated, sitting right across from Africa Unity Square — and reviewers are unanimous about the warm Zimbabwean service.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
After the big renovation, all 314 rooms and suites were redone in a warm, contemporary style — dark woods and fabrics against cream-and-brown tones, calm enough for a business traveler staying several days. Beds are large and soft, bathrooms are clean with good water pressure, and the work desk is wide enough for a laptop and papers. Many higher floors open onto Africa Unity Square, where the late-afternoon light catches the tops of the jacaranda trees, while the upper suites take in the full Harare skyline — the business district and the green belt around the city in one view. You feel the history clearly here, but it stays comfortable enough that you never feel like you're sleeping in a museum.
Food and amenities
The hotel runs an outdoor pool, a gym open 24 hours, and several large meeting rooms that have hosted corporate and government events countless times. For food there's La Fontaine, serving classic European dishes in a warm gold-toned room, plus an all-day restaurant for easy breakfasts and lunches. The one not to miss is Explorers Bar, the hotel's legendary bar from its earliest years — walls lined with black-and-white Rhodesia-era photos, pioneer-era memorabilia and dim old brass lamps. Sip a gin and tonic there and you're sitting where writers and businesspeople sat a century ago — something you won't get from any new-build hotel in Africa. The Meikles has held the Best City Hotel title from AZTA (the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents) for 28 straight years, a track record few places in the country can match.
Location and getting there
What's kept The Meikles at the top of Zimbabwe's city hotels is that it sits in the middle of everything. Step out of the lobby and Africa Unity Square is right in front of you — a five-pointed-star park with a central fountain, shaded walkways and benches, ringed by jacaranda trees that bloom together into a sea of purple every October and November. A few minutes' walk takes you to Zimbabwe's white colonial Parliament building, and a little further to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, home to the country's famous Shona stone sculpture. The Harare International Conference Centre is within walking range too. The airport — Robert Gabriel Mugabe International (HRE) — is about 15 km away, 20–25 minutes by car. It's the kind of location that's rare in an African capital: you can actually walk to things instead of taking a taxi every time.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing many reviews agree on is price: this is the top end of Zimbabwe's market, with rates starting around $126 a night and suites reaching about $271. For visitors used to international 5-star pricing that's fair value, but on a tight local budget you'll find friendlier options. The second is the building itself — over a century old, and even after the renovation, some parts (the smallish lifts, corridors still in their 1915 proportions, the plumbing in a few rooms) feel like an old building rather than an all-new 5-star where everything gleams. Come for the heritage, not for cutting-edge polish. The last point, and an important one, is safety around the hotel after dark: Harare CBD is fairly quiet at night, most shops and restaurants close early, and the streetlights aren't as bright as in a European or Asian capital. Use the hotel's taxi or book a car at the desk when you go out after sunset, and don't explore the side streets alone.
Our take
Reading through real guest reviews, Hyatt Regency Harare The Meikles is a hotel that sells over a century of history, a central location across from the prettiest square in Harare, and the warm, genuine Zimbabwean service that reviewers praise unanimously. If you're in Harare for government business or a corporate conference, or want a base before heading on to Victoria Falls or Hwange National Park, this is the most complete spot in the city. Our mental image: you wake up, open the curtains to purple jacarandas around the square, head down for breakfast at La Fontaine, walk to a meeting at the HICC, come back for a cooling dip in the pool, and close the day with a gin and tonic in Explorers Bar — a room that hasn't changed in 100 years. Overall we give it 8.4/10: best for business travelers who want convenience, couples after a landmark stay in the capital, and anyone who values historical heritage more than a shiny new build. If you're on a tight budget or expecting cutting-edge modernity, other Harare options may fit better.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Standout location in the heart of Harare CBD, directly opposite Africa Unity Square — roughly 5 minutes on foot to Zimbabwe's Parliament, 7 minutes to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, with the HICC conference centre also within walking range.
- A city institution since 1915, now fully renovated under the Hyatt Regency brand, so you get both the feel of colonial history and a reliable international comfort standard.
- Holder of the Best City Hotel award from the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents (AZTA) for 28 straight years — a rare long-run guarantee of quality.
- Warm, genuine Zimbabwean service that reviews praise almost unanimously: attentive staff, regulars remembered by name, and small problems sorted out with a smile.
- Full 5-star facilities — an outdoor pool, a gym, several restaurants and bars, and large meeting spaces that comfortably handle corporate and government events.
- Rates sit at the top of Zimbabwe's market. For budget travelers used to local pricing it can feel pricey next to comparable options nearby.
- It is a building over a century old. Even after the renovation, some touches — the smallish lifts, certain corridors, the plumbing in a few rooms — still feel like an old building rather than a brand-new 5-star tower.
- Harare CBD is fairly quiet at night and shops close early, so reviews suggest using the hotel's taxi or a car service whenever you head out after sunset.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Harare
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high floor facing Africa Unity Square in October or November, when the jacaranda trees flower purple across the whole square — the prettiest stretch of the Harare year.
- The legendary Explorers Bar is worth at least one visit. It is an old room that writers, businesspeople and politicians passed through in both the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe eras — order an old-fashioned gin and tonic and listen to the bartender's stories.
- Use the hotel's taxi or book a car at the front desk for any night trips. Don't wander out into the CBD's side streets after dark, since shops shut early and the streetlights are dim.