Hyatt (www.Hyatt.com) announced today that Grand Hyatt Victoria Falls The Kingdom is expected to open in late 2027 following the signing of a management agreement between a Hyatt affiliate and an affiliate of Albwardy Investments LLC. Located in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls, home to the world-famous waterfall of the same name, the hotel will become the second Hyatt branded hotel in the country.
Originally built in 1966 and redeveloped in 1999, the property will undergo an extensive renovation and design transformation in line with the Grand Hyatt brand, creating a captivating destination within a destination that celebrates both the iconic and intimate moments through thoughtful details and grand experiences. The hotel will give World of Hyatt members and guests the opportunity to visit and stay in another renowned leisure travel destination. Upon opening as Grand Hyatt Victoria Falls The Kingdom, World of Hyatt members will be able to earn and redeem World of Hyatt benefits.
Nestled in the heart of Victoria Falls, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or “The Smoke That Thunders”, the future Grand Hyatt Victoria Falls The Kingdom will offer a distinctive gateway to one of the world’s most iconic destinations. The location of the hotel will place guests within a vibrant and compact tourism hub, with only a five-minute walk to the Victoria Falls rainforest and easy access to regional safari circuits, guided tours, restaurants and cultural experiences.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Albwardy Investments to bring the Grand Hyatt brand to Victoria Falls,” said Ludwig Bouldoukian, Regional Vice President, Development, Middle East and Africa, Hyatt. “With its landmark location just moments from the Victoria Falls rainforest, this property represents a truly exceptional setting. This signing marks a significant milestone in Hyatt’s continued expansion across Africa, reinforcing our commitment on growing our brand presence in the region and providing World of Hyatt members more travel choice in inspiring destinations.”
“We are proud to collaborate with Hyatt on plans to introduce the Grand Hyatt brand to Victoria Falls,” said Mr. Ali Albwardy, Chairman, Albwardy Investments. “As one of the destination’s most established hospitality landmarks for more than 60 years, the property holds significant heritage and potential within Zimbabwe. Through its transformation under the Grand Hyatt brand, and with plans to reopen in late 2027, we aim to create an elevated hospitality experience that celebrates the culture, energy and significance of Victoria Falls, further reinforcing our commitment to Africa’s hospitality sector.”
The property is expected to feature 245 thoughtfully appointed guestrooms and an extensive range of facilities, including 1,800 sqm (19,375 sq ft) of meeting and event space, three dining venues, a spa and fitness center and a grand lobby lounge. The hotel will offer a dynamic mix of culinary, leisure and wellness experiences along with welcoming service that creates an elevated experience for all guests. As the closest hotel to the entrance of the Victoria Falls national park on the Zimbabwean side of the border, the property is ideally located near the area’s key attractions. It is also a short 20-minute drive from Victoria Falls International Airport, making it well suited for leisure, events and business travellers alike.
To learn more about Hyatt, visit www.Hyatt.com
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Hyatt.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chloe Duncan
Hyatt – Middle East & Africa
Chloe.duncan@hyatt.com
About Grand Hyatt:
Around the world, Grand Hyatt hotels bring travel dreams to life by celebrating the iconic in small details and magnificent moments. Located at the crossroads of local culture and global business within major gateway cities and resort destinations, each Grand Hyatt hotel is uniquely designed to be a captivating destination within a destination. Grand Hyatt hotels deliver welcoming and elevated service, first-class accommodations and an abundance of options within a multicultural backdrop of dramatic architecture and bold and vibrant design. Grand Hyatt hotels boast inventive restaurants, luxury spas, fitness centers, and business and meeting facilities.
For additional information or to make a reservation, please visit www.GrandHyatt.com. Follow @GrandHyatt on Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4vVj8SG), Instagram (https://apo-opa.co/4vSYCCc) and tag photos with #GrandHyatt.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation:
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s portfolio included more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 83 countries across six continents. The Company’s offering includes brands in the Luxury Portfolio, including Park Hyatt®, Alila®, Miraval®, Impression by Secrets, and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®; the Lifestyle Portfolio, including Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, The Standard®, Dream® Hotels, The StandardX®, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, JdV by Hyatt®, Bunkhouse® Hotels, and Me and All Hotels; the Inclusive Collection, including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid® Hotels & Resorts, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas; the Classics Portfolio, including Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Destination by Hyatt®, Hyatt Centric®, Hyatt Vacation Club®, and Hyatt®; and the Essentials Portfolio, including Caption by Hyatt®, Unscripted by Hyatt, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios®, Hyatt Select, and UrCove. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar® DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services.
For more information, please visit www.Hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; global supply chain constraints and interruptions, rising costs of construction-related labor and materials, and increases in costs due to inflation or other factors that may not be fully offset by increases in revenues in our business; risks affecting the luxury, resort, and all-inclusive lodging segments; levels of spending in business, leisure, and group segments, as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geopolitical conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; the impact of global tariff policies or regulations; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters, weather and climate-related events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, droughts, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, or fear of such outbreaks; our ability to successfully achieve specified levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans, share repurchase program, and dividend payments, including a reduction in, or elimination or suspension of, repurchase activity or dividend payments; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations or realize anticipated synergies; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions, including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals; our ability to successfully complete dispositions of certain of our owned real estate assets within targeted timeframes and at expected values; our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management and hotel services agreements or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates, wages, and other operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; risks associated with the introduction of new brand concepts, including lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program and manage the Unlimited Vacation Club paid membership program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; and violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business and licensing businesses and our international operations; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which filings are available from the SEC. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
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