Southern Sun Ridgeway Celebrates 70 years of Hospitality in Lusaka

Southern Sun Ridgeway celebrates a milestone 70^th anniversary in 2023, marking seven platinum decades of hospitality in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. Originally known as the ‘Ridgeway Hotel’, it was one of the city’s first hotels to open in 1953. Over the years it has undergone various rebrands and refurbishments, and today is one of Southern Sun’s most renowned hotels.

Southern Sun’s journey into Zambia began when the group signed a management contract with Anglo American Corporation (Central Africa) in 1994, and the hotel was converted into a Holiday Inn Garden Court, and subsequently upgraded to a Holiday Inn a year later in 1995. This involved a major refurbishment of the entire hotel together with the addition of 35 rooms, bringing the total to 154, which set the course for it to become one of Zambia’s leading hotels.

Having managed the hotel for a number of years, in October 2008 Southern Sun acquired it from Anglo American and rebranded it Southern Sun Ridgeway, aligning it with the iconic Southern Sun legacy brand. This further solidified the hotel’s presence in Lusaka and reinforced its position as a world-class accommodation provider delivering impeccable service. In keeping with the group’s high standards, the hotel underwent another refurbishment in 2019. The public areas were refreshed with a contemporary look and feel, and the rooms were beautifully refurbished with décor reflecting Zambia’s unique natural heritage.

Operating at consistently high occupancies for many successful years, the hotel has been the proud recipient of numerous awards, including seven TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence (2011-2018), a TripAdvisor Hall of Fame Award (2019), a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award (2020), a Booking.com Traveller Review Award (2022), as well as the Zambia Tourism Award for Sports Tourism (2009), and the prestigious Award for Distinguished Service from the president of the Republic of Zambia (2008).

Commenting on the hotel’s memorable milestone, Marcel von Aulock, chief executive of Southern Sun said, “We’re extremely proud of what Southern Sun Ridgeway represents, not only to the group because it was our first hotel in the country, but also to Lusaka and the Zambian tourism industry as it is regarded as a city landmark and the destination of choice in the nation’s capital. We are delighted to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee this year and look forward to welcoming guests for many years to come.”