Ciêla, Lusaka, a Tribute Portfolio Resort and Spa

I usually have a good time at the resort and stayed a couple of times. This time from the start, there were a few things: I had asked reception because we were going early, to have the breakfast boxes for the kids early to take at 5:30. When we got to the restaurant in the evening it took a while to be served. When we got the kids in the shower, there were no towels and when we phoned it took a while. We also phoned to ask for normal milk as my child can’t have creomora and they said they would bring but never did. Then our taxi driver let us down so I called reception to book an airport shuttle in the morning and she said she would call back but never did. Eventually after I called back, they got back to me with results. Didn’t tell me the price though. When we checked out at 5:30, they didn’t have the breakfast boxes. And told us our taxi was K400 per head! So all in all, wasn’t a great one.

As per my previous review: The most expensive place I booked during my three month trip and the most disappointing as a famous Northern English saying goes it was a bit of a case of "all fur coat and no knickers". It looked fancy, lovely looking buildings, amazing grounds, quiet location and not too far from the airport. The room service staff and food (when it was a complete order - see below) were good. The breakfast staff were also lovely and made a mean latte. However this is where the good ends, here are the long list of issues / cons first: - Only one person on reception during check in who kept answering calls during the whole process, told me nothing about the hotel / facilities / breakfast / WiFi / where to find the service directory. She was on the phone as she passed my room key card over and she barely looked up. - Breakfast hot food was cold. - The kettle handle in the first room was boiling hot and was nearly a very nasty accident. - Endless issues with WiFi and power. I had spent a lot of money on this hotel for reliable internet for work and it was atrocious - this is a capital city and I had no other problems with WiFi in Lusaka, Windhoek, Cape Town or Nairobi! - The safe in the first room was locked and closed. - The a/c was not very effective for a 4 star hotel that was this expensive. - When a neighbour checked in the room next door it was noisy so I guess the soundproofing wasn't great. - The shower in the first room had no mat and was very slippy, another near miss on the accident front. - Poor tea / coffee etc selection - The salad I ordered from room service on day 2 only had 50% of the ingredients - I had to move rooms due to the problems with the electrics and WiFi which was a total pain as I had a lot of work to do and didn't have time to pack and unpack, it took ages and endless calls and visits to get that offer and then the move wasn't quick or straightforward either. Then the lady who finally came with a key said oh you got an upgrade like they had done me a massive favour which really irritated me! - Telephone numbers for reception, room service etc on the list, phone and papers and given by reception didn't match up - Laundry lost my white vest - no big deal except for all the other issues and that I needed it to wear under my long sleeved and rather thin white shirt! All in all I don't think I'm normally a difficult , demanding or needy guest for example I never usually use housekeeping on short stays because I'm perfectly capable of making my own bed and don't need linens to be changed. I have worked and lived all over the world, travelled extensively and this hotel was absolutely not what I would expect from a 4 star city hotel and was ridiculously overpriced for what it was. I also stayed at the Taj Pamodzi on this trip to Zambia which was half the price and much better despite the slightly tired decor. Seemed to have a good range of facilities but I didn't really use any so can't comment.

Ciela offered me much needed rest and serenity. The place is beautiful and well maintained. The staff is polite, competent and kind. Food is delicious and the spa experience is out of this world! Shout out to the entire team, especially Charity!!!

I went to the Ciêla Resort And Spa in Lusaka during a 9-hour layover on September 20, 2024. I thought it would be a nice place to kill time by getting a spa treatment and grabbing a good meal before a red eye flight. The resort was beautiful, the spa treatment was nice and the meal at The Brewery was much nicer than any options at the airport or on an airplane. That said, I was very disappointed to discover I had been charged twice for the spa treatment at the onsite spa and twice for my meal at The Brewery Restaurant. At the spa, I was told my credit card didn't go through the first time and asked to try again. At The Brewery restaurant, I was shown the credit card machine that said failed, however since I was connected to the wifi there, I received a text saying my credit card had been charged. I said as much to the service person who went to get the manager. The manager said it failed, possibly due to the power issues, and that the charge would be reversed because it failed. I was asked to try again so I used a different credit card. I noticed on my layover in Dubai that I was sent two text messages about my credit card being charged at the spa at the Ciêla Resort. Once I got home, I checked my online statement and saw the duplicate charge at the Spa. I tried calling the spa but couldn't reach anyone. The person at the front desk said I had to speak to someone at the spa. Being tired from my travels home and feeling the jet lag, I gave up at that time. I looked for an email address or another way to reach someone to no avail. I was left to hope the Ciêla Resort would notice the error and correct it on their own. As I was checking my credit card statements today to pay my bills, I found I was indeed charged twice at both places I went within the Ciêla Resort And Spa. With no way to contact or speak to anyone at the hotel, I contacted my credit card company to dispute the charges. Beware of being told your credit card didn't work and being asked to try again, don't use a debit card to pay for anything at the resort and check your credit card statement closely when you get home. What I thought was a good idea and a place to go to kill time during a long layover has become a headache. Something is shady about this facility and I won't return to this resort on my next trip to Zambia. Thankfully, this is the only bad thing I can say about my 2.5 week trip to Zambia.

The view was amazing also the Rooms the rooms were giving 5star hotel vibes The food was delicious my taste buds popped up with excitement I can’t wait to visit again Zambia is really an amazing place I recommend tourists to visit and also have an experience