This is a nice, small boutique hotel, ones in town seemed to be large hotels so this is a great alternative. There are other lodges nearby as well. Our room opened onto the pool area (pool not heated) and it was a secure, quiet, serene place to stay after our 3 week overland trip ending at a backpackers down the road which was awful. Our room here was very clean and comfortable and very pleasant, they spray the room for mosquitoes in the afternoon. Bed was comfortable and we had lovely soft towels. The included breakfast was good; fresh fruit salad, cereal, tea, coffee, juice and eggs and bacon. You can have an evening meal there as long as you tell them you want this by 4pm, and snacks and drinks are available all day at a reasonable price; softdrinks USD1 a can, beer $2 and meals range between $10 and $14, basic fish, chicken or steak and it was OK if you don't want to eat in town. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. It is about a 20 minute easy walk to town, longer coming back as it is a gentle uphill slope so pretty hard going in the heat. Taxi from town was only $3, that is what we said we'll pay and got no argument, if they argue take the taxi to Tokkie Lodge (a backpackers) for $3 which is only a few minutes walk away from the Amadeus. Calling a taxi is $1 extra. We got a minivan to the Vic Falls airport for $10 each for 3 of us which was good as it is about half an hour away, but usually it is $20 for a taxi to the airport that would take 2 people plus luggage.

I’m not sure if I stayed in the same place that others have reviewed! Perhaps my expectations were greater after having stayed at relatively nice lodges and guesthouses for the prior 3 weeks, or perhaps I was just taken aback after how much money we had spent on our tour package as a whole, but I thought Amadeus was awful! I felt like I was staying in a dorm rather than a hotel or guesthouse.

We couldn’t walk on the floors without shoes because the bottoms of our feet and socks turned black. There was mold and cracks in the corners of the ceiling and horrible mold and mildew all over the small shower, and they provided exactly two small bath towels for both of us, which had a strange smell that gave me a headache (perhaps from the detergent they used). They also never cleaned the toilet or bathroom during the few days we were there. There were no tissues and no toiletries (I was thankful I had lugged around my own for the prior 3 weeks without needing them until that point).

We had asked for extra towels and when we returned in the evening still had not received them. Since we had to be up early the next morning, we asked the manager on duty for towels, and she couldn’t get to them because the other manager had locked them up and left for the night!! In fairness, both managers were very nice and tried to be as helpful as they could.

The room opened from glass French doors facing the courtyard, which would have been lovely if we weren’t in the middle of malaria-infused mosquito country! Housekeeping kept the French doors open all afternoon but when asked about mosquito nets, they told us they sprayed the room at night so we didn’t need them. To their credit, I only found a couple of mosquitoes flying around, which was less than expected. There was also a ceiling fan above the bed with two of five settings that worked.

Because the doors are kept open all day and the windows all night as well, there’s no such thing as a nonsmoking room; others’ smoke wafted right in. From the bathroom, you can also hear everything in the bathroom next door.

We had breakfast there each morning, and it was OK, although very slow. There didn’t seem to be a kitchen, so my guess is they cooked eggs on a hot pad while the bacon tasted like it was microwaved. Depending on who was “cooking,” the scrambled eggs were either OK to eat or still raw and runny and inedible.

The location was equally bad. It was pretty far from both town and the falls, and there is no shuttle. Taxis run from US$5 to 10 to and from town, depending on the driver and your negotiating skills, and it adds up!

Among other activities, we did the lion encounter and ordered the DVD, which they said they would deliver to our hotel the next day. They apparently delivered it just before 6am, and instead of the security guy leaving it by our door or giving it to the manager, he banged on our door (for quite a while, actually) until we woke up to give it to us. No doubt that everyone else was woken up, too. I’m not sure where common sense comes into play, but it wasn’t apparent here.

If you have been in the bush for a while and haven’t slept on a bed or taken a shower in weeks you might find Amadeus to be a perfect respite. But having stayed in safari lodges and guest houses and B&Bs that were clean and nice but basic (by no means luxurious), Amadeus was a total let down for our last few days in Africa.

We stayed before and after a guided safari while visiting the falls. The service and food were excellent. The managers were were friendly and helpful in answering questions. The rooms and grounds were peaceful, clean and well-maintained. The hotel was reasonably-priced, secure, and away from the busy downtown, but only a pleasant 1.5 mile walk or 5 minute taxi ride from the town center.

The owner is always nice and he gave me a lot of useful information. Catherine who helped me is also very kind and friendly.