Based in Zambia’s capital city Lusaka, Southern Sun Ridgeway this year celebrates 70 years. Originally known as the Ridgeway Hotel, it was one of the first hotels to open in the city in 1953 and today is one of Southern Sun’s most well-known hotels.

The hospitality group’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.

In October 2008, Southern Sun acquired the property from Anglo American and rebranded it Southern Sun Ridgeway. The hotel underwent another refurbishment in 2019 – the public areas were refreshed with a modern look and feel, and the rooms were refurbished with décor reflecting Zambia’s unique natural heritage.

The hotel has received 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 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.”