Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre
by the TopOfHotel team
Rainbow Towers is the iconic five-sided tower in central Harare that works as both a hotel and Zimbabwe's main convention centre — strong on sheer scale, its CBD location, and a genuine Japanese restaurant you rarely find anywhere in Africa.
Rainbow Towers is the iconic five-sided tower in central Harare that works as both a hotel and Zimbabwe's main convention centre — strong on sheer scale, its CBD location, and a genuine Japanese restaurant you rarely find anywhere in Africa.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
If you land at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and drive into Harare, your eye gets pulled toward a five-sided glass Pentagon tower the moment you pass through the CBD — that is Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre, one of the most familiar landmarks in Zimbabwe. The modernist building, 14 storeys tall, first opened in 1985 as the Sheraton Harare, meant to be one of the capital's first international luxury hotels in the years just after independence. Step into the lobby and you get high open ceilings, polished stone floors, and classic chandeliers that still hold an unapologetic 80s-luxury mood. Take the lift up to one of the 304 rooms across the 14 floors and you find a classic 5-star layout — a king or large twin bed, a work desk, a sofa by the window, a flat-screen TV, and a marble bathroom with a separate tub. The renovated rooms come with warm gold-and-brown curtains, geometric carpet, and modern bedside reading lights. The Presidential Suite for VIP guests is very large, with a separate sitting room, a private meeting room, and a panoramic view of the city. What guests agree on: the beds are soft, the rooms are quiet (the tower sits a fair way back from the main road), and the water pressure is strong. Rooms run wider than at a lot of city-centre hotels in Africa, so it feels like you actually live there rather than just drop a bag.
Food and amenities
This is where the hotel stands out. The hottest spot is Teppan Yaki Japanese Restaurant, an in-house Japanese restaurant that is genuinely hard to find anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa — chefs cook in front of you at the teppanyaki grill, serving steak, seafood, sushi, and imported-quality sashimi. For an Asian traveler who flies into Harare missing familiar flavors, this place is a real rescue. Nearby is Harvest Garden, the international buffet restaurant serving both breakfast and dinner, with local African, Indian, European, and Chinese dishes — a varied way to start the day. The central grounds hold a big outdoor pool with loungers around the edge, a working tennis court, a full gym, and the Rainbow Casino for an evening flutter. The directly connected Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) is the other highlight — Zimbabwe's main convention venue, able to host national events and summits for thousands of delegates, which makes this the top pick for business travelers, NGO delegates, and diplomats with meetings in Harare. Wake up, walk across the lobby, and you are at the conference room with no travel time at all.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits in the heart of the Harare CBD on Pennefather Avenue, connected straight into the HICC convention centre. It is about a 10-minute walk to Parliament and Africa Unity Square, with banks and the business district close by — easy on foot for anyone here to work. Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is roughly 15 km away, a 20-25 minute drive. Harare is not a buzzing tourist town, so most people use it as a base before connecting on to Victoria Falls or a Zimbabwe safari, and the central position makes that handy. One practical note for the evenings, covered below.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to make the call easier. The building's age is unavoidable — Rainbow Towers has been open since 1985, and the renovations have been done in patches rather than as a full rebuild, so some rooms and parts of the lobby still carry an 80s-90s feel, with dated furniture, well-used carpet, or old-style bathroom tiling. If you expect a sleek, modern European-boutique 5-star, you may be let down; ask for a recently renovated room when you book. Next, service is inconsistent — some reviews praise warm, friendly Zimbabwean staff, but other nights bring slow check-in, a breakfast that runs out fast, or requests handled slower than you would expect at this level. Wi-Fi and in-room internet can also wobble, especially during big conferences when a lot of people are online at once, so bring a backup mobile hotspot if you need to work seriously. Last, Harare is not a lively tourist city — heading out after dark, take a taxi rather than walk, and do not expect a Cape Town or Nairobi street scene.
Our take
From reading real reviews and weighing up the hotel, Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference Centre is the most sensible choice for anyone who needs a 5-star stay in central Harare — whether you are a business traveler with meetings at the HICC, a diplomat, or a tourist using Harare as a stopover before Victoria Falls or a Zimbabwe safari. The selling points are clear: an iconic, easy-to-spot five-sided tower, a central CBD location, the Teppan Yaki Japanese restaurant you will not find anywhere else in the region, and a convention centre connected right inside the building. You do have to accept that the tower is showing its age, some of the decor still feels dated, and service does not flow as smoothly as a 5-star in Asia or Europe. Overall we give it 7.8/10 — best for business travelers and anyone who values location and food over sleek modern luxury. If you want the real landmark of Harare from around $74 a night, this is the safest answer in the city.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- A central Harare CBD location right next to the HICC convention centre, within walking distance of Parliament, the banks, and Africa Unity Square — ideal for business travelers and anyone here for meetings.
- The five-sided modernist Pentagon tower is a city landmark with instantly memorable architecture, and because most rooms sit on the higher floors you get wide, far-reaching city views.
- A real spread of restaurants, above all Teppan Yaki, an in-house Japanese restaurant that is genuinely hard to find anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, plus Harvest Garden for the international buffet.
- A big outdoor pool with a garden, a tennis court, a gym, and the Rainbow Casino — enough on site that guests can fill most of a day without leaving the hotel.
- It is the hotel the government and national organizations regularly pick for their events, so security and access control are fairly tight — reassuring for business travelers and diplomatic guests.
- The building is over 40 years old and renovations have been done in patches rather than as one full overhaul, so parts of the rooms and lobby still carry an 80s-90s feel — some rooms have dated furniture and carpet that looks well used.
- Service standards are inconsistent. Some reviews praise warm, friendly staff, but other nights bring slow check-in, a thin breakfast, or slower responses than you would expect from a 5-star.
- In-room Wi-Fi and internet can be slow and unstable at times, especially during big conferences when a lot of guests are on the network at once.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Harare
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high floor facing the garden and pool — you get the wider city view and it is quieter than the street side. Floor 10 and up has the most open outlook.
- Book a table at Teppan Yaki at least a day ahead, especially if you are visiting during a major conference, because the seats at the teppanyaki grill are limited and locals dine there often too.
- If you are here to work or for a conference, ask the hotel sales team directly for a corporate rate — it often beats the booking sites and includes breakfast and faster Wi-Fi.