Protea Hotel Lusaka Cairo Road

Zambia , Lusaka
LUSAKA, Plot 11,Mutaba House,Comer Katondo Road and Cairo
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2026

Richard

Excellent experience overall

Business

4/10

Poor

25 Dec 2025

Julius

The staff were friendly and welcoming, which was a highlight of the stay. However, the beds were quite firm and not very comfortable for us. The hotel is located in a part of town that isn’t easily accessible, and the parking situation was different from what we expected, which made arrival a bit inconvenient.

8/10

Excellent

21 Dec 2025

Ruth

The room was comfortable with good water pressure in the shower, always a plus. The restaurant on site was convenient, the food avove average but not exceptional. The wait staff and door artendants were friendly and top notch. The hotel is surrounded by shops, and I especially appreciated it being close to Shoprite supermarket.

8/10

Excellent

22 Nov 2025

Tashana

EXCELLENT SERVICE! EVERY STAFF MEMBER EXCELLED AT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Rooms were dated towels brown bed hard printer had no ink.

FOOD WAS GREAT AND AHAIN DTAFF GREAT! .

I would stay again just brong my towels. For tge price it eas worth it!

Business_and_leisure

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Christopher

Great team, I will definitely be back on my next trip

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

Matias

good location

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2025

Matias

Good location

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Richard

Very nice

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2025

costa

good breakfast

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2025

Patrick

Brilliant customer service.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

amar

Business stay @ Protea - Marriot , Cairo Road,

Very comfortable stay in the CBD very convenient in terms of movement in and around the city. The airport shuttle arranged by hotel is very comfortable and convenient. Rooms are nice and spacious with clean bathroom. Breakfast spread is also good with options. Overall a good comfortable stay .

Business

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2025

Wayne

Great location, secure hotel and friendly staff

Stayed here for two night en route to Livingstone. Great central location handy for local markets and the intercity bus terminal.
Staff were friendly and professional.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2025

Arawore

Typical business hotel. Not for tourist. The frojt desk staff can be more friendly too.

Self

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2025

Kevin

Excellent staff & food rooms clean, i would stay again

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2025

Celia

Great location, quiet and friendly

Great hotel with fantastic helpful staff. Very quiet, great evening meals and tasty breakfast with lots of options. We’re from Australia and on bicycles. The staff were very helpful in the safe storage of them during our stay. Highly recommend!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2025

Estelle

Dirty but nice staff

Staff were very friendly and breakfast was great. Lots of choices, however the bathroom was dirty. I stayed for 2 nights , I noticed some dirt in the toilet hoping it will be cleaned the next but alas it was still there after cleaning. The shower floor tiles are also very dirty.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2025

John HW

Can recommend

Extremely friendly employees and going the extra mile. Parking in front of the building during daytime and locked garage at night. Good food, clean and comfortable rooms with windows that can open. No replacement for fresh air.

Business

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2025

John

Entertainment, pool

8/10

Excellent

31 Dec 2024

JAMES

Cairo Road Lusaka is not for the faint hearted but good malls and restruants nearby

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

24 Dec 2024

Musowe

Cheerful and helpful staff. Breakfast is great with many options.
The rooms need a little more cleaning especially the bathroom, there was hair in the shower.

Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Dec 2024

Muzamba

Staff was amazing, room was clean but site cockroaches not good

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Ennies

I needed to do a Zoom meeting at 12am during load-shedding. The manager was kind enough to leave the generator and Wi-Fi running until after my meeting 2hrs later
The staff was amazing

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

19 Oct 2024

Herbert

Pointless to have a hotel in the middle of a crowded city such as Lusaka. Atrocious location.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2024

Effort

The traditional food was delicious. It's the one thing that made my stay comfortable.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2024

Perpetua A. H

My breakfast was packed to go at 04 hours GMT. That was amazing

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2024

Claude Jerome

Accommodations were as per expectation. Rooms are well-appointed and clean with all necessary amenities. The staff provided a good packed breakfast for my 5am departure.

Internet/WiFi provision was erratic and problematic.

Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2024

Eurico

The property was good and clean. Felt safe but the street below can be busy and a bit crowded, but it doesn’t affect the experience in the hotel itself.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2024

alex

Good and friendly

The staffs are very friendly and kind

Business

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2024

Fernando

It’s a excellent cost-benefit place. Comfortable room, with nice bed and shower, amazing breakfast and extremely kind and well trained staff.
The area where this hotel is located isn’t good and also the gym is terrible.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2024

Graham

After a late arrival, the chef stayed on despite the kitchen being closed in order to prepare me a meal after my long drive, as did they waiver the ‘no room service’ option to cater for me. Very friendly and helpful staff all round. Secure parking. Highly recommend this property. Very convenient for those travelling by road as it’s on the main northern bound route.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2024

Museruka

Not a bad stay since it's in the middle of the city. It's makes it easy to run around

Business

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2024

Peter

Location in hearth of city. Staff is welcoming. Breakfast is A+. The dining room staff are absolutely wonderful

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2024

There is air conditioning system in the room I stayed, but it was quite noisy.

Food the hotel provides are very good.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2023

Hosea

Cleanliness, excellent customer service, quieter and convenient

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2023

Victoria

Great staff, very accommodating and helpful!

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2023

Benjamin

Very helpful staff

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2023

Verified traveler

Very nice staff. Good location in the downtown. Good service.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2022

Harrison

Friendly staff

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2022

Robertson

The inside of the hotel is very quite and one can rest peacefully, no noise from the outside . The only concern is the car parking area which is very small and one has to walk through the crowds to get back to the hotel after parking your car it may not be comfortable for some guest

Business Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2021

Donna

The staff was GREAT, very helpful with tips to answer questions. The shower floor needs to be treated for slight mildew.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2021

Viktor

Home away from home

Business

2/10

Poor

28 May 2021

Donovan

Horrible stay

The Hotel is in the middle of the city center. Extremely busy. A person feels unsafe. Not a good place to have business meetings

Business

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Best place to retreat or stay while in transit. Lovely

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jan 2020

Viktor

Memorable Stay!

My stay was great, but allowing vendors outside the hotel, including directly in front of the hotel door, is a bad idea and serves to lower the hotel's image and class.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

18 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Renovations

There was too many renovations going on.

Restaurant, reception, bar etc.

Should have been communicated up front.

Business

8/10

Excellent

18 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Consistently average

Location is in the center of the old commercial strip but that's not convenient unless you're looking for cheap clothes or fast food. The traffic directly in front is bad every day but Sundays. Breakfast is disappointing.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Comfy in Lusaka

Very well orgainsed venue, easy to get around and the staff were friendly and courteous.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2019

Morris

Very nice

A really nice hotel that I got at a great price in the heart of Zambian capital. Good food and good beverages.

8/10

Excellent

13 May 2019

Verified traveler

It's easily approachable n staff is very cooperative

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2019

Moutie

Very comfortable

Hotel was in Centre of town. Enjoyed the walking around & done some shopping. Felt very safe & enjoyed the friend locals in stores . Hotel is value for money & very comfortable. Enjoyed breakfast & dinner. Will stay again next time I am in Lusaka. Thanks

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2019

The rooms were nice and clean. Staff was courteous and breakfast was excellent.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Location is good but it did not have a gym. They should build one for gusts

Business Friends

6/10

Pleasant

12 Mar 2019

Lynette

Protea Lusaka Cairo Rd

Not impressive at all

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2018

penny

Great manager on duty

The manager (Chancsa) was very helpful and efficient. Thank you

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2018

Verified traveler

best

best hotel management, in downtown ,clean ,good breakfast

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2018

Verified traveler

Good value for money

I believe the stay at Protea Hotel Cairo Street is good value for money.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Mar 2018

Daniel

Not quite as good as the Protea in Chipata.

I stayed at the Protea Hotel in Chipata which was much better for service, ambiance and overall comfort. It is suitable and has all you need for a 3 star hotel and downtown location. But it could be better, especially the service and food quality.

4/10

Poor

23 Jan 2018

J.B.

Hotel is old.

Even when cleaned, it still looks dirty. Had to have the shower repaired twice & it still barely worked. Air conditioning was so loud, I had to change rooms. Very disappointing! Especially being a Marriott, which is why I booked here.

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2017

Murtaza

Affordable

The room was nice

6/10

Pleasant

24 Sep 2017

Larry

Clean, inexpensive hotel in town center

Hotels I where I usually stay in Lusaka were fully booked, so I tried Protea as it is not too far from my preferred location and I received a very favorable rate. The hotel itself is clean and well-serviced and the rooms are spacious. Cairo Road is not a great location and not a place to be walking around at night. Other than that there is no problem. The food is average but acceptable.

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2017

Verified traveler

great stay

Really helpful and friendly staff.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2017

waana

Very nice hospitality, great staff and excellent

I had an awesome experience. Great staff, great facility, amenities are on point and rooms were excellent . Lusaka city is ok. Just need some cleanining

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2017

wendy

Very nice hotel close to downtown core.

Our flight was causing us to miss our breakfast but the staff ensured we had a delightful 'breakfast to go'. Loved having a restaurant on the premises. Great plus.

8/10

Excellent

04 Apr 2017

Danny

Great staff, convenient location! Would come back anytime.

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

Nice hotel in the heart of the city

Such a nice hotel in the heart of the city with scuch a good service

8/10

Excellent

31 Jan 2017

Sheryl

Great value. Amazing breakfast!

Great value in Lusaka where business hotels are expensive. The location is the center of Lusaka and at night is deserted. This causes most to stay in the hotel or take a taxi to a mall to eat dinner. Great buffet breakfast!

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2016

Craig

pretty good apart from noisy air con

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Just what I needed

First time in Zambia and not sure what to expect. The staff were fabulous and sorted out in English all my requirements. The airport shuttle service worked well

10/10

Exceptional

13 Oct 2016

Norman

Great service and food.

This was a wonderful experience. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly.

Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2016

Nikhil

Affordable and clean.

Good service.

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2015

Sankar

Good hotel in the mid of the city

Only concern is the traffic at the peak hours while returning back to the hotel. Beware

4/10

Poor

05 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

Hotel review

Short stay. In middle of busy centre of town, loud. Accommodation very basic and little to offer. Bed also rock hard

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2015

Venkata N

Try it without hesitation

it is very good, the breakfast was the best part I enjoyed

Family

8/10

Excellent

31 Aug 2015

Aliabbas

A happy customer

It's a good hotel with very friendly staff especially Mr Stephen the breakfast cook. Check in was smooth and quick as we entered after 12 midnight and the was no hassle of waiting as all was order. Superb breakfast WOW.
Disappointed with my room as I have asked for queen bed and got twin bed instead.
Location of hotel is good.

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2015

Chewe

Nice Hotel, Great Location

Located in the centre of the CBD within walking distance to bank HQs. The hotel has adequate parking and well groomed staff. I would recommend it to anyone. The only down side is that, it is a bit cramped compared to the other Protea Hotel in Lusaka.

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2015

Verified traveler

nice but ill located

Mini suite was nice and spacey, though noisy during the day.
hotel location in old part of town, not so atractive for tourists at night.

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2015

Timothy

Hotel

It was good. Just got charged one more night that I didn't stay. I am told I should have cancelled with Hotels.com.

6/10

Pleasant

21 Oct 2014

Verified traveler

Very overpriced

OK place, but should be half the price. Rooms and hotel generally quite run down given the prices they charge.

Staff were very helpful and the breakfast was really good though.

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2014

Thrifty

Hotel is Excellent, Location is Not

There are a lot of positives about this hotel. The staff member greeted us at the airport and made sure we got onto the hotel shuttle safely and gave us cold mineral water bottles. I had a friend who stayed at a DIFFERENT local hotel and the shuttle forgot her at the airport!!!

The staff helped us exchange local currency and ran across the street to the bank for us. The restaraunt downstairs serves an excellent complimentary breakfast every morning with made to order omellettes, fresh fruit, etc. We went there for dinner often and they had better Indian food than some of the Indian specialty restaraunts! Impressive. Housekeeping was responsive and did a great job keeping in clean.

The only downside to this hotel is the location. It is in the downtown area and you really can't walk around after dark. The area is very congested making travelling in the traffic a pain. The hotel contracts with some very reliable and friendly cab drivers if you do need to travel in the city...but I wouldnt really walk around downtown for fun.

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2014

Verified traveler

Comfortable stay

Wish to book it again when i visit lusaka...it was a great xperience and comfortable one.

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2014

traveller

amazing staff. kind, helpful and knowledgable

The hotel feels like home, the staff like family. personally I need a matress and pillow to be not as hard but can't say another negative thing.

4/10

Poor

03 Mar 2014

Alice

Quite Disappointed

Hotel accommodation was not up to standard. Cistern was not flushing properly while the shower spread water all over the floor. The room was not carpeted, and I had to look through dirty windows while listening to very noisy elevators! Generally, my experience at the hotel was not good.

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2014

Quality hotel in City Centre - Easy access

Fourth time to stay in this hotel. The location is convenient for anyone with business or shopping needs in the downtown business district, but also close and convenient for a short drive to Government offices. The staff has always been very friendly and helpful. The inclusive breakfast is nice and fresh, but moderately simple. Outside of having a small TV and sloppy finishing work (bathroom tiles, etc.), the rooms are nice and comfortable. The bedding is the best and guaranteed to provide a wonderful night's rest. I've stayed in the Inter-Continental and Taj Pamodzi hotels which are 2 1/2 times the price, but not really worth the cost difference unless you need the extra amenities.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2014

Jan

Good location, great service

Good friendly service with clean rooms, Good facilities & wifi with strong signal everywhere.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Jan 2014

Average

The hotel was ok but no pick up at the airport although I requested it, had to get a lift with another hotel provider. Staff were friendly and helpful and the rooms were fine although with no aircon. or fan, not a problem though as slept above sheets and was fine. Breakfast seemed reheated, came quickly and slightly over-cooked, the orange juice was off. The drop off at the airport unlike other hotels wasn't free but not surprised as other hotels seem to have higher star ratings. Overall OK.

8/10

Excellent

18 Dec 2013

YEHIA BADRY

Comfort stay

Very friendly & helpful stuff, nice location & very clean

6/10

Pleasant

15 Dec 2013

kiwidiver

Cairo to Capetown so says history

Used this hotel for overnight stay after arriving on bus from Livingstone, bit more expenisve than should have liked but could get a confirmed booking and pay before arrival. Location is close to bus station and got a reliable taxi even though my luggage was nearly taken be a driver to claim me! Booked in quickly but arriving at room found it was already occupied so had to change.

Good shower made me feel better and sorted out luggage more neatly. View of Lusaka through dirty window was not spectacular bt helped to orientate position . To save time ate in restaurant which was OK but not fast. Breakfast the next day was better.

Slept OK in spite of apparent riots outside. Hotel has guard on front so OK

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2013

Zimbas

Super Staff - Thank you

Excellent - Manager and all the staff extremely helpful. Food very good. My husband had his wallet taken in the street near the hotel and the hotel staff were brilliant - found the wallet (minus the cash) did all the necessary formalities even went to pick up the police report (we were leaving the next day) So a big thank you - Please do not be put off by our incident, Lusaka is a buzzing city with very many good people.

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2013

Verified traveler

Good Stay

Stayed just over a week and enjoyed my stay. Breakfast is great and so are the people. Very accommodating!

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2013

Zimbas

Good people

All hotel staff very helpful in all aspects, including assistance following the street theft of my wallet could not have asked for more help and consideration. If you ant to be in the heart of lusaka this is the hotel to stay in but it is not a standard tourist destination but it gives you a good feel of the local environment. We would stay there again.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2013

CA.

Nice place although in the thick of things.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2013

Dan R

Great Hotel

Very helpful staff. Lovely bathroom and shower. Large comfortable room with immensely comfortable bed and pillows! Great location on a seemingly safe and busy street

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2013

Jerome

Good value

Stayed for business for four nights, was overall quite pleased. The location is becoming less central as development of new shopping malls and new commercial buildings is taking place. On the other hand, the price was a lot less than better-situated hotels in this range.

4/10

Poor

13 Sep 2013

Verified traveler

Maintenance of bathroom very poor. Water flooding in bathtub and wash basin.

4/10

Poor

12 Sep 2013

The bathrooms are of poor quality. Fittings, curtains and other accessories are also of poor quality. Staff are friendly.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2013

Verified traveler

Very clean and comfortable. Very friendly and useful staff. Best value for money.

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2013

Elizabeth

Good central location in Lusaka

This hotel was centrally located in Lusaka & was all that we required. We stayed here 2 nights, 1 week apart, at the beginning & end of our time in Zambia. As we were guests a second time, we were given a better room, with more space on a higher floor. The room was comfortable & functional, though the bed was quite hard. Lusaka seems to be very quiet by 9pm at night, but comes alive earlyish in the morning -eg 5-6am. We didn't notice the traffic noise particularly & it was not a problem. The buffet breakfast was much appreciated -with good quality food & a variety. This hotel was not luxurious, but met our needs as travellers/tourists & was fine.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2013

Hendo

Western comfort

Non foam mattresses and a working western bathroom and a reasonable television, what more do you need?

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2013

Hendo

Cairo rd Protea, Lusaka

My husband and I stayed here for 3 nights waiting for a hire car. The staff were very friendly, pleasant, professional and approachable. Their work standards could not be questioned.
Our room was lovely and spacious with very good fittings, the luxury of a bath and a whopping comfortable bed with high quality linen.
The location was walking distance to the National Museum, City Market and regular shopping was in the streets all around. Banks and helpful security guards close by, with Barclays right next door.
We were very pleased to stay in this hotel. Zambia needs to upgrade its Internet services urgently. The 2 computers downstairs couldn't compete with our iPhones.
Food (and service) in the downstairs bar and restaurant was absolutely delicious!

Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2013

sbi

good

good