Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino

Avani Hotel Windhoek – A Mixed Experience for Business Travelers

The Avani Hotel in Windhoek is expected to be among the top business hotels in the city, along with the Hilton, Mövenpick, and Mercure, offering international standards of service. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the views from the upper floors and the rooftop bar are truly breathtaking. The offered breakfast is very good. I’ve stayed at the Avani twice (2022 and 2024), both for business trips, and while the location is convenient, there are some issues that need addressing before I could recommend it.

Unfortunately, several factors negatively impacted my stay:
- Some rooms have issues with the drainage system, resulting in an unpleasant odor. I had to request a room change because the smell was unbearable.
- The windows in the rooms can only be opened by the reception, and with a malfunctioning air conditioning system, the room felt quite stuffy and dusty, particularly due to the carpeting.
- Obtaining a proper tax receipt with all the necessary details (address, VAT number, etc.) proved to be a challenge, especially with an early morning check-out. The night shift staff were unable to provide it, which caused unnecessary delays.
- The shuttle from the airport, although booked directly with the hotel, had to be paid directly to the service provider, and when the card machine didn’t work, I had to pay in cash. This can be especially inconvenient for international travelers who may not have Namibian Dollars or South African Rands on hand.
- Although the rooftop bar offers stunning views, the service left much to be desired. It took nearly an hour to receive a simple cold platter of cheese and biltong.

While the Avani has potential, these shortcomings need to be addressed to meet the expectations of international business travelers.

Avoid this hotel. They changed our reservation last minute. We waited 3 hours for our food which we never received. Bad communication and bad service. You can’t even ask for a fruit !
If you want to eat please book another hotel as they will not give you food service here. Absolutely do not trust the marketing. It’s false.

i wanted to go to Stratos hotel for the first time with my companion, the security guard was at least the only decent one to explain to us that the restaurant was packed to full capacity. A staff member approached us whilst taking to the guard, staff member we found there refused for us to go dine there and even when we asked , he didn't give us a proper explanation as to why that was . He suggested us to go to the pantry instead and we did just that. The staff member we found behind the counter at the pantry was very cold and dismissive and told us they are cashing up and that was the end, not even looking at as. At that moment ,a white couple approached them and they were so warm and friendly as well as accommodating. We just left and this whole experience has left a bad taste, and all I expect is for every client and potential client to be treated with respect in an unbiased manner ,because honestly this to me reflects the establishment of Avani as a whole. And that you only accommodate some people because of their status or skin color.

Apart from no communication between reception and the rooftop bar. The place looked amazing up there.
On the food. It was really not up to the standard you would expect from the Avani. Steaks were M/W instead of M/R. Overload on the salt, wrong dishes brought up. Thai chicken was BBQ chicken leg quarters...Dessert, don't even talk about it.
Please note at least service was good until they brought a F&B supervisor to handle the situation. Totally out of his depth. How does a huge Hotel like this not have a responsible person on duty. But I loved the Margeritas they were definitely spot on. Stunning view..