Hotel review: Latitude 15°, Lusaka, Zambia - modern Africa in one hotel

Dining spaces flow across several rooms centred on the sleek bar and spill out onto the poolside terrace.

CHECK-IN

There are three properties in The Latitude Hotels Group at present, each named for the latitudes on which they rest: Latitude 15° in Lusaka, Zambia; Latitude 13° in Lilongwe, Malawi, and Latitude 0°, which lies on the equatorial line in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The hotels are unified by a common design sensibility and personalised by their immediate environs; for Latitude 15° this is the leafy embassy precinct 20 minutes by car from the city and 30 minutes from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. The location guarantees a steady stream of safari-goers, diplomatic and NGO personnel and expats and locals who favour the restaurant and bar for networking and catch-ups.

THE LOOK

The edifice is easily mistaken for a family home cushioned by lawn and foliage on a large suburban block. Contained within the plain packaging – angular white exterior, rectangular pool surrounded by bleached pavers – is a deftly controlled explosion of colour. An interior palette of neutral walls and polished concrete, wood and harlequin-tiled floors is overlaid with works by emerging African artists, bead, glass and copper chandeliers, pop art-style maps of Africa, block-printed drapes and couches scattered with beaded cushions. Remarkably, much of the sumptuous decor is fashioned from recycled objects by local communities and the Malawi-based woman's empowerment cooperative, Katundu; designer Lightfoot Zambia (whose workshop can be visited on nearby Sugarloaf Farm) assembles the disparate elements – including its own designs – into a supremely elegant, deeply sensual masterwork.

THE SUITE

This is my second stay here and my room – like all 32 suites and three kitchen-fitted family suites in the complex – is different from the last. A vast mother-of-pearl-inlaid headboard anchors a bed bedecked with faux fur cushions and fleece throw; the tactile experience extends to the turquoise velvet-upholstered couch and flokati-like rug. The bathroom feels like a private spa with its raw concrete walls, arabesque-tiled splashback and freestanding bathtub; kitenge (African fabric) bathrobes and a recycled glass shower partition are a particular delight. Utilities such as the flat screen television, bar fridge and coffee machine seem to dissolve amid the splendour.

FOOD + DRINK

Dining spaces flow across several rooms centred on the sleek bar and spill out onto the poolside terrace. Dishes reflect the multinational clientele: Korean barbecued quail, chicken and mushroom pappardelle, grilled Thai fish cakes. Hotel guests can dine at private members' club The Other Side, which also encompasses working spaces, a pool, gym and spa. Tapas, sliders and Zambian beef steaks are on the menu here.

OUT + ABOUT

Hire a car or book a taxi or local tour for an exploration of the city's historical landmarks, galleries and markets. Namwandwe Art and Sculpture Gallery exhibits some of the country's most notable contemporary art; Kabwata Cultural Village decodes Zambian culture and craftsmanship; and Lusaka National Park and Lilayi Elephant Nursery offer a quick wildlife fix.

THE VERDICT

This is a hotel that mirrors contemporary Africa with its warmth, ingenuity and unbridled passion.

ESSENTIALS

Rooms from around $154 a night. Leopards Lane, Kabulonga, Lusaka, Zambia.

15.thelatitudehotels.com

OUR SCORE OUT OF FIVE

★★★★½

HIGHLIGHT

The staff's easy warmth and the cosmopolitan atmosphere conjured in a thoroughly African setting.

LOWLIGHT

I'd prefer to see more local dishes on the menu.

Catherine Marshall stayed at Latitude 15 as a guest of Bench Africa. See benchafrica.com