Zambia Philately: Hotel Musi-O-Tunya Inter-Continental

The Inter-Continental Hotel (ICH) brand was established in 1946 by Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways as a division of Pan Am. ICH opened two hotels in Zambia in 1968.

Musi-o-Tunya Inter-Continental Hotel was officially opened on 19 October 1968 by Dr Kabaleka Konoso, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism. Robert Huyot, Presdient of Inter-Continental, and Mario di Genova, Senior Vice-President of Operations, were also present. It was located just 300 yards, on a 35 acre site, adjacent to the eastern cataract of the Victoria Falls (Musi-O-Tunya or The Smoke That Thunders), and seven miles from Livingstone.

The building was designed by Bechtel Corporation of San Francisco. The interior of the hotel was designed by Neal Prince and was a combination of modern and traditional. Over three hundred Zambian artists created the wooden screens, lamp bases and decorative masks used throughout the hotels. All fabric and carpet patterns were modern adaptions of Zambian folk art.

The hotel provided 100 air-conditioned rooms and there was a swimming pool and shaded terrace. The Kuta Restaurant and the Mutanda Coffee Hut served international cuisine and local specialties, and the Insaka Bar provided favourite drinks. It was managed by a German Rotarian couple by the name of Ernest and Maria Mueller.