Zimpapers Logo

Entertainment Reporter
Harare’s five-star Meikles Hotel is laying on a series of culinary, entertainment and other treats for guests throughout the build-up to the 2014 festive season and during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays.

General manager Tinashe Munjoma said the holiday season was a highlight of the year for Meikles and a time when every effort was made to give guests an incomparable festive treat to remember.

“City hotels are traditionally not busy with overnight guests at this time of year, but banqueting and restaurant business is always a key focus during this period and we hope this year will be no different,” he said.

Meikles Hotel has created a full programme of festive activity and the colourful decorations for which the hotel has become well-known over the years have been in place since December 1.

The popular Meikles ground floor lounge is offering mince pies as an addition to its menu of snacks and refreshments throughout the day and light lunches between midday and early afternoon. The lounge overlooks the foyer area, which is colourfully decorated with Christmas trees and other yuletide decorations.

A special new treat this year is the presence of Father Christmas in the hotel on the three Saturdays leading up to Christmas — December 6, 13 and 20 — when Santa Claus will meet children and hand out lucky packets of toys and confectioneries at a reasonable price, and be photographed with the little guests calling in on him. Families coming to meet him can enjoy a Christmas tea or luncheon while in the hotel. His visits are from 9am to 12 noon on these dates.

The banqueting department is already hosting for pre-Christmas parties, lunches and dinners in the hotel’s 15 function rooms, mainly for corporate customers, while other corporate and individual customers are hosting Christmas lunches and dinners in La Fontaine Grillroom, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant.

On Christmas Eve a five-course a la carte meal will be available to diners in La Fontaine, which celebrates its 56th anniversary on December 8.

Dinner and dance music will be played by the resident band and Father Christmas will make a visit with presents, accompanied by pipers from the St John’s College Pipe Band.

Christmas lunch will be served in three venues — a buffet in The Pavilion and a five-course plate-service meal in La Fontaine, as well as a special premium buffet luncheon in the Stewart Rooms.

All three venues will feature entertainment, including children’s game for all in the Stewart Rooms after lunch.

Dinner on Christmas night will be served in La Fontaine.

On New Year’s Eve guests will be able to choose between a buffet in The Pavilion, a five-course supper in La Fontaine and a themed dinner cabaret in the Stewart Rooms.

The theme in the Stewart Rooms is Let’s Go Hollywood, which means people can dress up as movie characters or in a glamorous “red carpet” style, with prizes for the most exciting outfits.

Just before midnight the action moves to the Rooftop Garden, where a fireworks display will be launched just after the New Year is ushered in.

The skirl of bagpipes from the St John’s College Pipe Band will be a key feature of all the function rooms.

The hotel is offering a special festive season package from December 13 to January 31, as a bonus for people who wish to travel to Harare at this time. Special rates are on offer for this annual package, which is usually popular with diasporans travelling home for the holidays.

“Guests staying with us can expect the traditional high standards of Meikles Hotel with all these extra offers and if they are with us for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve they can also book for one of the lunches or dinners,” said Mr Munjoma.

“Our festive functions are usually booked well in advance and as there are very few spaces left for our festive functions we would recommend that people book as soon as possible to avoid being disappointed.”