Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino

Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino is set on high ground above Maseru, with views running out over the city below. It is the tallest claim to status in town: the only casino in Lesotho, paired with a spa, gym, sauna and pool. Government ministries, parliament and the high court sit only minutes away, which makes the hotel a natural base for conferences and meetings as much as for a weekend away. The 158 rooms and suites come with private bathrooms, satellite TV, tea and coffee facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi. An executive lounge stocks leather armchairs for the end of a working day, cognac included. Dining runs from African dishes to cocktails and simple bar snacks, and beyond the hotel itself guests can arrange pony trekking or golf nearby. Moshoeshoe I International Airport is a 30-minute drive away, and Bloemfontein sits roughly two hours further by road, which makes the hotel workable for both regional business trips and cross-border stopovers. You can catch sunset over the city from the pool deck before heading down to the tables. Check-in runs from 2pm, check-out is 11am. It is not a large hotel by international standards, but on its hill above Maseru it is hard to overlook.