Five-star Umodzi Park, City Centre, Lilongwe
President Hotel at Umodzi Park
Malawi's first five-star hotel, opened in 2015 above Malawi Square in the centre of Lilongwe, with 130 rooms and the national convention centre next door.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rooms
- 130, including 10 Presidential Suites
- Opened
- May 2015
- Award
- World Travel Awards, Malawi's Best Hotel 2023
- From the airport
- About 24 km from Kamuzu International
The hotel
A state hotel for the capital.
The hotel was built with the Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Centre as one precinct, Umodzi Park, on Chilembwe Road in the city centre. President Peter Mutharika opened it on 1 May 2015 as the President Walmont, run at first by the South African group Peermont. It was the first hotel in Malawi to be graded five-star, with 130 rooms, ten of them Presidential Suites.
It is now the President Hotel, owned through Umodzi Holdings, a company wholly owned by the government, on a site of 39 hectares. Between the hotel and the convention centre lies Malawi Square, paved with the rising sun of the national flag. In 2023 the World Travel Awards named it Malawi's best hotel, while a refurbishment was under way. Fourteen Presidential Villas stand in a secure estate a short drive away.
- Convention centre The BICC next door seats 1,500 in the Lilongwe Auditorium, with five conference rooms and three banqueting halls.
- Pool deck An outdoor pool, with the Wild Orchid's terrace beside it.
- Spa A spa and wellness centre with massages, a sauna and a gym.
Rooms & suites
Rooms and Presidential Suites.
Of the 130 rooms, most are Classic rooms with a king bed or twin beds. Ten are Presidential Suites.
- Rooms Classic King and Classic Twin About sixty of each, air-conditioned, with a minibar.
- Suites Presidential Suite Ten in all, the top category in the hotel.
Dining
A restaurant and two bars.
As listed by the hotel at opening and on current booking sites. Shown for information.
- The Wild Orchid International The main restaurant, with a terrace on the pool deck
- Afroma Terrace Bar Drinks Overlooking Umodzi Park
- Lobby Lounge and Bar Drinks Open all day
Recognition
Awards.
- World Travel Awards Malawi's Best Hotel, 2023
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by 11 am.
- Pets Not accepted, service animals included.
- Former name The hotel opened as the President Walmont, and some guides still use that name.
Getting there
Flying to Lilongwe.
Kamuzu International is about 24 km north of the hotel, some 30 to 40 minutes by car. It takes scheduled flights from Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Johannesburg, and private jets, which need a handler and land within published daytime hours unless arranged.
- Nairobi 2 h 15
- Johannesburg 2 h 20
- Cape Town 3 h 55
- Dubai 6 h 50 long-range jet
- London 10 h 50 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Is the President Hotel the same as the President Walmont?
- Yes. It opened in 2015 as the President Walmont, managed by Peermont, and now trades as the President Hotel.
- How far is the hotel from Lilongwe airport?
- About 24 km from Kamuzu International, some 30 to 40 minutes by car.
- Is the hotel next to the convention centre?
- Yes. The Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Centre is next door, across Malawi Square.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Lilongwe?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Lilongwe, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Staying at President Hotel at Umodzi Park?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Lilongwe, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.