Polana Serena Hotel

The Polana opened in 1922 on a clifftop above Maputo Bay, its design attributed to Sir Herbert Baker's practice, the architects who shaped so much of southern Africa's grandest building. The white neoclassical facade, palm-lined gardens and sea-facing pool terrace made it the most glamorous address on the East African coast, a status it held through Mozambique's turbulent twentieth century. A comprehensive Serena restoration returned the chandeliers, stained glass and parquet to full lustre.

Rooms divide between the main historic building, where classic furnishings and bay views carry the atmosphere, and the garden wing near the pool. Public rooms remain the heart of the experience: a domed lobby, a veranda made for gin and tonic at sunset, and gardens where weddings and diplomatic receptions unfold most weekends. Maputo's leafy avenues, Central Market and the celebrated railway station are a short drive away.

The hotel is as much Maputo's institution as a tourist base — expect a mix of business delegations, NGOs and travellers heading onward to the Bazaruto or Quirimbas archipelagos. Standards are strong for the region though not at global five-star cutting edge, and the city rewards those who explore with local guidance. As an introduction to Mozambique's layered Lusophone character, the Polana is unmatched.