Hotels in Western Kenya Star Rating Results.

Impala Eco Lodge which is rated 3 star lodge

BY OUR REPORTER

Hotel industry players in western Kenya are angling for expansion of their market base following the completion of a classification drive launched by the sector’s regulator.

The grades, released last week, have issued the latest star-rating for hotels, lodges and restaurants in Nyanza, Western and North Rift tourism circuit that participated in the study.

The study was initiated by the ministry of east African affairs, commerce and tourism in the month of April.

Mr Kipkorir Lagat, acting director general Tourism Regulatory Authority, reports that most hotels at western Kenya are in the range of one to four stars.

In the authority’s report, Eldoret based Boma Inn led the pack as a 4-star facility in the region in the category of town hotels.

It was followed closely by hotels namely, hotel Nyakoe based in Kisii and Kisumu’s Sovereign Hotel, Imperial, the Vic, the Noble Conference Centre earned a 3-star rating.

Kakamega’s Golf Hotel was rated as a two-star alongside Kisii based Dados, Kisumu’s St Johns Manor a franchise of the Le Savanna Country lodges and Sunset hotels.

Eight others from the north rift circuit were awarded a two-star in the category of hotels.

For lodges, Kerio View and Samich resort in Elgeyo Marakwet scooped the three star rating alongside Kisumu’s Impala ecolodge whereas Rondo retreat in Kakamega was found fit for a two-star.

Haandi restaurant, which boasts of being the only destination for evening dinners in Kisumu Central business district, was awarded a three star in the classification.

Western Kenya Hospitality leaders association chairman Robinson Anyal said the grading was welcome.

Mr Anyal told Kisumu Hotel Managers Group that the results were good for raising the marketing value of the circuit.

“We are also going to weed out entrepreneurs who used to defraud clients through non-existent grades. The information will be made public in the Kenya gazette notice. An emblem of the class will also be strategically put at the hotel’s reception,” said Mr Anyal.

The hotelier said many facilities in the region had improved their standards of service delivery.

Some of the big hotel names in the region that missed out the classification drive for lack of crucial licenses have one month to comply.

The hotels that missed the first round of classification, which was started in April this year, will pay Sh50,000 for fresh vetting before June 2016.

Those who are not vetted will lose the prestigious selling point posited by a star rating.