Hotels in Kisumu for the business traveller

KISUMU HOTEL MANAGERS GROUP/ASSOCIATION

Acacia Premier is the new 4 star hotel in Kisumu everyone is talking about

By EVELYN SITUMA, esituma@ke.nationmedia.com
For decades, Imperial Hotel in Kisumu has marked the hospitality sector in the town and western Kenya as a whole.
It was the go-to hotel for any visitor who wished to have cosy accommodation. However, that scene is changing fast as more choices open up for business travellers visiting the lakeside town and the region as a whole.
Big names in the hospitality sector are pitching tent in Kisumu as they strive to address a shortage of decent accommodation. Investors have spent millions of shillings for budget hotels, giving travellers unmatched options and variety.
The Acacia Premier Hotel in Milimani is the latest entrant. The new hotel has been built by the owners of Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel, a five-star hotel in Nairobi which is fast becoming the hotel of choice for…

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Venture out and sample Kisumu’s hidden treasures

Acacia Premier joins list of Kisumu hotels

By Moses Odhiambo
The captivating view of Lake Victoria from atop the deck of the luxurious four-star Acacia Premier Hotel gives one the impression of a high class environment not in the leafy suburbs of the lakeside town but right in the center of the action.
While here, you will forget that you are in the middle of the central business district of this usually hot town as the classy lounge area with a coffee shop makes you feel at home away from home even as a breeze from the lake cools you down.
The bustling sounds of the town, which was created as a Kenya railways terminal, dissipate the moment you step into this latest addition in the hospitality industry.

Acacia Premier, Kisumu

Swimming pool
On the second floor is a swimming pool, a spa, gym with a bar and grill that complement the serene feel of the breathtaking panoramic view of the lakeside town.
The proximity to the airport, just 10 minutes away when traffic is light, is yet another advantage that the new facility boasts of.
From the rooftop deck, a view of the rapidly growing Riat and Kajulu hills adds to the experience of the stunning Kisumu sunset which can also be sampled from the Buzz Bar, which is said to have the greatest collection of premium spirits in this part of the country.
“Kisumu is ready for a place like this. We have not seen a hotel of this calibre and which offers the same services in this town” said Nazir Khamisa, chief hospitality officer of Simba Corporation which owns the hotel.
Acacia Premier, a sister to Nairobi-based Villa Rosa Kempinski and Olare Mara Kempinski, is looking at edging out its rivals in the class of four-star hotels with its superior service.
With 94 rooms of various sizes, including a presidential suite, the hotel should be on your list of places to visit when in town.
The rooms range from Sh15,500 per person per night for the standard rooms to Sh56,000 for the presidential suite. The rest are charged depending on the advantages they offer for the panoramic view in the five-floor suite block.
The $5 million (Sh450million) hotel which opened its doors to the public last month is the perfect place for business negotiations, among other hospitality services.
Talking to Khamisa, during a visit to the facility recently, he said that their aim is to raise the bar in the hospitality industry in the region.
He said for a long time, the choice when it came to luxury accommodation was confined to one or two hotels apart from the many guest houses dotted around the town. Today, visitors have more choices on where to stay in comfort. Khamisa said it’s for the competitors to follow suit.
“We set foot here to raise the bar in the Western circuit just like we did with our other properties. The Vila Rosa Kempinski and Olare Mara Kempinski have received several awards including the prestigious world travel awards.”
He said that the interest of the Simba Corporation in Kisumu stretches beyond just making money to giving guests who may sample its facilities a treat of their lifetime.
“We pride ourselves in making sure that we provide the best possible facilities and service in the price points and category of the hotels that we are going to build,” he said.
Apart from the presidential suite, Acacia Premier also has an executive lounge, one boardroom, conferencing and banqueting facility with a capacity to hold 200 people.
With its conference facilities, tantalising cuisine and laundry services, Acacia promises to raise the profile of Kisumu both locally and internatonally.
Impala Park
Robinson Anyal, the marketing manager of the hotel, describes the high end hotel as ideal for both business and leisure travellers.
“It is fitted with a modern health club and gymnasium which sets this property apart from the rest in the industry in western Kenya,” he said.
He says the nearby Impala Park, which is less than 10 minutes away is just but one of the many local attractions one can visit. Visitors can also take a day tour to nearby attractions like Kakamega Forest and Kit Mikayi in Kisumu, among other short trips within the region.
Other tourist sites include the Equator Point in Maseno and other beautiful sights that stretch to parts of the Rift Valley which the hotelier says are within reach of visitors who only need to make a request to be driven there at a small fee.
Khamisa says despite the numerous travel advisories that have kept tourists away from the Coast, there are still many unexploited, high potential areas in Nyanza and the whole western region which have a lot to offer the discerning visitor.

Hotels in Kisumu for the business traveller

Acacia Premier is the new 4 star hotel in Kisumu everyone is talking about

By EVELYN SITUMA, esituma@ke.nationmedia.com
For decades, Imperial Hotel in Kisumu has marked the hospitality sector in the town and western Kenya as a whole.
It was the go-to hotel for any visitor who wished to have cosy accommodation. However, that scene is changing fast as more choices open up for business travellers visiting the lakeside town and the region as a whole.
Big names in the hospitality sector are pitching tent in Kisumu as they strive to address a shortage of decent accommodation. Investors have spent millions of shillings for budget hotels, giving travellers unmatched options and variety.
The Acacia Premier Hotel in Milimani is the latest entrant. The new hotel has been built by the owners of Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel, a five-star hotel in Nairobi which is fast becoming the hotel of choice for many discerning travellers.
Simba Corporation owner Adil Popat’s Acacia Premier Hotel investment is part of Sh3.1 billion the hotelier seeks to put in budget hotels across the country. Mr Popat is targeting four new investments in the hospitality sector, including Acacia Premier.
There are additional accommodation spaces coming in the town.
Pride Inn Hotels
Pride Inn Kisumu is a 52-room hotel currently under construction in the town’s central business district by The Pride Inn Group – a family-run hotel business in Nairobi. The group decided to replicate the budget hotel concept in most major towns across the country as it seeks to stamp its footprint in the hotel industry. At present, Pride Inn Group has six mid-level hotels in Mombasa and Nairobi.
The Pride Inn hotels are three-star rated and offer conferencing facilities to groups and institutions. In Nairobi, the Group has a meeting room with a capacity of 1,000 people.
Acacia Premier Hotel
But back to Acacia Premier Hotel which will be opened on Monday next week.
The hotel, which is at the West End Shopping Mall, has a coffee lounge, bar, gym and swimming pool, aqua pool bar and restaurant, among other standard amenities. It has a total of 94 rooms which includes a presidential suite.

Acacia Premier, Kisumu

The hotel will charge a friendly rate of Sh11,000 a night. Its restaurant offers both a buffet menu and à la carte and is ideal for business travellers who also want a bit of luxury.
It also has a ballroom with a capacity of 200 guests, along with several smaller meeting rooms.

Impala Eco Lodge

Impala Eco Lodge is owned and operated by Jambo Chester Hotels & Resorts. The group, like other hoteliers, has set up several hotels across the country. The lodge was opened in 2011 and is next to the protected Impala Sanctuary which has a variety of wildlife, including lions and the resident impalas.
Sovereign Hotel
Sovereign Hotel located in Milimani Estate, close to Nyanza Club, is arguably one of the best hotels in the region currently. The hotel has 32 rooms with high-end furnishings and a great bar area where you can enjoy the breeze from the lake as you have your drinks or evening meal if you do not want to eat in the dining area.
Accommodation price starts from Sh11,160 for a standard room a night, per person. The executive suite is double the rate of a standard room.
Last but not least are the 170-room Royal City Hotel and the apartment-styled Parkview Safari Hotel, which are some of the other recent hotel developments.

call 0726774304 for more information at Acacia Premier.

A new face of Kisumu’s Hospitality Industry unveiled

Exciting Career Opportunities at Acacia Premier Hotel, Kisumu

IKONIA is Here

Kisumu’s hospitality industry is on the move. This is manifested in the number of new facilities opening their doors to fill in the gap which has existed for some time. The latest entrant is IKONIA. Now tourists who frequently visit Kisumu museum have a comfortable place for accommodation just in the neighborhood.

Here’s a place that symbolizes a lifestyle that has a class of its own.
IKONIA Kisumu Executive Apartment Suites, the new address for sophistication and high taste. Quite, serene and private abodes that will make every day of your life a memorable one. Experience the grandeur of your own personal haven. Experience Ikonia Executive Fully Furnished and Serviced Apartments.
IKONIA Offers a variety of contemporary kitchen units, with complimentary work surfaces and tiled splash backs. Enjoy Fluffy Lounge area carpets and TV with telephone points, IKONIA also has DSTV available on subscription. Sleeping Comfort is redefined at IKONIA with top of the range Bedroom Materials and ambience.

The Bathrooms have White sanitary ware with low level duel flush WC, bath and basin Shower (Heated) over bath with tiled sash backs and exemplary Solar photovoltaic roof panels for your comfort. Cooking Gas is also provided in your Kitchen with Vinyl floor covering to the Kitchen. Refrigerators and Microwaves to manage your food stock also available!

You want to experience this!

Call; 0721 111 555 or 0787 333 444

Kisumu to welcome Best Western hotel

Artistic impression of proposed Best Western Hotel that will be constructed next to Kisumu International Airport. 28/04/15. [PHOTO: TITUS MUNALA/STANDARD]

By Maureen Odiwuor

Best Western International, the world’s biggest hotel chain with more than 4,000 hotels in over 100 countries will invest in a facility in Kisumu County.

The international four-star hotel is set to be built on the grounds of the Kisumu International Airport. Best Western CEO Kaushik Manek says plans to put up the first ever multi-million shilling globally branded hotel in the lake side city are underway. This facility will resemble Best Western Premier Hotel in Nairobi’s Hurlingham estate. “We have already designed the facility and are currently discussing the concepts. If all goes well, we will take a year and a half to do the construction,” said the CEO.

This follows the call by Kenya Airports Authority for private organizations to invest in the area, which has a vast piece of land. Speaking on behalf of Best Western CEO, Atelier Senior Architect Urbanos Mutua said they have already come up with a model of how the facility will look like but are yet to do a quotation to ascertain how much it is going to cost. “We are yet to do a quotation of the cost after receiving official KAA approval. We intend to construct a hotel with a bed capacity of 150,” he said. The ground breaking is expected to be done before the end of this year.
“The good thing about Best Western is that they have over 4,000 hotels worldwide and it is still expanding. Another thing is that they do referral business and so by the time a tourist is coming to Kenya, they can book the hotel both in Nairobi and Kisumu,” Mutua said. He says the facility will attract many tourists because of its proximity to the airport and Kisumu town. “People will want to spend the night next to the airport where they will not have to board a vehicle to take their flight,” he says. “By collaborating with the county government, we should be able to expand most of these facilities,” said KAA Acting Managing Director Yatich Kangugo.
“Our policy is to change the business model. Traditionally, we depended on aeronautical operations, from where we got 20 per cent of our finances from business. Our focus now is development and business rather than aeronautics,” he said.
He added: “We want to open up Kisumu City for investors. When we come back next year, we should talk of 10-15 investors. If we can reposition Kisumu, then aircraft from Congo, Rwanda and other countries can come for maintenance here.”

Is Your Hotel’s Market share threatened? Here is How to remain competitive.

Game changer ; A picture from a 4star hotel setting up in Kisumu. It is expected to intensity competition in the region.

As new hotels open their doors in Western Kenya and competitive rivalry becomes a reality, many hotels owners and managers will be thinking about the topic of business strategy. Both in new hotels and existing ones will be asking; how do we remain relevant? How do we retain our market share? How do we remain competitive enough to be part of the expanding market and compete effectively? How do remain a market leader in our market segment? All these questions culminate to achieving competitive advantage. Hotels are dynamic organizations which are affected by diverse variables hence the application of Competitive advantage will help them to sustain exemplary performance. Richard and Marilyn in their study of this topic argued that the essence of business strategy formulation is coping with competition. This suggests that business strategy is all about competitiveness because the main purpose of strategy adoption is to enable a hotel gain a sustainable edge over its competitors.
In hotel sector strategies consists of competitive moves and business approaches that hospitality managers employ to attract and please customers, compete successfully, grow the business, conduct operations and achieve targeted objectives. Lack of competitive strategy is the reason businesses die off due to new entrants or superior competitors. In Western Kenya, a few hotels have dominated the market for several decades. However, threat of entry by well-established local and international chains is not just a threat but a reality happening now. For any hospitality business being new or old is a strength or a weakness, the difference is its ability to leverage either to a competitive advantage. It is not as simple as it sounds. Hotels that desire to perform must select strategies that give them a competitive advantage over their competitors based on their core competencies.
A hotel achieves sustainable competitive advantage when an attractive number of customers prefer its services over the offerings of competitors and when the basis of this preference is sustainable. Businesses will only result in superior performance when the appropriate strategic management is adopted. Hotels can do strategic analysis to achieve competitive advantage using tools such as Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) Analysis, Porter’s five forces Model and the RBT of the firm. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis aims at matching an organizations internal strengths and weaknesses with its external opportunities and threats. Porters Five Forces Model determines the hotels’ abilities to position and compete in the industry. Scholars have also proposed three generic strategies which could help hotels to cope with competitive forces and these include focus, cost leadership and differentiations. Previous RBT research has provided evidence that the analysis of a firm’s internal resources helps firms to realize their competencies and capabilities which are inimitable by their competitors.
A firm’s resources include assets, capabilities, organizational processes and knowledge that help firms to implement strategies that improve performance. Other researchers refer to these resources as core competencies and capabilities that could generate competitive advantage. A few hospitality researchers have stated core competencies of hospitality organizations to be processes, skills and assets that influence organizations to achieve competitive advantage .Sources that have also been mentioned to contribute to core competencies are location, brand, facilities, employee, customer loyalties, market coverage, market share, service quality, technology, leadership, systems and procedures and organizational culture. The management of these key success factors results in superior value.
Hotels can take advantage of their overall products and services to come up with services which are superior to their competitors. Porters’ generic strategy can create competitive advantage for a firm through the adoption of differentiation and cost-leadership. These strategies give a firm a better chance of outperforming other firms in a homogeneous industry. Porter described porter’s five forces as the threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers and buyers and the intensity of rivalry. Firms in a particular industry need to adopt these five drivers in order to improve their performance. Porter stated that for a firm to achieve high performance it has to achieve one of the basic competitive advantages which are lower cost and differentiation. He further suggests that a firm which does not adopt any one of these strategies is geared towards failure. Differentiation can take different forms such as various marketing strategies, better product image, better market awareness, low Differentiation helps firms to build customer loyalty through offering unique products or services.
In strategy, key basic questions play a major role in designing a winning one for any business.
Who are we? Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we go there? If these questions are answered with utmost sincerity then we have a business strategy and a competitive advantage.

Anyal Robinson is a hospitality business strategist and chairman of Western Kenya Hospitality Leaders Association. Email-anyalrobinson@yahoo.com

Hotels in Nyanza, Western and Northrift to be Graded in May

Group photo during EAGM Western Kenya Hospitality Leaders Conference held in Kisumu in April 2015

TOURISM REGULATORY AUTHORITY

PUBLIC NOTICE; NATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

The Authority is pleased to notify the Tourism hospitality stakeholders and the public that a National Classification and Grading exercise for tourism accommodation and catering facilities in Nyanza, Western and North Rift Tourism Circuits will take place from 4th to 31st May 2015. This is after the successful conclusion of the county government and stakeholders consultative forums and training of hospitality staff on quality assurance and internal audit in the same region. The exercise will target those facilities that have already carried out their own self-assessment based on minimum entry requirements and pre-qualified by the Classification and Standardization Committee established under the Tourism Act, 2011, regulations.

Tourism Regulatory Authority is established under section 4 of The Tourism Act, No. 28 of 2011 and is mandated to regulate the sector to ensure that tourism is managed in a sustainable manner and Kenya as a destination achieves competitiveness through high quality tourism products and services. Classification and Grading is a mandatory exercise of which all regulated tourism facilities are expected to participate.

The National Classification exercise will be guided by the EAC Classification Standards Criteria and procedures for classification and star rating. We wish to inform stakeholders that the classification exercise is concurrently being undertaken in all EAC Partner States. All Partner States are required to conclude the implementation of classification by June 2016.

This notice therefore serves to notify the public of the impending exercise and encourage all hospitality service providers to cooperate with the Authority’s Staff; EAC trained and certified assessors and the Classification and Standardization Committee who will be overseeing this important national exercise. The tourism sector stakeholders are urged to actively participate and accord the exercise necessary support. This is to ensure that the processes of ongoing pre-classification and the actual classification and grading being implemented in phases are successfully conducted throughout the country. The EAC Classification Standards Criteria and other guidelines are available in the EAC website and Tourism Regulatory Authority’s website: http://www.tourismauthority.go.ke

Hospitality service providers are encouraged take note of the incentives provided by the government to upgrade their facilities as they prepare for the national classification well in advance.

Further, this serves to notify the public that all grading and star rating previously awarded by the Hotels and Restaurants Act, Cap 494, repealed, remains nullified by the Tourism Act, 2011.

Director-General
Tourism Regulatory Authority

Director General
Utalii House, 5th Floor, Uhuru Highway.
Tel: 020 – 3313011 ext 22234;
Email: dg@tourismauthority.go.ke Mob . 0710 601103