High-end hotels join new list of top-rated establishments in Kenya

Villa Rosa Kempinsky entrance. Eight high-end hotels joined the top ratings list of classified hospitality facilities published by the industry regulator. (PHOTO: BEVERLYNE MUSILI/ STANDARD)

Eight high-end hotels joined the top ratings list of classified hospitality facilities published by the industry regulator.

City hotels that won a five-star rating are Villa Rosa Kempinsiki, Hemingway's Nairobi, Sankara, Fairmont the  Norfolk, Sarova Stanley, Radisson Blu, Dusit D2 and Tribe Hotel.

Four-star facilities include Ole Sereni, Southern Sun Mayfair, Sarova Panafric, Windsor Golf Hotel and County Club, the Boma Nairobi and Weston Hotel.

The classification assigns a star rating of between one and five for the hotels, with five-star establishments offering superior services.

In the latest report published by the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) on Friday, some popular hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa, including those that have always been cited to have five-star status, have not been classified.

Conspicuously missing from the TRA classification of hotels in Nairobi are Serena, Intercontinental and Hilton.

Mike Macharia, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) chief executive officer, said failure to make it into TRA’s roll of classified hotels does not necessarily mean the facilities’ services are below par.

Mr Macharia said there are provisions allowing hoteliers to request for more time, for instance, to undertake renovations, before being classified.

Classification and grading of tourism facilities is a mandatory exercise in which all regulated hotels are expected to participate.

“Nairobi has made studious efforts as far as hotel upgrades is concerned. There are major investments in the hotel industry with many new facilities coming up, hence the many five-star awards,’’ Sam Ikwaye, interim Secretary General of Tourism Professional Association (TPA) said.

Only three hotels at the Kenyan coast attained the five-star classification. They are Medina Palms in Watamu (near Malindi), Leopard Beach and Swahili Beach Resort and Spa in the South Coast, Kwale County.

A number of establishments, especially at the Kenyan coast had opted to defer classification due to their ongoing upgrade works. These include Mombasa’s Pride Inn Paradise Beach and Convention Centre, which is set to host the World Skal Congress in 2018 and the Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa in South Coast, Kwale county.

Countrywide vetting started two months ago, covering Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui and Kajiado towns. TRA has also completed star ranking of facilities in Nyanza, Western, Coast, South Rift, Central, Eastern regions and now Nairobi.

Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame had set October as the deadline for ranking of hotels in the region to help market East Africa as a tourism package.

“Uganda and Rwanda are concluding ranking of their facilities. We want a uniform standard where if you book a one-star or five-star in Rwanda you expect the same services in Kenya,” said the TRA boss.

The initiative is geared towards promoting the use of the East Africa Community single tourist visa, which has had a low uptake since its launch on February 20, 2014. The visa allows multiple entries in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for 90 days at $100 (Sh10,150 ).

The rating and classification covers vacation hotels, town hotels, lodges, tented camps, villas, motels and restaurants.