Kampala Hotels
Kampala Hotels are some of the highlights in Kampala which is the capital city of Uganda and is located in the central region of the country. The Hotels are of different categories and they include luxury hotels, mid-range hotels, and budget hotels. The choice of accommodation is determined by the tourist who chooses a hotel that suits their budget and provides the necessary services they require.
Means of reaching the hotels include airport transfers where some hotels in Kampala also offer pickups for tourists from Entebbe International Airport. The airport pickups are complementary and a representative of the hotel picks up the clients and drives them to the hotel.
Hotels in Kampala are monitored by different associations such as Uganda Hotel Owners Association to ensure that good quality services are offered to the tourists. The various services offered by the hotels to their clients and quality are among the criteria considered during the rating of these hotels.
Hotel ratings
The hotel ratings can be done by physical inspection of the hotel facilities and alternatively the most referred to ratings are online ratings on different social media platforms and on the internet such as trip advisor, Expedia and many others.
The online ratings of hotels in Kampala are based on user-submitted ratings where clients who have used the hotel facilities rate the quality of services offered to them. In addition to the online customer ratings, some facilities of the hotels stand out from the rest making it easier to rate the hotel.
Hotel ratings are the means through which destinations can create standards and improve customer confidence in hotels as well as providing more grade improvement opportunities for the hotels which are rated.
Hotel ratings in Kampala range from 5-star hotels, 4-star hotels, 3 stars, and many others. The hotels in Kampala which are ungraded are said to lower the perception which a guest has of a destination and hinder Uganda’s competitiveness with other destinations in terms of hotel services.
The ratings of hotels in Kampala are aimed at benefiting the guest by helping them with the choice of the hotel they will be staying at. The nature of services a customer gets in the different hotels is crucial to the hospitality industry at a destination such as Uganda.
History of hotels in Uganda
Some of Uganda’s oldest hotels include Masindi hotel which was built around 1923 and Kampala Speke hotel which was built in 1925. Different histories are attached to the hotels and many people who are significant in the history of Uganda were residents of these hotels.
Masindi hotel acted as a stopover point for many businessmen and Masindi town was a transit point for goods that were transported to European markets from countries such as Southern Sudan and the northern part of Congo.
Kampala Speke hotel which has undergone changes in its appearance over the years was named after one of the early explorers called John Speke who discovered the source of the Nile. This hotel is the second oldest hotel in Uganda.
Currency accepted in hotels
Some hotels accept payment in dollars and the use of credit cards during transactions while other hotels prefer to transact in Uganda shillings. Transacting in Uganda shillings makes it easier to make bookings since the currency is accepted at different hotels.
Payment is usually made prior to check-in at the hotel and the rates for the different types of rooms can be accessed via websites and many other means such as directly calling the hotel, emailing the hotel in order to make the necessary arrangements.
Tour companies also help their clients in booking the hotels they intend to stay at during their trips to Kampala or during stopovers in Kampala.
The prices of the hotels in Kampala vary depending on the category of the hotel with luxury hotels having higher prices compared to budget and mid-range hotels.
Services offered by hotels in Kampala
Depending on various factors such as the hotel ratings, hotels in Kampala offer a variety of services to their customers and they include room service, restaurants, swimming pool, gym facilities, conference centers, gardens, parking spots, laundry services and many more services offered for the comfort and satisfaction of tourists visiting the hotels.
The types of rooms at the different hotels around Kampala include single rooms, double rooms, triple rooms, twin rooms, suites, deluxe rooms and the prices of the room types also vary.
Hotels also offer services such as venues for meetings, graduation parties, baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, and other social gatherings.
Hotels in Kampala
Hotels found in Kampala include Sheraton Hotel, Mestil Hotels and Residences, Kampala Serena Hotels, The Athena Hotel, Protea Hotel Kampala Skyz, Pearl of Africa Hotel, Golden Tulip Canaan Kampala, HBT Russel Hotel, Urban by City Blue Kampala, The Emin Pasha Hotel, Fairway Hotel and Spa, Dolphin Suites, Golf Course Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Kampala, Scroll Inn Hotel, Red Sox Hotel, Biyem Hotel, Villa Kololo, Le Petit Village Boutique, Arcadia Suites among others.
Different hotels have different policies when it comes to handling customers and some of the commonly followed policies include
- The times of checking in and out of the hotel
- Forms of payment for the hotel
- Cancellation policies
- Room arrangements during the booking
Hotels around Kampala serve different types of food which include both international and local cuisines. The chefs are well trained and prepare the meals with special care and the meals are served with perfection to the guests at the hotels.
Certain institutions around Kampala train people about different aspects in the hospitality industry such as food preparation, waitressing, bartending, customer care, and many others. The institutions include the different universities, Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute and many others. Different attractions, sites, and landmarks can also be seen by the guests staying at some of the hotels around Kampala such as the Nakasero market, the Gadhafi mosque, Uganda museum, Kasubi tombs, craft centers, and many others.
Hotels in Kampala offer many services to their clients to ensure that the clients get maximum satisfaction and enjoy their stay at the hotel in a safe and comfortable environment.
