Life & Work

Kenyan hotel among the world’s top ten

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Olare Mara Kempinski, which opened two years ago under a different management and was only taken over by the Kempinski hotel chain in January 2013, is quickly getting global recognition.

The luxury safari camp was the only East African resort to be featured in the UK-based Daily Mail report of top 10 luxury hotels in the world.

The property, located near Ntiakitiak River in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, was ranked 9th in the survey that gauged hotel performance based on online reputation and social media analytics.

Review Pro, a leading customer review intelligence tool for hotels, carried out the findings by measuring nearly 900,000 online guest reviews published last year in more than 100 online travel agencies and websites.

“By analysing 1,696 properties and 84 brands in five continents, we are aiming at providing a comprehensive report that tracks which luxury hotel brands are doing the best job of earning rave reviews from well-heeled guests,” said Review Pro’s chief executive RJ Friedlander.

Quality

The property is one of two owned by international luxury hotel group Kempinski. The group opened a city hotel, Villa Rosa Kempinski, last year to cater for demand of quality hotels in the city.

Olare Mara Kempinski boasts old four poster beds and oriental rugs, the tents offer comfort in the wild, blending modern and African décor from the public spaces to the 12 luxury tents - five twin, seven double and a luxury suite with its own plunge pool.

It can only accommodate a maximum of 24 guests at any one time to give maximum privacy and boasts an organic kitchen that supplies the kitchen with fresh ingredients.

Kenyans can enjoy a night at the luxury camp for Sh21,000, per night if sharing during the ongoing low season.

Nothing beats taking a shower outside your hotel room, surrounded by nature. Though open, the design is such that no one can see you, well other than the monkeys that might pay you a visit.

At night, you might hear a hyena crying or other animals moving around. Each room has a raised platform from where you can watch the animals come to the Ntiakitiak River to lick salt.

Conservancy

The camp sits in Olare Motorogi Conservancy, previously called Olare Orok, which was divided in 2006. The conservancy has set a maximum of 72 beds, equating to one guest for every 350 acres.

Earlier in the year, it was named as one of the luxury hotels and lodges which individuals of high-net worth frequent. Other properties identified in the list and located in the Maasai Mara include Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp and Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri.

The tented camp is mainly served by the Ol Kiombo Airstrip, located inside the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, on the Narok County Council side.

The other hotels in the ranking include five-star Palacio Nazarenas, near Machu Picchu, in Peru, which emerged the world’s top-rated luxury hotels. Second place was the UK’s Northern Bell train, a locomotive boasting a 30’s look.

Also featured are Jumba Bay resort in the Caribbean, Oberoi Vanyavilas in India, the Four Seas Tented Camp in Thailand, Wildflower Hall in the Himalayas, Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Mexico, and luxury golf resort CordeValle in California.

The only other African property in the list is the Oberoi in Mauritius.

Technology has seen travelers make decisions on their next holiday destinations and share reviews on the facilities available making it easier for those planning holidays to get a rough ideas of how the facility is viewed by other travellers.

Previous guest reviews are gaining popularity in helping potential guests decide on a holiday destination.

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