Economy

Top brands miss from new list of five-star hotels

tours

Tourists at the Swahili Beach Resort in 2015. PHOTO | FILE

Top hotels in Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru are missing from a new list of five-star facilities being compiled by the tourism regulator.

The classification by the Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA), concluded so far in 41 counties, ranks only seven establishments — two hotels, two lodges, two camps and an apartment — as five-star hotels.

Leopard Beach Resort and Swahili Beach Resort in Kwale County, Medina Palms in Watamu (Kilifi County), Mara Serena Safari Lodge and Olare Mara Kempinski in Narok are among those rated as five star.

Others are Segera Retreat Lodge in Laikipia County and Lake Elmentaita Serena Camp in Nakuru. This means there is no five-star establishment in Mombasa, Kenya’s tourism hub, as popular brands such as Serena Beach Resort, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort, Voyager Hotel and EnglishPoint Marina have been ranked as four-stars.

Team of assessors

Kisumu Hotel, Sovereign Hotel, The Vic Hotel and Imperial Hotel in Kisumu County have been rated at three-stars.
Accommodation facilities in Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Kajiado are yet to be classified.

The 228 establishments inspected by TRA assessors in the 41 counties also produced 31 four-star facilities and 42 three-stars.

Mr Lagat Kipkorir, the TRA director-general, said the exercise was conducted fairly with the team of assessors certified by the East African Community.

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He explained that for a hotel to be rated five-star it must have high-quality accommodation, food, service and other amenities.

“In a nutshell, a five-star hotel must be the best. Guests staying in a five-star rated hotel must experience world-class services,” he said. Mr Kipkorir said TRA plans to classify hotels in Nairobi from next month. He added that he expects some hotels in Nairobi to be rated as five-star following investments by locals and international brands.

Other hotels which will be classified in September include those in Kiambu, Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Kajiado counties. “I appeal to hotel owners in Nairobi and the other remaining counties to prepare for the classification,” he said. Mr Kipkorir said that the aim of the exercise was to rate the quality of hotels, lodges and tented camps across the country in a bid to improve standards in the hospitality industry.

He said that the classification would enable tourists to decide on which grade of hotel suits their pockets for them to get value for their money. Mr Kipkorir said quality hotels would make the country more competitive and enable it attract high-end holidaymakers.

“We expect to complete the classification by October so that we can meet the East African Community deadline of between October and November this year,” he said.

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