SERENA confident of jULY opening date

Now seventeen months into its re-construction, the Kampala Serena Hotel is on course for a grand re-opening ceremony in late June, reports Wolfgang Thome.

The property that will host the Commonwealth Heads of State and Heads of Government Summit in 2007 has been undergoing a $30million refurbishment that will raise its status to five stars.

Room capacity has been increased from 90 to 170 suites while the former single restaurant will be replaced by three - an all day coffee shop, where breakfast, lunch and dinner can be taken in high standard but informal surroundings, while two top class restaurants will be available for fine dining for lunch and dinner.

A spa and recreation facility has been developed around the new swimming pool. While the Nairobi Serena’s Maisha Health Club and Spa is arguably the best such facility in Nairobi, word has it that the Kampala Serena will be outdoing its senior sister hotel in terms of facilities, equipment and spaciousness to provide a truly 5Star treatment even in the leisure facilities of the new hotel.

Serena has a collection of over 25 properties in their stable, amongst them award winning properties like Kirawira, Zanzibar Serena Inn, Mara Serena and others, and with the addition of the Kampala Serena the East African circuit will be completing a long held vision from the 70’s, when Serena was to become a regional hotel group.

The group’s global marketing machinery has for a while now been in full swing promoting the latest addition. The group also plans to enter the safari lodge and resort sector once the new Kampala Serena has opened.

The Jogo Hotel and Leisure Complex at Bwebajja on Entebbe Road will create over 1,000 new jobs on completion.

Joseph Behakanira the managing director of Avemar Group said the multi-million project would be one of the largest and the first of its kind in the region. It will cover 160 acres of land and house a 650-room three-star hotel.
It will have one of the largest conference halls with 10,000 sitting capacity and it will have five presidential suits, a massive shopping mall with over 250 shops and restaurants, 30 residential cottages, 20 residential apartments, three swimming pools and an airfield for small aircraft.

The hotel is meant to boost our tourism potential and that of the sector as a whole.

Joseph Behakanira also called upon the Government, through the Uganda Investment Authority, to support local investors by providing tax incentives.

By Kisibo Jackie
Uganda Hotel news

The Government of Uganda has formed a committee to facilitate the hosting of the Common wealth Summit in Uganda 2007.

The committee will consider the standards and accreditation of hotels. The Chairman of the committee and also permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Dr Sam Nahamya has pointed out that it will work in close relationship with the service providers of hotels in Uganda.

Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) is to train 35,000 employees of various hotels ahead of the CHOGM next year.

The Chairman of the Association said that they will work hand in hand with the Uthali colledge in Kenya and the Jinja Hotel training school to increase the skills of the hotel workers.

The Chairman also urged the Goverment to help the hoteliers access friendly loans to upgrade their hotels.