A new Sh335 million hotel has opened doors in Kisumu, giving a boost to the hugely unexploited potential in the lakeside city's hotel and hospitality industry.
The Vittoria Suites Hotel, developed by Ogwedhi Properties, is located in the upmarket Milimani area, which is less than three kilometres from Kisumu’s Central Business District.
It adds to the gradually growing hotel industry in Kenya's third largest city, which lies along Lake Victoria – the world's second largest fresh water by surface. More than 15 mid- to high-end hotels have been put up in the city in the last five years.
Governor Jack Ranguma said the project, which has been under construction for last two years, complements the county government's efforts to attract investors.
The hotel, he said last Friday, will be a major attraction to holiday makers and corporates looking for conference facilities.
“I note with satisfaction the great effort Ogwedhi Properties' shareholders have made in enhancing the standards of affordable hotel accommodation in Kisumu,” he said. “It is through the confidence of the local investors that foreign investors will learn the opportunities they are missing.”
The Vittoria Suites — designed by architectural firm AIA — features 70 studio suites, 100 square metres of meeting space, a restaurant that opens onto a landscaped garden terrace, parking, management offices, a CCTV security system and electric fencing.
The hotel is the first to be managed by Trianum Hospitality outside Nairobi.
“I challenge your chosen operator, the Trianum Hospitality Limited and your technical team to ensure that the standards of the finished product and the comfort of your hotel clients will be enhanced through international class services,” Ranguma told the developers.
Amos Omore, one of the directors of Ogwedhi Properties, said the facility will be a game changer in the region’s hospitality industry.
He said Kisumu is going to attract a lot of attention, especially with such ventures.