Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) has listed 34 top level accommodation facilities ranging from Five-Star to Two-Star hotels located in various districts of the Pearl of Africa.
According to UTB, the grading was in line with the country’s regulations of classification of accommodation facilities and restaurants.
The grading placed three facilities, including Kampala Serena Hotel, Sheraton Kampala Hotel and Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa in the Five-Star brackets.
Emburara Farm Lodge in Mbarara City, Protea Hotel Entebbe, Igongo Cultural Centre, Golden Tulip Canaan Kampala, Mestil Hotels, Kabira Country Club, Protea Hotel Kampala Skyz and Protea Marriott Kampala were ranked Four-Star.
Under the Three-Star section came Speke Apartments, Aquarius Kigo Resort, Lake View Resort Hotel, Casa Solada Hotel, Fairway Hotel, Admas Grand Hotel, Best Western Premier Garden Hotel, Fort Motel, Nyaika Hotel, Hotel Bravad and Collin Hotel.
In the Two-Star class, UTB listed Hilton Garden Inn, Source of the Nile Hotel Limited, Wash and Wills Country Home, Mt. Elgon Hotel and Spa, Hotel Horizon, Hotel La Vena, K-Hotels, Athena Hotel, Kalya Court Hotel, Agip Motel, Ataco Country Resort and Mountains of the Moon.
UTB went ahead to clarify that the exercise is ongoing and hundreds of other facilities will be graded.
During a press briefing last year, UTB deputy chief executive officer Bradford Ochieng noted that grading is done in line with international standards every two years.
He said assessors look at each and every component of the facility, ranging from kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
The inspected facilities include town and vacation hotels, lodges, guest houses, tented camps, motels, restaurants, and service apartments.
A 2018 report by the Uganda Hotel Owners Association revealed that the country had “over 3800 hotel establishments with over 250,000 rooms and 300,000 beds.”
The association noted that over 95% of these facilities were owned by the private sector while 5% were publicly aided.
By then, the sector was employing at least 250,000 direct workers.
Six years since this report was released the situation seems to have changed, with more facilities being established. Statistics indicate that Uganda receives more than 1.5 million visitors annually, with the figure expected to go up as the country hosts more international summits and other events.
