Hotel making waves in Kisumu

The exhilarating lyrics of Suzanna Owiyo’s Kisumu 100 song kept playing in my mind as I left Nairobi for a road trip to Kisumu. Tera adhi ane Kisumu, ayaee tera adhi aba Kisumu, Kisumu ber Kisumu (Take me to see Kisumu, take me on a tour of Kisumu, Kisumu is beautiful Kisumu). It was on a chilly Friday morning, 6am to be precise, and I was looking forward to an exciting three-day two-night expedition.

A few stops here and there, notable of which was the one to sightsee the beautiful and ever green Kericho, and we were in Kisumu at 2pm. To my satisfaction, the port city, which in recent times has emerged as a conference tourism destination, did not contradict the lyrics lingering on my head.

We checked in at the Acacia Premier Hotel, which was going to be our home for the weekend. The lobby area had round, multi-coloured wavy striped carpet, resonating well with the floor and the comfy-looking beige leather seats. The walls are easy on the eye, painted with calm white and decorated with symmetrically cut pieces of mahogany wood to bring out an excellent blend.

This four-star hotel is located in the vibrant city, adjoining the WestEnd Mall on Achieng’ Oneko Road. It is set in a tranquil environment overlooking Lake Victoria – the freshest water lake in Africa and also the world’s second largest fresh-water lake.

The luxurious facility has 94 contemporary rooms in standard and superior categories, four bay suites and the region’s only international presidential suite. The rooms are very spacious and airy, too, courtesy of the big glass windows. They are fitted with large beds, modern bedside lamps, wooden tables, couches and large television sets. The strong king-size mahogany beds are neatly spread with smooth, clean white bedding that caress both the body and soul.

presidential suite

Everything in the room is neatly arranged and placed. From the glass flower vase, the stocked fruit bowl, the artistic wall hangings, the whiter than white towels in the bathroom, to the television remote stacked in a leather wallet-like holder.

I also got a rare chance to see the inside of the magnificent presidential suite that goes for Sh55,000 a night. It boasts two ensuite bedrooms, a private boardroom, a kitchette and a jacuzzi. One very striking thing about this facility is their consideration and adherence to “big space”. Everything is spacious and big, by all standards. I remember joking to a friend that the bathroom is the size of an average Nairobi bedsitter.

The hotel’s architecture and design is ultra modern, with calm shades of paint inside and smooth finishes on the outside. The floor is wooden and uncarpeted, perfectly considered, because Kisumu can be unbearably hot at its worst. Additionally, all the rooms are also fitted with air conditioners.

One of the most outstanding points is the Aqua Pool Bar & Grill that gives a spectacular view of the vast lake. It is here we rushed early in the morning to take pictures of the sunrise, as hued rays kissed our foreheads.

We also returned early in the evenings just to watch the sun set. It coils into a beautiful luminous orange ball that gets smaller and keeps disappearing far yonder in a manner like it’s drowning in the lake.

Acacia Premier Hotel was opened last year by Simba Corporations Limited. Kisumu’s hospitality industry had not been very promising, but the grand entry of this facility has raised the bar a notch higher. The hotel has an occupancy rate of 66 per cent and mainly targets the business clientele. Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi and the Olare Mara Kempinski in Maasai Mara, both prestigious five-star facilities, are Acacia’s “elder sisters”.

quality services

Why ‘Acacia’? The company prides itself in having a standard and quality services homegrown African hotel brand, hence their slogan, “The Home of African Hospitality” and the name “Acacia”; the name of a big tropical tree that resonates well with Africa.

In its first year of operation, the facility has hosted the who-is-who in Kenya and beyond: The likes of Kenya’s music band Sauti Sol, Tanzania’s Diamond Platinumz, the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi, Ferre Gola among others. Akothee, Victoria Beckham and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o are some of the notable females. In September this year, Lupita granted one of the world’s famous magazines, Vogue, an interview at Acacia.

We took a drive to the famous Kit Mikayi rock in Seme Constituency. The next stop was Ndere Island National Park, courtesy of a luxurious boat ride. We later drove to Dunga Hill Camp for lunch. The fish served there wiped out a bad taste of some tasteless fish I had in a Machakos hotel early this year.

That delicious fish, coupled with the breeze from the lake, and by the time you are done, you want to pick your phone, call all the people you have grudges with and forgive them unconditionally.

Other places you can visit are Impala Sanctuary, Kiboko Bay and Kisumu Yacht Club.