Hotels in Naivasha record low bookings

Hoteliers in Naivasha have termed the current festive season as the worst in 10 years due to low booking, which currently stands at 40 per cent.

According to a survey, majority of the hotels around the town which his dubbed as the ‘Second Coast’ were half full compared to previous years.

The drop in the bookings has been attributed to harsh economic times and the poor status of the Moi South Lake Road which leads to the majority of the hotels.

Many hoteliers have been forced to cut down on the size of their workforce, despite investing heavily for the festive season.

Lake Naivasha Resort proprietor Rahab Mwihaki said this was the worst season ever witnessed in the industry.

Mwihaki said so far only 40 per cent of the facilities have been booked for Christmas and New Year.

“At a time like this last year we were overbooked but this year things are totally different."

Lake Naivasha Hotel Owners’ Association chairman Peter Mehta said the poor state of Moi South Lake Road is also to blame for the low bookings.

He said everybody was avoiding the road like ‘plague’, noting that the government is to blame for the delayed rehabilitation.

“No one wants to pass through this stretch and it’s the only one that leads to all these tourist hotels."

Mehta, who is also the proprietor of the popular Cray Fish Camp on the shores of the lake, said they organised a flurry of activities but all that would go down the drain.

“We are at 30 per cent booking as of now and despite having invested heavily we are staring at one of the largest losses ever seen,” he said.

Speaking on the phone, Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Mathioya Mbogo said security had been intensified in and out of the town to ensure those visiting are safe.

On the state of the road, the administrator said a contractor was on the ground and was waiting for the rains to subside.

“We understand the pain motorists and others are undergoing and we are calling for calm."