The Accountant-May-June 2017

KAMPALA ««««« PICTORIAL PROGRESS REPORT NOV. 2015
TRAVEL
KAMPALA ««««« PICTORIAL PROGRESS REPORT NOV. 2015
AYA Investments Uganda Limited
AYA Investments Uganda Limited
w
ae
Lake Victoria because the tower housing
the hotel has two wings, and they are all
so high that they overlook the lake that
almost surrounds the city. The height of
the hill also ensures a refreshing breeze
throughout the day on the hotel’s outdoor
terraces, and a panoramic view of the city’s
other hills.
However there is much more to the
Pearl Of Africa hotel than picturesque
views - it is the interior of the hotel and
and the unique features of the grounds
that make it special. It is the first hotel
ever to have been purpose-built in Uganda
to international five-star standards of
luxury. There are other upmarket hotels in
Kampala, but they are all either four-star
at best, or renovations of old hotels where
the re-modelers have been constrained
by room sizes designed for a different
era, or budgetary constraints on what
new features can be added to modernise
ited AYA Investments Uganda Limited
a property. In the Pearl Of Africa, no
fexpense has been spared, and no possible
attraction has been omitted.
Just one of the unique features is
the spa, gym, and sports centre, with
its sauna, steam, and massage rooms, a
massive indoor swimming pool, exercise
equipment, and dedicated squash, tennis,
and basketball courts. Access to these
facilities is not restricted to hotel residents,
but is also open to weekly, monthly, and
annual members from the wider Kampala
community. The spa is managed as a
franchise of the South African Amani
brand.
That is not the only South African
connection to the Pearl Of Africa - the
hotel’s general manager, Robert Kucera,
was formerly AYA Investments the general Uganda manager Limited of
the gigantic Cape Westin Hotel which
towers over downtown Cape Town.
Mohammed Hamid, chairman of the
Aya Group, and the hotel’s owner, said:
“a big part of Rob’s brief will be training
local Ugandan hotel professionals to
reach and exceed the standards that have
made South Africa the continent’s prime
tourism destination. Our job has been to
provide him with a world class hotel as
a platform on which to build. With the
support of Carlson Rezidor, we expect the
Quorvus Collection brand to be the new
standard to match, not just in Uganda, but
throughout East Africa.”
MAY - JUNE 2017 67