May-June-issue

TRAVEL
Republic, all of whom recommend the
apartment as great value.
The owner has been able to use
Booking.com to get worldwide exposure
in exchange for a commission on
bookings. The property gets a page of its
own on the site, which features pictures
of the amenities, and a simple description
of what’s on offer: “Guests benefit from
free WiFi and private parking available
on site. An oven, cooker, refrigerator,
toaster and a microwave can be found in
the kitchen. A flat-screen satellite TV is
offered. Nairobi National Park is 16.9 km
from the property. Tuskys Supermarket
is 17.8 km and Nakumatt Supermarket
is 12.7 km. The nearest airport is Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport, 30
minutes’ drive from the property.“ It
takes lateral thinking to turn being in
the same city as a Tuskys Supermarket as
a selling point, but it seems to work well.
So what does it take to get into
the international hospitality business
through an online site? It is surprisingly
easy, and the process is managed online
in a few minutes. A typical commission
charged by an online site can be 15
per cent of the nightly rate, paid by the
owner, at no additional cost to the guest.
That means that, with good occupancy,
an Eastlands apartment can bring in a
gross income of over $1,000 per month.
However, although business and
holiday stays in private homes are now
a world-wide phenomenon, no internet
site can claim to have brought the
concept to Kenya. One of the pioneers,
half a century ago, was an enterprising
social science graduate from the United
States and former University of Nairobi
lecturer Dr Kinuthia Njoroge, proprietor
of Riuki Cultural Centre in Kiambu.
Kinuthia had a vision: to set up a centre
for research and cultural preservation and
to fill the void that existed in showing
visitors at least part of the African way
of life. 50 years later the centre is still
welcoming guests interested in learning
about African culture.
For anyone, the chance to watch
live performances of traditional dances,
music and story-telling or to sample a
range of traditional dishes and famous
African brews is a rare opportunity.
Dr. Njoroge also wanted to provide
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