The Kenyan hotel industry may be overcrowded but the market has barely been scratched. This is the message that Festus Munyithya, the general manager of new market entrants, Jamiat Hotel, located along Kimathi Street is sending. With the tourism boom being experienced in the country, Mr. Munyithya is confident that great potential lies ahead.

He has the right reasons to be optimistic. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has in recent times been carrying out massive promotional campaigns to market Kenya as a perfect tourist and conference destination. The move has led to increased foreign interest in Kenya as a travel destination and tourists are flocking into the country. Besides tourists, the country's capital, Nairobi, is attracting another breed of visitors - the conference visitor. The city has become a popular venue for international conferences and meetings. A case in point is the recently concluded World Social Forum (WSF), which saw more than 10,000 foreigners land in Nairobi. Add this to the regular conflict resolution meetings for war-torn Somalia and Sudan and you have a city that has one of the busiest conference calendars in the continent. Domestic travel is also on the rise spurred by the vibrant economy.

According to industry experts, Nairobi has a serious shortage of hotel beds. The city's four and five-star hotels have 2,000 beds while three and two-star hotels have 1,000 beds. The situation is made even worse by the fact that in the last decade, there has been only one major hotel development. 'Any investor going into the hotel business in Nairobi can not go wrong', says one hotel manager. This is probably what gives Mr. Munyithya confidence that Jamiat Hotel is on the right track. His hopes were raised by the turnout during WSF, when the hotel's rooms were fully booked for a whole week.

Jamiat Hotel is the brainchild of young entrepreneurs who are in their 30's. The quartet is also about to open a unique tourist cum corporate hotel in Garissa town before the end of this year. This will be a big development considering the number of people who fly to Garissa in the morning and come back in the evening because of lack of quality accommodation. Despite the country being awash with many hotels, Jamiat hotel is unique in that it is housed above a business center with more than 300 shopping outlets. Mr. Munyithya notes that this is a new concept in Kenya but a common one in Asia, Middle East and Europe. The only other big hotel in Kenya operating under a similar concept is Panari Hotel located at the Panari Sky Centre. 'We are the only hotel in town where a guest can access shopping facilities without walking out of the hotel premises,' he says. Guests are able to access curio and ornamental shops, chemists, boutiques and courier services particularly from DHL which has an outlet in the premises.

The second factor that makes Jamiat unique is its no-alcohol policy. According to the hotel manager, no alcoholic beverages will be allowed or sold in the hotel's premises. This is an important consideration because the hotel plans to attract a diversified client base. 'This is a big factor since we are also targeting Christians and Muslims organizations who want a place that is morally accommodating' he says. Another selling point for the hotel is the fact that it is fitted with a parking bay with a capacity of over 100 cars. In addition, the hotel with a 66 bed capacity boasts of 35 luxuriously well appointed rooms, 4 superior and 31 standard .All the rooms are ensuite with separate hot showers and are custom made with interconnecting rooms for families; guests are free to choose between smoking and non smoking rooms. The rooms are also fitted with wireless internet connectivity, satellite televisions and tea and coffee making facilities. The hotel's business centre 'Cyber Express' and the 240 seating capacity multi theme Forks & Knives restaurant provides a complete package for the hotel guests.

Jamiat hotel has also instituted a firm security arrangement. Besides employing 12 guards who keep watch around the building at night, being adjacent to the Central Police station is an added advantage. But perhaps the most outstanding security facility is the electronic lock system 'saflok' that is incorporated in the hotel's software. The system ensures that only a booked guest can access a room. With this, chances of guests losing their valuables are limited.

While assembling a world class facility is critical move towards attracting clients, Mr. Munyithya clearly understands this is just the beginning. This is why together with the directors; have decided to position the hotel in the four-star category. Higher star ratings often indicate hotels with higher levels of luxury available. For instance, the term five star hotel is always associated with ultimate luxury and by implication, expense. On the other hand, a four star hotel is a first class hotel which is not very expensive and has semi-luxury services like massages, health spa and swimming pool. 'The way a hotel is rated has all to do with the quality of the investment and the standard of the facility,' he explains.

There is a general view from hotel operators that standardization and classification of hotels and restaurants has not been the best. For instance, last year, some four star hotels were listed as two star hotels This problem is also experienced globally allowing marketing-driven inflation, with some hotels claiming six stars; at one point, the Burj al-Arab of Dubai marketed itself as the world's first seven-star hotel.
Even with such weaknesses in the rating procedures, Jamiat has an uphill task to prove that it has what it takes to warrant a four-star tug. This means that what is expected of them is nothing less than internationally recognized standards of such a facility. These include such facilities as a fitness centre, broadband internet access, a health club, swimming pool and executive suites among others. At present, such facilities are missing but Mr. Munyithya says it's only a matter of time before the hotel becomes self contained. 'We are a four star hotel but the kind of facilities you will find here are comparable with those found in a five star establishments,' he envisions.

Mr. Munyithya also knows that competition in this line of business is indeed cut throat. There are many established hotels right in the centre of the city, some of which have been in existence for a long period of time and have therefore cut out a market niche for themselves. But Mr. Munyithya says he is not perturbed by competition, adding that Jamiat will emphasize on the quality of service. He explains that to win in the hotel business, the quality of service comes first. 'You might be having the same kind of facilities as your competitors but what determines the success of a business is the quality of services you are offering to your clients,' he stresses. To ensure that the quality of service remains outstanding, the hotel has recruited a team of highly qualified personnel in the service industry. The hotel is also developing a training program for the staff.

Apart from competition, another challenge for the hotel is developing the conference facility service. Most companies have signed meetings and conference contracts with existing hotels which they use whenever there is a need. Jamiat will have developed a unique conference facility by the end of April this year and will rely on the central location, the secure ample parking and exemplary service to penetrate the market. In addition, the existing travel advisory by the United States against Kenya demands that a hotel seeking to host international meetings put up exceptionally secure conference facilities. This calls for a huge investment, a cost the hotel directors seem ready to bear for as Mr. Munyithya puts it, 'you can't have real value for investment unless you put up the best'.

Mr. Munyithya has more than 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry and began his career at the Alliance Hotels at the South Coast before moving to Holiday Inn Nairobi where he served for 9 years in management. He then went to Mada Hotels where he was a unit manager. It was while here that he secured his current position at Jamiat. A holder of two diplomas, one in hotel and institutional management and another in business administration, and having risen through the ranks of the hotel industry, it is clear that the man has what it takes to get the hotel off the ground.

His vision for the business in the next two years is to increase bed capacity and put up a state-of the-art swimming pool and fitness centre. Above all, he wants the hotel to become a five star facility in the next three years. 'We will be among the top performing hotels in terms of occupancy, facilities, revenue and guest satisfaction,' he concludes.