Nairobi’s Sankara Hotel – ready to face more competition

SANKARA’S MOVE TO MARRIOTT’S ‘AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION‘ JUST ONE MEASURE TO FACE NEW COMPETITION

(Posted 20th August 2019)

With the completion of the hotel’s Presidential Suite and the 7th floor Sankara Executive Rooms – only the rooftop swimming pool area is still undergoing upgrading – is the market leader in the Westlands area of Nairobi more than ready to face new upcoming competition.
ATCNews recently had the opportunity to inspect the new facilities, especially the Presidential Suite, which earlier in the year was first occupied by visiting French President Emmanuel Macron.
This Presidential Suite, compact in comparison with the two in a nearby 5 star luxury hotel, offers all the facilities one would come to expect as a guest able to afford – or require – such accommodation, but is notably making a more modest impression, important for visiting Presidents whose travel expenditure is under constant scrutiny by their respective parliaments.

The Sankara owners certainly did spare no expense to create a functional layout and insert exquisite furnishing and decoration features, all aimed to make a stay as pleasant as possible.

The amenities kit in the bathrooms are amongst the finest available on the market today – Bulgari brands – and a match to the top end equipment found in the preparation kitchen from where, if so required, meals are plated and served when in suite dining is requested.

The hotel’s Executive Chef, overseeing some of Nairobi’s finest hotel dining options, will no doubt be happy to go the extra mile for such important guests and President Macron, no doubt a gourmet in his own right, was reportedly very pleased with the quality of the food at the Sankara during his stay.

As mentioned earlier is the rooftop pool terrace undergoing refurbishment and when complete will the Champagne Bar, already a destination in its own right for many of the who is who in Nairobi, become once again the magnet for the city’s rich and famous – and those keen to rub shoulders with them.

From the Sankara can one incidentally see the new Hyatt Hotel Nairobi gain shape while the nearby Pullman Hotel is also, albeit slowly, making progress, both opening dates however delayed beyond initially anticipated timelines.

This will give the Sankara added time to further hone their service and ringfence their clientele including afficionados of Marriott’s top brands.
As a member of the Marriott Autograph Collection will the Sankara set the tone and targets for their neighbours, even when their own ‘big brother‘, the JW Marriott which is under construction next to the Villa Rosa Kempinski, is opening its doors in a year or two.

The remodelled second floor exhibition area is regularly visited by hotel guests who can both enjoy a quiet sitdown or just admire the art pieces on display.

Several F&B outlets on the first floor of the hotel, including one of Nairobi’s best steakhouses, the Graze, offer superb quality, from breakfast over a snack to lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, leaving no guest’s palate unsatisfied.

And if those attributes are not enough yet, there is the 7th floor Sankara Executive Lounge, with spacious sitting areas and several dining tables where entitled guests can enjoy, depending on the time of day, a light breakfast, hot and cold dishes and a wide range of drinks – all on the house for that matter unlike in other hotels where guests have to pay for their consumption in their ‘lounges‘.

The tranquility is enhanced by the availability of two meeting rooms including a small office equipped with desktop computers and a copier / printer, again free of charge for guests with access privileges.

Clearly is the Sankara ready for what is coming its way in terms of competition and need not worry that their clientele will suddenly vote with their feet, given their attention to detail, the quality of their food and the attention of their service.

Related articles:

https://atcnews.org/2019/05/02/sankarahotel-in-nairobi-joins-marriotts-autographcollection/

https://atcnews.org/2019/03/22/sankaranairobis-new-presidential-suite-taken-up-by-french-president/

https://atcnews.org/2018/07/21/sankaranairobi-completes-refurbishment/