With the burgeoning business travel industry in Africa only set to grow in the coming years, Protea Hotel Kampala is moving guests into the digital zone with free Wi-Fi connectivity from the second they set foot in a hotel shuttle.
Not only will this allow weary travellers arriving in the country the opportunity to reconnect with their digital world once they arrive, but will also ensure that the commute from the Entebbe airport to the hotel can be a productive one for guests.
Entebbe International Airport is Uganda’s largest international transport hub and services the capital city of Kampala.
“Extremely high on modern travellers’ especially the millennial segment hierarchy of needs is connectivity. Nobody likes to be out of touch and if flying into Uganda from an international destination, a traveller may have been offline for up to 12 hours depending on where they may have flown in from,” says Danny Bryer, Director of Sales, Marketing and Revenue for the Protea Hospitality Group.
These roving Internet hotspots have been fitted with high-speed 3G modems that will allow guests to connect on their laptops, tablets or smart phones instantly and deal with any urgent emails or online tasks during the drive to or from the hotel.
“Data roaming costs can be prohibitive when travelling outside of your own country,” says Bryer, “hence the decision to provide this service to our guests and take our Wi-Fi offering to the next level.”
This move will allow corporate guests to save on their roaming bills, and provide an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends back home simultaneously says Bryer.
“Why not use the airport transfer productively, so when you get to the hotel you can relax rather than rushing to unpack your laptop, iPad or other device when you should really be unwinding?” asks Bryer.
Situated 35km from the Entebbe Airport in Uganda, Protea Hotel Kampala offers 59 four-star rooms and 11 luxury suites in the upmarket suburb of Kololo. Facilities include a fitness centre, a full concierge service and conference rooms. The hotel offers 24-hour room service, a restaurant and a bar.
Protea Hotel Kampala won the top Luxury City Hotel in Africa Award in the World Luxury Hotel Awards in 2013 and has been nominated again this year.
