The Genesis of Garden Courts hotel as African Pizza promotions attracts clients

BY BRIAN MUGENYI

Garden Courts Hotel has changed with a new face, new setting and the tranquil environment in Masaka City becoming Africa’s home for tourism and hotel travellers and altogether is every visitor or client’s preferred home end to end thus far.

It is a very good hotel structure with high quality architectural plan and designs posturing an international five star hotel atmosphere free from all kinds of noises, this skyscraper multi-billion hotel is surrounded by a green environment situated on a four acres piece of land which the landlord Jjuuko Flugensio purchased for shs.4m in 1998.

With determination, persistence and courage, Garden Courts Hotel turned from a nickname “Bush House,” started attracting unusual faces of people who also advised owner Jjuuko to expand it so that it can as well accommodate conferences.

It was not so late for him.

Garden Courts Hotel was built up with the main conference hall Rhino conference hall which accommodates over 400 people and still these clients kept on demanding more services such as accommodation and the hotel today has over 100 rooms altogether.

To him, this meant he had to seek other channels through which he could get money to adhere to clients’ demands.

“It was a struggle. My income was little and even the facility was not selling to banks if they were to get me loans,” he reminisces.

When the volume of people utilizing the place increased; he got the idea of securing the land title and thereafter he sought for a shs.20m loan from centenary bank.

New developments
After borrowing money from the bank; he says he started up with simple buildings that could fit in his marginal budget; built up cottages with double rooms and little by little with the revenues he could get and loans.

The hotel has eight ordinary cottages charged shs: 122,000, Cottage Apartments charged shs: 187,000, Deluxe single charged shs: 82,000 Junior suite charged shs: 92,000, Double suite charged shs: 122,000, Deluxe Double charged shs: 122000, Deluxe Queen suite charged shs: 252,000, Deluxe King suite charged shs: 272000 and a Twin room at shs: 152,000 receptively.

Innovations
The hotel boast with constructed five conference halls namely; Rhino hall, Giraff hall, Impala hall, Lion hall and boardroom hall; each accommodating; 300, 60, 50, 30, 20 people respectively and it always has a Live band for clients every Sunday .

“The first room was charged 10,000 in the beginning and today alot has changed and the conference hall such as Rhino Hall is charged shs: 600,000 for conferences and if it is a big function such as a wedding or graduation party it could for shs: 2m.

The hotel has succeeded well by attracting clients with the delicious African Pizza with its promotions of buy ‘one Pizza and get one free’ every Sundays charged shs:30,000 to shs:33000 eaten inside and packed for clients.

The Hotel has also rebranded by offering outside catering and tourists trips to different parts of the country at a negotiable rate as a way of exploring the pearl of Africa such as visiting Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth National Park within Masaka and other parts of Uganda.

“People who come here appreciate the fact that this place is well planned,” he says.
He says that when accommodation expanded and having serviced his initial loan very well, he was prompted to go back and applied for another loan worth shs.50m to construct the main block.

“I made sure that whichever money I got I put it where it was supposed to be,” he shares.
To him, the place has been built by demands and ideas of people who regularly utilize the place.

He says that today he is happy because he sees a dream come true. The hotel which started slowly, developing at its own pace attracts thousands of clients today which gives him a reason to believe.

“I have been able to live to see its success, I thank God for it,” he says.
Being far away from the main town whose territory coincides with Kampala- Mbarara highway was his worrying factor initially. But guess what? He made the determination after realizing that his place could attract hundreds especially those that pass by to visit Lake Mburo, and Queen Elizabeth National park.

“I planted all these trees in the beginning and they have attracted families to spend their leisure time here and they have made the place look cool,” Flugensio, is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Integrated Development Initiative (CIDI).

Almost all services offered at the hotel are in place but for him they go beyond that.

They have well-designed cottages, sitting rooms, fully packed restaurant with loads of drinks and eatables and other wider range of services.

The hotel has a coffee shop with a professional barista and it offers delicious juice, Ice cream and Milk shakes with its restaurant too accommodating over 100 people and two open bars; Courts Palace bar with gardens and fully furnished and Pentagon bar thus far.

It has large gardens; with well-designed flowers which accommodates; banquets, live band music and children’s park every weekend.

As a way of relaxing their clients; they positioned free-wifi-internet, DSTV and they are completing health gym, steam bath, Sauna and Massage as other services to be offered in the current new developments at the hotel.

The hotel today employs 60 people who offer services such as receiving guests; receptionists, those in restaurants and others.

On a monthly basis; he spends shs.10m to cater for employees salaries.

“In this business, I don’t think there’s a ready profit. Profits have not been forthcoming because occupancy rate is still gradual, and I see a difference day by day,” he says.

Regular clients today; he says, come from Masaka, tourists from the USA; UK, Indians, Germany, Austria, Denmark and those from African continents.

“One of the things that have helped me develop this place is my family. I involved my children to monitor the day today running of this business especially in holidays and weekends,” he opened up.

Among the many challenges today he is facing is the exorbitant payments of electricity and water; shs 2-3m and shs1.5m monthly respectively which he says has drastically discouraged him many a times.

“Whether you have clients or not you must pay for electricity bills and water. The bills are quite killing me,” he said.

As a go-getter however, he says being economical in the way he spends the money and of course utilizing cheap labor especially during the construction phase where he could employ technical students with the guidance of a competent engineer, he says, has worked miracles for him.

One of his grand memories is when the kabaka Ronald Mutebi opened up the Kabaka’s main block accommodating 80 rooms from 56 rooms in 2012 and the expansion is still ongoing.

According to the front Office Manager Barbra Nakandi, Garden Courts Hotel is the best hotel in Masaka and it has offered clientele services beyond measures and she appeals to clients to visit the hotel and get a quite ambiance experience.