PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Lodges, Where Kenyan Warmth Meets World-Class Service

From Authentic Experiences To Award-winning Service, PrideInn Is Setting New Standards

With over a decade of phenomenal growth, PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Lodges has positioned itself as Kenya’s fastest-growing homegrown hospitality brand. From humble beginnings with 28 rooms to now boasting over 1,000 rooms and a conferencing capacity of 10,000 across prime locations in Nairobi, Mombasa, and the Maasai Mara, PrideInn is a true reflection of Kenya’s dynamic tourism landscape.

Go Places sat down with John Wambugu, Group Sales Manager at PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Lodges, for a candid conversation on what makes PrideInn unique, their focus at the upcoming Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) 2025, and their vision for authentic Kenyan hospitality.

Q1. Tell us about your company/brand and the services or experiences you offer.

My name is John Wambugu. I’m the group sales manager for PrideInn Hotels, Resorts and Lodges and we are very proud to be participating in the upcoming MKTE. PrideInn group of Hotels and lodges is the fastest growing local hospitality brand. We have been in the country for the last 10 years, and from 10 years we’ve grown from 28 rooms to over 1000 rooms with a conferencing capacity of over 10,000 in all our properties.

We are located in the dynamic areas of Kenya. As you know Kenya is very dynamic in terms of Tourism and our properties try to mirror the dynamic aspects of the Kenyan tourism. So we are located in Nairobi, which is the capital business district. We are located in Maasai Mara, which is the capital of the adventure or the wildlife, and we are located in Mombasa which is the seaside capital and we are expanding and hopefully in the next 2 or 3 years we will be located in more places just to mirror the dynamic aspects of Kenya.

Q2. What makes your product or service unique in the market today?

We stand out as a multi-segment offering which includes beachside resorts, business hotels, and bushcamps, and what makes us unique is that we look at how do we focus on experiences ensuring that our guests get the best of experiences as opposed to just focusing on products. Ours is in terms of ensuring that we give authentic Kenyan hospitality, as opposed to just the normal hospitality that many other branches do offer.

We are also a uniquely Kenyan based hospitality brand; born in Kenya, bred in Kenya, and we believe that we are able to give the best authentic products and experiences Kenya has to offer.

Q3. What are you showcasing or focusing on at this year’s Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE)?

First of all, we are going to start by showcasing the dynamic aspects of Kenya, because to position our brand, we have to start by positioning Kenya as one of the prime tourist destinations in the world and East Africa, with Mara of course being the flagship of that and then show prideinn hotels where we actually mirror these dynamic aspects of Kenya.

So we want to focus on meeting and incentives. Kenya is one of the biggest meeting and incentives destinations. We want to focus on the tourism aspects of the wildlife experiences that you can get in Kenya which is very dynamic and some of the experiences you cannot get them anywhere else in the world.

We want to focus on adventure experiences that Kenya has to offer. Things like Mountain Climbing and other aspects of Adventure tourism and cultural tourism which is big. Cultural tourism is one of the biggest aspects of tourism which is emerging and of course we want to show the people Kenya has one of the best people in terms of hospitality. So, those are the aspects we want to showcase. And of course, PrideInn we are positioned to offer these dynamic experiences across Kenya.

Q4. Why is participating in MKTE important for your brand/business?

It gives us a critical platform to connect with both regional and global travel trade partners. So, Magical Kenya Travel Expo has become one of the premium travel show places that has emerged and I think in the next few years we will be meeting the likes of Indaba. East Africa is coming up as one of the best tourism destinations and I think Magical Kenya seeks to showcase the different aspects of East Africa’s magic.

Q5. What message would you like to share with both local and international buyers attending MKTE 2025?

If you’re not participating in magical kenya, I don’t know where else you’ll be. Come expecting a lot of new things. Come expecting to see a lot of adventure, to learn a lot. Come and experience the new aspects of tourism in Kenya. Expect a lot of fun. Expect a lot of adventure and expect a lot of learning.

Q6. How has your relationship or partnership with Go Places impacted your brand visibility or growth?

We’re very happy to partner with Go Places. Their multi-media platforms have given us a lot of visibility. Partnering with Go places enhances our confidence in terms of ensuring that we get authentic authenticity, as well as ensuring that our product is well known in the market. So we are very happy to partner with go places and we’re looking forward to partner with them in the long run.

Karibu Kenya, Karibu PrideInn hotels, we will ensure that we give you the very best hospitality that we are known for.

About the Interviewee:

John Wambugu is the Group Sales Manager at PrideInn Hotels, Resorts & Lodges. Under his stewardship, PrideInn has cemented its place as Kenya’s fastest-growing indigenous hospitality brand, with a presence in Nairobi, Mombasa, and the Maasai Mara, and ambitious expansion plans to further mirror the dynamic spirit of Kenyan tourism.

Interview by Nev Jiwani, Group Managing Director, Go Places