OMINDE’S REVIEWS: Why you need to visit the new Victoria Comfort Inn

If you follow me on Facebook and Instagram you probably already know that I am on a culinary journey to find out which restaurant serve the best of specific dishes in Kisumu (if you did not, now you do).

Last week this journey took me to Victoria Comfort Inn located in Tom Mboya Estate just close to Josana Academy.

While this hotel has been around for quite a while now, it has recently expanded putting up a new wing with 35 new ultra-modern suites, a state of the art restaurant, two conference halls, a gym and rooftop bar.

I was coming for lunch with a friend and I was beyond words when I walked into the restaurant. Most hotels do not pay much attention to interior decoration and fittings in their restaurants. Standard furniture and interior design screaming lack of creativity is what greets you when you enter restaurants even those in very prestigious establishments across the country.

At Victoria Comfort Inn though, it’s a whole new ball game! The interior borrows a lot from the Java restaurant themes but even with that they still seem to have taken it a whole notch higher.

You decide either to sit at the booths which each have two sockets on either side for you to charge your devices (talk of being practical) or you can also sit on the stand-alone tables in the middle of the restaurants.

The setup aside, the restaurant is manned by three chefs with the Head Chef being Chef Josiah. On this material day I insist that he personally makes my food. I was coming here for Pork Chops but because I was in the company of a friend we decided to try different stuff so that we can then taste each other’s food.

My friend ordered pork spare ribs served with country potatoes. They came with honey glazed barbecue sauce, medium oval shaped fried potatoes and edible garnish consisting of seasonal vegetables. I have had a lot of pork chops in Kisumu and I probably only have one more restaurant left in my journey but this was most definitely the best I have ever tasted. I swear I would have finished my pal’s food but he was not going to let me.

I on the other hand ordered “beef medallion.” For those who love their steak this is made from center cut of prime beef fillet and served with Diane sauce, Rosti potatoes and seasonal vegetables. On this day I wanted mine medium – done but if you have a sensitive stomach I would recommend you have it well done.

The food was delicious and so was the fruit cocktail juice and I promised myself that I would come back for more, this time with my wife and the little one. Talking of my wife, Valentines is coming in a few weeks and if you are looking for a quiet place to have dinner with your better half then this is the place. The mood lighting inside the restaurant will just add pure romance to the scenery -if you are still single you can go down on one knee and perfectly pop the big question.

Okay before I get too romantic and all you can also have your meals at the terrace or at the rooftop bar.

It’s however not just about the food and the restaurant, personalized customer service greets you from the guard at the gate to the smiling lady at the reception. In the middle of our meal the kitchen doors fling open and Chef Josiah walks out, comes straight to our table with hands crossed behind him asking if  we are enjoying our meal. Of course we are and he says “thank you” and asks us to come again.

Just as we are about to leave Joy Cecilia walks into the restaurant. I have known Joy for about one year now. We met for the first time on a trip to a private island in Lake Victoria and we became friends after she read my review of the trip.

She offers to give me a quick tour of the facility.

Conference facilities

My little tour starts with the conference room on the first floor which could carry up to 200 people. The room is a two in one which means that it can be broken into two conference rooms each with a capacity of 100.

The room is well fitted with sockets both on the walls and on the floors which means every person has access to a power source – something very important in the modern age where people are always on their laptops and phones.

There is a smaller conference room in the old wing that can carry about 100 people. Conference materials such as wireless internet flip charts, TV screens, DvDs and projectors are provided.

Executive Boardroom

Adjacent to the main conference room is an executive conference room that is ideal for board meetings or very high profile meetings. Designed pretty much like your office board room with a round table and executive seats that can take up to 50 people.

It is fitted with teleconferencing facilities for live video conferences, very high speed internet and multiple power sockets.

Kisumu can be very hot so all the conference rooms are fitted with air conditioning equipment.

The conference rooms have an adjacent spill-over area that can be used to serve refreshments during workshops and meetings.

Business centre

Adjacent to the conference rooms is a business center where workshop participants can access services such as printing, photocopying and internet services at a small fee.

Hotel rooms

The hotel has 47 rooms with 35 of those in the new wing and the rest in the renovated old wing.

The rooms are very spacious with a double bed, wall closet, bathroom and toilet.

There is a big working space and a comfortable chair in the room. In case of double occupancy you will always be provided with an extra chair.

They are lit with large windows which open up to a balcony that overlooks a very well manicured lawn. The lawn which is adjacent to the main entrance to the hotel is suitable for hosting small parties and wedding photo shoots. The mood lighting in the room and corridors adds to the general ambiance of the hotel.

A 50 inch TV with over 40 local and international channels hangs on the wall opposite the bed. Above it hangs an air conditioner.

Executive suites

The executive suites are almost double the size of the standard hotel rooms with a lounge and a working area. The rooms are fitted with two TV screens, one in the lounge and the other just opposite the bed.

While the other hotel rooms only have fridges that you stock yourself, the executive suites have a mini-bar where you can entertain your guests.

The rooms have bigger closets and two balconies.

Gym

The gym is located on the second floor of the new wing. It is fitted with some of the latest equipment in the fitness industry.

The floor is tiled with rubber tiles that provide you with a firm grip during exercise.

The gym is only accessible to residents free of charge with an instructor coming in in the morning and evening. During the day you can workout on your own.

Rooftop bar

The bar on the third floor of the new wing provides you with a beautiful view of Kisumu and surrounding areas. The canvas canopy protects you from the unforgiving Kisumu sun while the open sides allows the cool lake breeze calm you down.

There are varieties of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages sold at the counter. The bar is both open to residents and members of the public.

Private wing

Adjacent to the bar is a private wing suitable for hosting private parties. It has it’s own counter and attended to by a private waiter.

There are three independent rooms in the private area and shared open spaces. When you are hosting a party on the private wing, only guests in your invite list are admitted.

The hotel prides itself as eco-friendly with bath water coming from a solar heating system installed at the roof of the hotel.

There is a standby generator in case of blackouts.

Your security as a guest is not taken lightly from the moment you drive in with highly trained security staff manning the premise which is also wired with CCTV cameras.

If you are looking for that personalized service then you should definitely pay Victoria Comfort Inn a visit.

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