I just completed a four night stay at the Sheraton in Kampala and was very pleased. After reading the review here by jesus4jets of $1500 and an additional Euro surcharge for a room for a single night, I made sure I made my reservation online prior to leaving and carried my reservation with me. The Platinum concierge desk made a reservation for the hotel to pick me up at the Entebbe airport, and after quickly passing customs, I spotted the Sheraton person waiting for me. For those who forget to take advantage of this service, the Sheraton has a desk at the airport to assist with transportation needs. The 1 hour trip from the Entebbe airport to the hotel in Kampala was priced at slightly under $20, and on the road we saw many vehicles that almost exclusively were made in Japan traveling rapidly along the well paved road. Later I was told that the Japanese sell their used cars to the Ugandans, and a saw a number of lots with 500-1000 Japanese used cars, vans, and busses said to have 80-120 KM on their odometers.

Upon arriving at the hotel, our van was stopped at the hotel entrance and the guards used mirrors to view the underside of the van, opened the door and viewed the inside and asked if we were carrying firearms. Our answer was that we were not, and over the next 4 days upon entering any hotel or the airport, the vehicles were searched and the occupants questioned if they had firearms. Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, we needed to clear an airport-type metal scanner, and although the scanner went off as my camera was attached to my belt, I was waived through without a thought. Later during the week, I lady named Jennifer manned the scanner and she made sure that we put all metal objects into a basket similar to that used at the airport, and said smilingly to all complaining guests that she wanted us to be safe.

I was assigned to room 1124 on the SPG floor, a relatively small room that appeared similar to all other rooms on the floor chart. The desk clerk asked what ammenity I wanted, and then commented that he recognized that I was a Platinum. He also pointed out that the SPG lounge on the 10th floor was open for breakfast, and that a Happy Hour occured from 6 to 8 PM. I tried the breakfast on the first morning, and found it adequate, but on the second morning when a tour guide was to pick me up at 7 AM, I waited for the lounge to open, then went to the lobby to inquire. The desk clerk insisted that it was open, but when he called, he found that no one was home. I agreed to wait for 5 more minutes and then if the staff did not appear, I would have breakfast in the 1st floor breakfast room. Here I was able to have a few rolls, juice, fruit, and coffee in 15 minutes and was able to greet my guide in front of the hotel at 7 AM. For Platinums, one can choose to have the complimentary breakfast in the breakfast room instead of the 10th floor lounge, and I favored an area open to the outside at the far end of the breakfast room.

I ate dinner a couple of times in the hotel, usually outside where I could enjoy two singers while relaxing. Usually most outdoor tables were filled and other guests and locals enjoyed the entertainment over dinner as well. After checking out and calculating the exchange rate, I was surprised at the inexpensiveness of dinner which usually included soup, a main course and a beer, all for no more than $20 including tip! One problem with the service during dinner and lunch is that it is relatively slow. The hotel which is about 30 years old has been well maintained over the years, and has been considered the best hotel in town. It sits on the top of one of the seven hills in Kampala, and is surrounded by an extended garden and a fence. At the few entrances to the hotel, some of the guards carry guns and those looking to enter the hotel grounds are challanged by the guards. Recently the Serena hotel has been remodled and many claim it now has surpassed the Sheraton--reviews list it as having the best food in town.

For those of you who never have been to Uganda, the country strattles the Equator and has perfect weather of about 65 degrees at night, and up to 80 during the day. The fields are lush and fertile with the main crops sugar cane, tea, and coffee. Bananas are also a main crop and I saw many big trucks unloading large 4 foot long bunches of green bananas at every street corner. The country is now one of the safest in Africa now, as the majority of the population have been born since General Amin has been overthrown. Annual increases in growth have been consistently near 7% for the past number of years, and the majority of the population are 24 years of age or younger. The country also has the third highest birth rate in the world, with the Ugandan government estimating that the prevalence of Aids is about 6%. Many western health care personnel I spoke to indicated that they thought the prevalence of Aids may even be double of what the Ugandan government has estimated.

In the past there have been major problems maintaining a stable electical grid, but the government has realized that investment in the country will not occur unless electical power is constantly available. Hence there were no power outages while I was there. Unfortunately the internet support is not what it is in Europe and the US, as it took me about 5 minutes in the SPG lounge to access and open each email. Because of this slow response, I had plenty of time to chat with the lounge staff who told me on one occasion there were 10 Platinums in the hotel, and on a second night, 19 Platinums were checked in.

There are many tourist attractions in the country and although I had only two of my four days to play, I enjoyed my spare time immensely. The most fasinating experience was spending a morning at the Chimp Island, an orphanage that now houses 44 chimps. The island requires a 45 minute speedboat trip from Entebbe across the equator, and prior to leaving home in NYC, it was the one experience I had decided was important. The company that was providing my guide could not arrange for other tourists to accompany me to the chimp island, thereby sharing the cost of the speedboat, so they offered me a price of $650. I rejected their offer, and told them I would discuss it over lunch with the guide they provided me, and he graciously offered to see what he could do. Being in the business for 8 years, he contacted the person who arranges the speedboat, and knowing the trip was price sensitive for me, came up with a price of $410. Although I viewed this as expensive, it turned out to be well worth the investment, as I will always remember the 11 AM feeding when over 30 chimps came out of the woods to supplement the food they came upon while roaming the island. The former alpha male had recently been demoted by the group and was in no mood to rechallange the new alpha male and his guards for leadership of the group. (If any one needs advice on Chimp Island, feel free to PM me). The two speedboat crew members waited for me while I touring the camp, and the time when they needed to take me back to Entebbe came too soon.

Overall I was impressed with the country and the Sheraton, and hope to return for an extended vacation with my wife. Although there are many fine hotels, and I ate at 3-4 of their best, I would be happy to rebook at the Sheraton because of the ties I have to the SPG program, and the treatment I had received. I felt very safe, and the service I received was superb. It was a relatively easy trip for me, flying from JFK to BRU on AA, and then taking the AA code share with Brussels Air to EBB, and all four flight arrived early. ^