Encore Hotel Opens Doors For Three-Month Soft Opening Phase

By Suleiman Mbatiah

The state-of-the-art Encore Hotel Nakuru has entered its soft opening phase, inviting guests, corporate clients and leisure travellers to experience its accommodation, conferencing, dining and wellness services as final technical and finishing works continue.

A soft opening is a controlled trial period in which a hotel begins receiving guests before its official launch, while testing rooms, staff, menus, booking systems, conference facilities and daily operations.

The phase allows guests to share feedback as technicians, engineers and service teams fine-tune the property, correct defects, improve service flow and address operational gaps ahead of the hotel’s full opening.

The facility is located in Nakuru City, about 1.5 kilometres from the central business district and 200 metres off the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, along Thingira-Waigaregi Road, next to Quickmart Basic, State House area.

The hotel opened its doors on Monday, June 29, for a three-month trial period ending September 26, during which guests will be hosted as the management tests operations and refines service delivery.

Board of Management chairman David Mwangi said the opening marked the end of three years of construction on a site that had been transformed from bushland into a modern hospitality destination.

“It is the culmination of efforts, culmination of hours, of labor, of sweat, of pain, of decision-making that has brought us where we are. As you may understand, we have just finished the construction phase, and we are in that phase of snagging, where also we want our guests to help us,” he stated.

Mwangi reiterated that guests may occasionally encounter plumbers, engineers and painters during the soft opening, adding that the hotel would use customer feedback and internal reviews to improve its rooms, food service and conferencing facilities.

He urged Nakuru residents and visitors to support the new facility, saying it had customized packages for meetings, incentives, conferences and events for institutions, companies, organizations and clients seeking organized hospitality services.

The hotel has 205 five-star-standard rooms and suites, ranging from deluxe rooms to superior deluxe rooms, state suites and a presidential suite. Its profile lists amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs, in-room safes, steam irons and curated minibars.

Its dining portfolio includes Yatta Garden Alfresco Dining, Le Coeur Fine Dining, Velour Coffee, Patisserie and Wine, Élan all-day dining, and Samburu Sports Bar, giving guests multiple food and beverage experiences within the property.

“If you are looking for a real transformation, it is here. It gives me a lot of joy, personally, because today, as I mark another year in my life, I am here to welcome you to this new product that was not there three years ago,” Mwangi said during the opening, which coincided with his birthday.

For business meetings, conferences and social events, the hotel boasts 19 executive boardrooms, an 800-seat grand ballroom, a 2,500-plus-seater main event garden, video conferencing pods, and a VIP boardroom and lounge.

The meeting spaces are equipped with integrated audiovisual systems, interactive screens, wireless microphones, high-speed Wi-Fi, configurable stage setups, professional lighting controls and hybrid meeting capability.

The hotel also has the Colosseum Amphitheatre, a 500-plus-seat open-air venue designed for product launches, movie nights, fashion galas, live performances, cultural showcases and corporate presentations.

Its wellness facilities are grouped under Suki Wellness, which includes a spa, salon, fitness studio, hydrotherapy services and a nutrition bar. Guests also have access to gardens, a heated pool and a one-kilometre-plus jogging track.

The hotel sits between Lake Nakuru National Park and Menengai Caldera, positioning it for business travellers, conference delegates and leisure guests seeking access to Menengai Forest and the wider Great Rift Valley tourism circuit.