Vittoria Suites - Kisumu

Kisumu, Kenya, I enjoyed this place. Great breakfast. Thumbs up. OK, here is a heads up for an American, here an all-inclusive breakfast does not include coffee. Think British, tea is included, however coffee, no. Again, just a heads up, great place though.

Thw courtyard was lovely and the soft gospel music over breakfast was very pleasant. I would have loved brewed coffee to have been part of the breakfast buffet without having to pay 300 for expresó. But overall a very good experience.

Vittoria Suites has been my go-to hotel during my annual trips to Kenya for the past eight years. I've even recommended it to friends and family as a "hidden gem" in Kisumu. When traveling with my family, however, I’ve usually opted for other hotels that I thought would be more kid-friendly, like Imperial Hotel (now Sarova Imperial) or Sovereign Hotel. This December 2024, I decided to stay at Vittoria Suites with my family since it was just for one night. To my surprise, this hotel keeps exceeding my expectations! It’s one of the very few hotels in Kisumu that still offers interconnected family rooms. Imperial/Sarova removed theirs during recent renovations, leaving Vittoria Suites as the only hotel near Kisumu CBD with this feature—perfect for families with young kids who can’t stay in a separate room. We had an excellent stay and enjoyed dinner through room service without any issues. Why do I love this small hotel so much? It’s located in the posh Milimani neighborhood, close to the CBD. It’s quiet, clean, and every room has working air conditioning (a must in Kisumu’s heat). The breakfast is always excellent, with a wide variety of options. Plus, there’s a chef on standby to prepare anything not included in the buffet. The only downside? The bathrooms have vented doors positioned right next to the beds—a poorly thought-out design. Overall, it’s still a fantastic choice, especially for families.

After making a reservation as per, usual as a couple with a teenage daughter, when we arrived, we were told that in order to get the suppossed free rollaway bed as is usually shown in the reservation description, this time it would cost 2k more to get the bed or the three people could just share one bed. The manager refused to speak with my husband and I personally so we had to leave and come back later. Finally, they agreed to include the bed at no extra cost and the manager did end up offering a half hearted explanation over the phone (although he never presented himself in person and that was very impolite). In the end the experience was very uncomfortable due to the checking in ordeal/ rollaway bed but I do appreciate the fact that they opted to do the right thing minus any extra charges. This experience left a poor impression and I am not certain I would stay here again if they will not honor our request for a rollaway bed, as promoted, at no extra cost. Restaurant food was good and so was the restaurant staff.