Royal City Hotel
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Did you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.
About
#14 of 36 hotels in Kisumu
Location
3.8
Rooms
3.0
Value
3.2
Cleanliness
3.4
Service
3.3
Sleep Quality
4.3
Finding an ideal budget friendly hotel in Kisumu does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Royal City Hotel, a nice option for travelers like you.
Royal City Hotel offers guests an array of room amenities including air conditioning, and getting online is possible, as free wifi is available.
The hotel offers a 24 hour front desk, room service, and express check-in and check-out, to make your visit even more pleasant. The property also features an on-site restaurant. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking.
When you're feeling hungry, you can check out The Laughing Buddha Lounge & Café (0.8 mi), Acacia (0.9 mi), or Mon Ami (0.5 mi), which are all within walking distance of Royal City Hotel.
Royal City Hotel puts the best of Kisumu at your fingertips, making your stay both relaxing and enjoyable.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Hot tub
Bar / lounge
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Business Center with Internet Access
Meeting rooms
Internet
Restaurant
Shuttle bus service
Car hire
Non-smoking hotel
Shared lounge / TV area
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Room service
Room types
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Boutique
Quaint
Location
Aga Khan Road, Kisumu 40100 Kenya
Getting there
39 Restaurants
within 5 miles
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 1
- 7
- 5
- 3
- 0
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
Given the amount I paid per night (USD 35), i could not have asked for more. The hotel is small, and the environment around is is every quiet, though within a few meters to Kisumu city center. You also get some scene of security while at this small hotel. They have WIFI in the rooms and Flat Screen Tv's. Most of their rooms are small although you get what you pay for. The staffs were friendly, approaching you with a smile all the time and always ready to assist.Kisumu can be quiet hot and humid even at night and my room had a functional fan. I stayed there for 3 nights on while a business trip.....and yes, with regard to local food, they served me one of the best fish I have ever tasted
Read more
Date of stay: January 2017Trip type: Traveled on business
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from phelixo, General Manager at Royal City Hotel
Responded Aug 26, 2017
Dear Sam, We believe it is never too late to appreciate the feedback of a valued guest. We are very happy to know that you extremely enjoyed your stay with us. quite environment, friendly staff and best fish are encouraging words indeed. We look forward to build on these positives to continue affording every one of our guests a truly memorable experience. Feel welcome to stay with us again. Kind regards, Phelix Owiti Hotel Manager.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bit muddled on the booking and higher price than expected but a lovely staff and atmosphere and pretty good prices for facilities: pool and great restaurant, breakfast pretty good and rooms all fabulous with fully working wifi and aircon.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2017Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Balconies overlooking pool courtyard garden
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from phelixo, General Manager at Royal City Hotel
Responded Aug 18, 2017
Dear John, We sincerely appreciate your staying with us and finding time from your busy schedule to review us. We are particularly happy that you found our staff likable, the atmosphere good and facilities in superb working condition. We are working to address the issues with the booking that would perhaps have led you to spend more than necessary. Kindly feel welcome to stay with us again when next you visit Kisumu, Kenya. Kind regards, Phelix Owiti General Manager
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My family and I stayed for 2 nights on Bed&Breakfast and we got what we paid for. Very ideal location,clean rooms and friendly staff. The breakfast was good and the hotel wheelchair accessible. We stayed in the Eagle room which was more spacious than the Hippo room. However had a stranger noise throughout the night in intervals which i think was the heater though it was not much of a problem. The room was private and very quiet although the WiFi was non-existent and the tv stations to a bare minimum which was ok since we were out for most of the day. This hotel is value for your money and we will definitely return.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2015Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Conducted a three day meeting here with a group. Did most of the planning via email. Rooms are ok but my team had to wait till after 2pm to get checked in which was a bit uncool. They knew all along we had a morning flight into Kisumu... Decided to leave our bags and spend time away till they sorted themselves out.
Some staff were amazing , polite and professional and some were not. Had a nasty experience with one, one evening who had a taciturn attitude at reception which I did not appreciate. Avoided her henceforth. And no, she did not apologize incase your curious.
The training went on ok but towards the end they got really sloppy and didnt clean the rooms during our meal breaks. To be honest it was frustrating to have to keep looking for someone to do what I felt was basic conference 101. So just have a managers number on speed dial. The meeting room sockets are very ify and keep sparking- they need to replace those ASAP before it does real damage to electricals!
The menu is very limited so we dined out a lot for dinner. Asked the chef to consider getting some wholemeal bread for breakfast in vain.
They are not very detailed oriented. Totally surprised they chose to charge us for late check in to keep one room (our flight delayed) with all the business we gave but well.. Shrugs.
I had an issue where they overcharged my credit card- they ran a higher figure by mistake. When I noticed it in my card statement weeks later I let them know, it took them a few days and some pressing but they did refund me in the end.
In my view, there have a good thing going if they can work on tidying some more customer oriented loose ends...
Not entirely convinced though I would have a meeting here again though, too much running around following them for something or other...
Some staff were amazing , polite and professional and some were not. Had a nasty experience with one, one evening who had a taciturn attitude at reception which I did not appreciate. Avoided her henceforth. And no, she did not apologize incase your curious.
The training went on ok but towards the end they got really sloppy and didnt clean the rooms during our meal breaks. To be honest it was frustrating to have to keep looking for someone to do what I felt was basic conference 101. So just have a managers number on speed dial. The meeting room sockets are very ify and keep sparking- they need to replace those ASAP before it does real damage to electricals!
The menu is very limited so we dined out a lot for dinner. Asked the chef to consider getting some wholemeal bread for breakfast in vain.
They are not very detailed oriented. Totally surprised they chose to charge us for late check in to keep one room (our flight delayed) with all the business we gave but well.. Shrugs.
I had an issue where they overcharged my credit card- they ran a higher figure by mistake. When I noticed it in my card statement weeks later I let them know, it took them a few days and some pressing but they did refund me in the end.
In my view, there have a good thing going if they can work on tidying some more customer oriented loose ends...
Not entirely convinced though I would have a meeting here again though, too much running around following them for something or other...
Read more
Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I want to enjoy Royal City Hotel - it has a certain charm to it and the staff are friendly. That being said, the service here is unbelievably slow (e.g. if you order dinner and get it in less then 1.5 hours, you're lucky). Additionally, the selection of food is very limited, many dishes aren't available at any given time, and the food you can order isn't very well prepared. Additionally, the building is fairly run down and in need of some repairs and cleaning.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Traveled on business
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Located along Kisumu -Nairobi highway, the hotel is primed in a nice Mall and l has many amazing facilities including, Swimming pool, disco hall,nice hotel rooms and other amenities which can be a wonder if well managed. For the the number of times I have visited the hotel, to have a swim, for lunch or just to relax, the management have never failed to disappoint. Being in a Hotel in a new Mall, you expect the same with its facilities but there is just not much maintenance done.The staff are also rude and unprofessional. And putting bouncers to man the entry to the Pool is not only unwise but also uncalled for...This is an Hotel not a discotheque...
Read more
Date of stay: January 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I stayed at this hotel for the entire week from 24 August 2015. Overall, the hotel location and ambience is good and the food is to an acceptable standard.
Our main problem was the service quality which was not upto our expectation:
a. On our first day, we ordered for some drinks which delayed for so long that we cancelled our order and went to enjoy our drinks at another hotel.
b. We had to leave the hotel for a night and as we left, we asked the hotel to reserve the Apple room for when we returned but we were shocked that the room had been allocated to other guests when we came back. Very unprofessional.
c. Avoid the Elephant room. Its carpet is damp and smells awful. Its also very dark with no natural light. We were allocated this room on our return and we asked to be assigned another Executive room.
d. This led us to the Plum Room which was good with ample natural light and fresh. However, the bathroom amenities of this room were poorly maintained with the mirror crooked and on the verge of falling off and also the shower water was set at scalding hot even when the knob was set at the cold position. This made our showering experience quite uncomfortable.
e. The TVs were generally poorly tuned and had only 6 channels. The actual TVs were also very small and therefore difficult to watch if lying on the bed.
Generally, you can tell that almost all staff have very little training in hospitality though they try hard to please. This is one of the key areas for development for this facility. In addition, maintenance teams should be deployed to chedk the rooms at most weekly just to ensure all room amenities are working well so as to improve the guest experience.
We will be back in the future mainly because of the convenience and the cost of the accomodation.
Our main problem was the service quality which was not upto our expectation:
a. On our first day, we ordered for some drinks which delayed for so long that we cancelled our order and went to enjoy our drinks at another hotel.
b. We had to leave the hotel for a night and as we left, we asked the hotel to reserve the Apple room for when we returned but we were shocked that the room had been allocated to other guests when we came back. Very unprofessional.
c. Avoid the Elephant room. Its carpet is damp and smells awful. Its also very dark with no natural light. We were allocated this room on our return and we asked to be assigned another Executive room.
d. This led us to the Plum Room which was good with ample natural light and fresh. However, the bathroom amenities of this room were poorly maintained with the mirror crooked and on the verge of falling off and also the shower water was set at scalding hot even when the knob was set at the cold position. This made our showering experience quite uncomfortable.
e. The TVs were generally poorly tuned and had only 6 channels. The actual TVs were also very small and therefore difficult to watch if lying on the bed.
Generally, you can tell that almost all staff have very little training in hospitality though they try hard to please. This is one of the key areas for development for this facility. In addition, maintenance teams should be deployed to chedk the rooms at most weekly just to ensure all room amenities are working well so as to improve the guest experience.
We will be back in the future mainly because of the convenience and the cost of the accomodation.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Apple Executive Room was good and comfortable
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is another branch of the Royal city Hotels that i have had the best experience in when in kisumu.As the name suggests,its the place for one to be treated as royal.Great rooms,great food and the cool silent environment sums up this great hotel.The staff are very friendly and help in every way possible.Thanks to them for they ensured i had a best stay in Kisumu.
Read more
Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Traveled solo
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The place was great, we arrived late and we were well received. The room we got first didn't impress us but they are agreed to change the room. We moved from Lemon to Grapes. The rooms were clean, the shower had hot water, they provided a kettle for boiling water either for coffee or tea. The room had a television and a fridge. The room service was great, the food ranged at Kshs.800. The pork and wet fry beef were perfect, breakfast had a variety: githeri, traditional veges, deep-fried potatoes, sausages, bread, tea, fruits, fresh juice e.t.c. They have a swimming pool, parking space, and free wifi.
The place is easily accessible via private means, taxi, tuk tuk or motorcycle. It is neat the Nakumatt Mega and Westend Mall.
The place is easily accessible via private means, taxi, tuk tuk or motorcycle. It is neat the Nakumatt Mega and Westend Mall.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Worth a second visit.
The hotel was full when I visited.
So the only rooms I could get were on the ground floor.
Am a person who loves natural light. So that was a real minus for me.
The staff were very helpful.
My slide door to the bathroom broke. And it was immediately fixed. (Not that it was an emergency anyway)
I checked in quite late. But the chef was able to fix me a meal as I sat at the lounge I think on the 1St floor. It was just calm for me.
Exactly what I needed.
The hotel was full when I visited.
So the only rooms I could get were on the ground floor.
Am a person who loves natural light. So that was a real minus for me.
The staff were very helpful.
My slide door to the bathroom broke. And it was immediately fixed. (Not that it was an emergency anyway)
I checked in quite late. But the chef was able to fix me a meal as I sat at the lounge I think on the 1St floor. It was just calm for me.
Exactly what I needed.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2017Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PRICE RANGE
$39 - $77 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
KenyaNyanza ProvinceKisumu
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingROYAL CITY HOTEL
Frequently Asked Questions about Royal City Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Royal City Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Kisumu museum (1.2 miles), Kisumu Impala Sanctuary (2.3 miles), and Dunga Bay (1.4 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Royal City Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Royal City Hotel?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Royal City Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Nairobi Java House, Acacia, and Mon Ami.
Does Royal City Hotel have airport transportation?
Yes, Royal City Hotel offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Royal City Hotel located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.5 miles away from the center of Kisumu.
Does Royal City Hotel offer any business services?
Yes, guests have access to a business center and meeting rooms during their stay.