Speke Hotel

The Speke Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Uganda, built in the British colonial era of the 1920s on Nile Avenue in the centre of Kampala. It is named after John Hanning Speke, the explorer who in 1858 became the first European to see Lake Victoria and identified it as the source of the Nile. Today it belongs to the Speke Group of Hotels, alongside Speke Resort Munyonyo, and it offers a historic, central alternative to the city's large modern hotels.

The hotel has 50 en-suite rooms in three categories: Deluxe Single, Deluxe Double and Deluxe Twin. It is a compact property compared with the big conference hotels, which suits travellers who prefer a smaller place with some character. The hotel describes its facilities as those expected of a modern luxury hotel, and it also has conference and banqueting rooms used for meetings, business lunches and private functions.

Food and drink are a big part of the Speke's identity. The Khyber Pass restaurant and a pizzeria sit alongside the Rock Garden Cafe, an open-air restaurant among century-old trees known for whole tilapia, Nile perch and grilled pork chops, and there is also a Gentlemen's Club. The long-running Rock Bar, popular since the 1990s, is listed as temporarily closed, so check its status if it is part of the reason for your visit. The hotel publishes a menu and an events calendar on its website, including seasonal packages for celebrations and business lunches.

The location is the main advantage. Nile Avenue is in the heart of the city, close to the Independence Monument and a short walk from the National Theatre and Crafts Village, so you can explore central Kampala on foot and reach Old Kampala, Nakasero and Kololo by short taxi rides. The hotel says the airport is about 30 minutes away, but traffic on the Entebbe road can make the trip much longer.

It suits travellers who want a central, historic base at a more moderate price than the five-star hotels, and business visitors who need to be in the city centre. Book directly by phone or through the hotel's reservations email.