Rating Arusha accommodations

A question in most tourists minds before entering our great city of Arusha, and also a  lingering issue among hotels, lodges, bnb’s and guest houses owners. It is also a genuine concern for the Tanzania travel industry as a whole which has in recent years tried to put in place a body that rates these facilities in a uniform manner.

Most western countries have a system that rates their accommodations considering everything from the location, the type of the building, the facilities included (business facilities, elevators,gyms,spas,pool etc), modern convenience, customer service etc.Unfortunately for most of the accommodations in Africa it can be a hit and miss. Some of the most beautiful accommodations in Tanzania  especially in Arusha city  don’t fit those specific criteria defined in the western nations.Entrepreneurs in most 3rd world countries can only do so much to get through that huddle by making sure their facilities are clean, provide quality customer service, invest heavily in their buildings and create their own infrastructure where there's non.Basic things like lights on the streets towards their accommodations, building nice roads, power outages, water outages, the neighborhood surrounding buildings etc,are  totally out of their control and they can only hope that the hefty taxes they are paying will someday work in their favor.

We hope people can rate accommodations  by taking in account all the effort,hard work and dedication these owners have put into their businesses by creating ambiance sometimes in the midst of almost nothing, a creation by the way that provides the much needed employment  and development  of these areas which may somehow motivate others to follow suit as it can be seen in various areas in Arusha city Tanzania.

Brought to you by Tumaini Cottage Arusha's choice accommodation,providing excellent accommodation,comfortable beds,good food and excellent customer service.More online at www.tumainicottage.com  or call 784-588-698.Our United States customers can call local at 3179871066 and 2102684166.

Investing in Arusha hospitality industry

Caution
Investing on Arusha hospitality industry is not for the faint-hearted, there are no concrete numbers or reliable researches to look into before pouring your hard earned money to what might either be a money pit or a gold mine.Here are a few things to consider.

Infrastructure
Power outages,power shortages,water supply,few suppliers,bad roads (some of the finest accommodation found in the cut). These are completely out of the hotels,lodges,Inn and accommodation control,despite of millions of dollars invested by business owners you are not guaranteed to have a a good road to your accommodation,water is a hit or miss,and most of the time you have to create your own supply chain which is expensive and time consuming.As a business owner you have to take all this into account in order to set your prices and be competitive.

Tax
The taxation is an eye opener considering the fact that the taxes paid dont reflect the infrastructure it produces.Tourist complain about things that the taxes should supposedly have paid for like no lights on the streets,no paved side walks etc, making it hard for hotels to compete and maintain certain international standards without charging an arm and a leg.As a result accommodation can be very expensive comparing to the services provided putting a dent on the hospitality business as a whole.Accommodations can only hope that the tax man with the heavy hand and  no breaks or future plans to help this thriving industry might change his mind and soon.

Workforce
A tide that is slowly changing but still has some challenges along the way. With schools openning in Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam to train the hospitality industry for customer service,management and restaurant services.Most accommodations are moving to the right direction by hiring trained staff,but the elephant in the room is Tanzania still faces language barriers comparing to it's neighboring countries which tend to speak better "English" it being the number one tourist used  language,more companies need to either teach or spend money to get people that speak the language to provide better customer service to their international customers.

Wishing you the best in your Arusha Hospitality investment..Hakuna Matata

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Proving that excellent customer service,quality accommodation,good food, can be found in Arusha Tanzania,for all your accommodation needs visit us at www.tumainicottage.com or call us at 784-588-698.

Arusha accommodation classifications

Once and for all putting an end to the accommodation classification confusion for customers visiting Arusha Tanzania.  The city is known by many tourists around the world to be E.Africa's capital safari hub and is also home to the most popular accommodations in Tanzania.  While blessed with hundreds of thousands of tourists coming to our city every year efforts to sustain the demand there has led to a rush of  entrepreneurs taking advantage by building accommodations all around the city.  In the past tourist had no choice but to have their tour companies place them in accommodations wherever they saw fit, well all that has changed  and for the first time customers have a choice on where to stay in Arusha, what type of accommodation is perfect for their needs, budget and standard.  So vital is this process that most experienced tourists may even swear it is this choice that sets a tone for the whole Tanzania safari experience.  Make a good choice you are in for a treat, make a mistake and your Tanzania visit is a disaster before it even begins.
And so according to the various Arusha accommodations, this is the information tourists can use as a road map to get familiar with the big 3 classifications of accommodations mainly hotels, lodges/  b&b and guest houses.

Hotels
Most have a full time reception personnel, more that 15 rooms, various en suite bedrooms, room service, full time restaurants, inclusive breakfast, sometimes a large garden with a public pool, a public bar, conference facilities, airport transfer (extra charge), Wi-Fi internet(extra charge) and business facilities.  Guests are mainly tourists with few locals.

Lodges and B&B
Full or part time reception personnel, 15 rooms or less, en-suite accommodations and some shared bathrooms, some have room service, some have restaurants(most on part time basis) or breakfast nook, inclusive breakfast, Wi-fi internet (extra charge).  Some have a garden and a pool, some provide airport transfers (extra charge), some have conference facilities, guests are a mix of tourists and locals.

Guest houses 
Full or part time reception personnel, 5 to 10 rooms, mostly shared bathrooms, no restaurant, no room service, no airport transfer, no conference facilities, no pool, no conference facilities, most have no internet access, no business facilities. The guests are mainly locals.

Brought to you by Tumaini Cottage Arusha tourist accommodation, supporting the tourism of our great country of Tanzania.  For all your accommodation needs contact us today.
See and interact with us at
www.tumainicottage.com
www.facebook.com/tumainicottage
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Or call us at
255-784-588-698
Or for United States call
317-987-1066
210-268-4166

2013 Arusha hospitality news updates.

Tanzania tourism has been on the roll in the past few years and Arusha city has been a recepient of this great fortune.The hospitality business has been short of a miracle,the city is experiencing a boom like never before (more than the Tanzanite rush back in the early 90's),this E.African safari capital hub seeing hundreds of thousands a tourist a year has sparked the interests of hundreds of intrepreneurs who have jumped in and started to create a hospitality standard of it's own ,catering for tourists with everything from high end restaurants spreading out like mashrooms,massage parlors with therapists providing inhouse and making outcalls,Coffee shops making a name for themselves using the rich aromatic peaberry Tanzania coffee  and hotels,lodges,Inns and guest houses revamping their facilities and services to accommodate more international clients.These are strategic,exciting and progressive moves that only time will tell the outcome but there's a feeling one gets talking to these hardworking self made business owners, that it's going to  be a boom that last for generations and they are ready to sacrifice it all to rip the benefits.It's been a long time coming but it's music to the ears of the owners of these establishments especially when the tourist board announced that Tanzania is projecting about a million tourist by the  year 2013.Not the best number compared to the neighbouring country but never the less a promising future for our great city.
It's going to be a good year in this business and if you are a tourist and reading this bless us with your visit by getting online and booking a Tanzania safari,volunteering, mountian climbing or just a cultural tour and  if you are a business owner look inside your business and see how you can make the best out of the Arusha tourist boom while it lasts.We all can make a difference welcome to Arusha Tanzania.

Brought to you by Tumaini Cottage Arusha tourist choice accommodation providing quality accommodation, delicious food, excellent customer services and free safari consulting. Book your Arusha accommodation today online at www.tumainicottage.com or call 255-784-588698 and for United States call 317-987-1066.
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3 tricks in choosing a safari company in Tanzania

  Visiting Arusha Tanzania for a safari? Dont stress out..

 Go through online reviews first, with millions of tourists reviewing safari companies daily it’s not a surprise that it is the number one way to get information before choosing a tour company. Your fellow tourists will be real without sugar coating which is very important to know before you open up your wallet. Read multiple reviews to make sure they are unbiased, then visit the company’s website to get a feel of the company, make sure it fits what you want as far as price and dates.F.Y.I (You get what you pay for).

Use your base accommodation/hotels/lodges/bnb's.Another very popular way of planning and choosing a tour company without the headache.Because of the already set connections accommodations are able to hook you up with reputable companies and better rates than you can otherwise get for yourself, they have a reputation to maintain so they will do anything in their power to get you the best at your price. So make sure to explore this option.

     

Family and friends can be one of the best sources before you make that choice. With the power of social media through facebook , twitter, LinkedIn etc, you can just post to your connections and ask them if they have any recommendations ,the outcome might surprise  you, either your friends or their friends might get you inside information obtained only from experienced first hand traveler,so before spending thousands of dollars check out this option.

 Brought to you by Tumaini Cottage Arusha,dedicated in providing quality accommodation,execellent customer services,delicious food and inside information to tourist/tour companies, travel agencies about the hospitality business in Arusha city and Tanzania in general.For more information visit us at www.tumainicottage.com or call us at 255-785-588-698..for United States call 317-987-1066 and 210-268-4166

4 Main Tourist Complaints about Arusha Accommodations

Arusha City, Tanzania  is becoming the tourist hub of east Africa, serving hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Because of this tourist boom hundreds of hotel accommodations, lodges, B&B's and restaurants are popping up daily to serve this growing population of adventuresome foreigners.  All this expansion by entrepreneurial locals have led to some interesting difficulties when dealing and interacting with these diverse cultures.And here are the top four main complaints.

1. Language barriers are the first and foremost complaint among tourists that have visited Arusha City, Tanzania.  Yes tourists know that English is not the national language of the land but with Arusha City's worldwide reputation as the capital safari hub of Tanzania, tourists expect locals to speak enough English in hotels, lodges and B&B's to communicate effectively with their guests.

2. Unreliable and high internet prices.  Most travelers, especially first timers, expect to be able to communicate with their home countries using their portable devices.  These folks are happy to pay a little extra for this luxury but find it almost impossible because of  to hefty add-on fees or impractical due to the possibility of paying for the service and not being able to use it at all.

3. Power outages are a frequent occurence in under developed countries and as such is another huge problem for those folks caught unaware.  First of all most tourists understand that they are visiting Africa and so they are prepared for the unknown, it's part of the adventure.  The power plants and infrastructure  dated technology lives alot of room for improvement.  Random blackouts are a common occurance, and even though these problems are not the fault of the business owner and entirely out of their control, quality accommodations should at least have a backup generator to combat the problem.

4. Excessive credit card charges at stores,accommodations and restaurants in Tanzania WILL lead to steep and unexpected fees that wreak havoc on your account.  A majority of tourists come from cultures where carrying $500 in their pocket is essentially unheard of and are in the habit of swiping their credit cards for every purchase.It's a problem that most third world countries are trying to combat and businesses can only do so much to which to their credit are giving it their all.Some accommodation have chosen not to take credit cards to avoid costing their clients those hefty fees and will take you an atm for less charges.


So take a deep breath,relax and do your research,ask questions before booking your accommodation just remember you always get what you pay for, and sometimes paying more does not guarantee the best but also cheap can be very expensive.

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Your Arusha choice accommodation visit us at www.tumainicottage.com or call us at 011-255-784-588-698 or for United States call 317-987-1066 and 210-268-4166. Welcome to Arusha Tanzania "Hakuna Matata" . Join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tumainicottage Also Like us on our facebook page http://facebook.com/tumainicottage

Who is really cashing in on Arusha Tanzania tourism?

 

     The answer may surprise you; most people think Tanzanians are becoming overnight multi-millionaires because of the tourism sector which in the past few years has quadruple. Yes there are more tour companies in Arusha city  alone than in many cities combined, yes the tourism sector is the number one employer in Arusha, and yes safari companies, hotels, bnb’s, lodges, Inns  are popin up faster than you can keep up. But the little secret shared by many of the veterans owners of these tour companies, and establishments is, most of the time they  just make enough to pay their overhead, add a car or two a year and just a bit left over for profit which in turn has to be saved for the next travel season.

    So the million dollar question is who really cashing in? The answer may surprise many but it’s just facts, western travel agents, online travel companies, brokers and just a small percentage of Tanzanians who have deep contacts all over the world are the true winners."Sometime keeping profits for  up to 45% then bargaining with small safari companies and accommodations to do the rest" as one tour company operator advised me. It's  job well done by mom and pops safari companies and accommodations doing all they can to make the best out of the Tanzania tourism by training their staff , investing and advertising Tanzania to the world with the little cash they have, but with shady contracts, problematic infrastructure, high taxes, low government support and the global competition which has been fueled by the internet revolution, achieving the multi-millionaire status just engaging in tourism, is a blinking light seen at the end of  a far away tunnel.

Brought to you by Tumaini Cottage Arusha tourist choice accommodation.Supporting responsible tourism in Africa. For all your Arusha accommodation and conference facility needs visit us at www.tumainicottage.com or call us today at 784-588-698 .Join us on facebook at http://facebook.com/tumainicottage or follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/tumainicottage