CONSULTANCY REVIEW FOR TOP OF THE WORLD (TOW)

THE CONCEPT NOTE

TNH Introduction
As hospitality specialists, we fully understand the industry. We are the industry leaders in
guest experience improvement and analysis of consumer behavior in tourism. We are
therefore well - positioned to project manage tourism developments to ensure that the
products and services effectively serve the intended target market and thus maximizing
revenues.
TNH has been contracted by Top of the World (TOW) to prepare and manage a project plan
to improve the experience and brand positioning of the lodge, ultimately making it more
profitable.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass, Kampala

E: [email protected] T: +256 772 361866 +256
751 766848
TOURISM REVIEW
1. Current Status
TOW is currently located at top of a hill in Kabarole District. It has the best 360-degree view
of the following attractions;
• Mt. Rwenzori Ranges
• Fort Portal City
• Kibaale Forest
• Three Crater lakes; Lake Nyamirima, Lake Nyinabulitwa, Lake Nyabikere
It is also only 2 hours from one of the best and biggest Big 5 national parks.

The TOW Royal cottages sits on approximately 15-20 acres of land with;
• A main building that has a restaurant, kitchen and a 180-degree terrace overlooking the
lakes, forest and the Rwenzoris
• Five (5) self-contained cottages,
• A campsite surrounded by natural green forests and a clear view of one of the crater lakes.

2. SWOT Analysis
Strength Weakness
- The Business is already operational. - It has only 5 Cottages.
- The Business owner stays next to the - No Family cottages or family friendly
property. amenities.
- 15-30 acres of land - The lack of well-trained staff
- It is already a well-known tourist - Use of materials that do not blend in with
property. nature
- There several mature trees in the - Lack of Recreational activities eg Pool,
property. Bar, Music, Nature walks.
- Columbus Monkeys - General Lack of appealing lodges.
Opportunities Threats
- The only lodge with a View of the Mt - Several other similar lodges in the area.
Rwenzori mountain ranges, Kibale - The risk of Volcanic eruptions.
Forest, 3 Crater lakes and 30mins - The Steep nature of the landscape adjacent
drive from town. to the Crater.
- It is located in the Tourism capital of
Uganda.
- It is only 2hours away from Queen
Elizabeth National Park thus making a
good stop over for tourists.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass, Kampala

E: [email protected] T: +256 772 361866 +256
751 766848
- Possibility of Adventure Activities –
Zip Line and Camping

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass, Kampala

E: [email protected] T: +256 772 361866 +256
751 766848
3. Competitor Analysis
TOW is surrounded by a number of Crater lodges which makes competition stiff. Below is the competitor analysis that will guide
the TOW restructuring and repositioning process.
Name Range Number Location Uniqu Focus Activities
of Ratin of e Categories
Lodge gs Cottages Featur
es
1 Ndal 4 star 8 Cottages for 16 Ndali Lodge 1)Has a view of 1) Fresh Local 1) Lake Nyinambuga
i ratings guests breathtaking the Mountain of Cuisine. and are connected by two
Lodg Lake the Moon. open passageways or
e Rooms Large 2) 2) Ndali’s
Nyinambuga breezeways good for
enough and water comes
tourists.
Children Friendly directly from
the lake, 2) Fruit bats, owls and
pumped up frogs like to use pass ways
hydraulic ram as a highway to the crater
based on lake.
technology
invented in the
1770’s.
2 Rwetee 4 star 1) Budget Entrance of 1) Overlook 1) Outdoor 1) Bike hire and car
ra ratings. double Tents. Kibale Forest s the Crater fireplace hire are available
Lodge National Park lakes
2) Double 2) Picnic 2) Canoeing and
next to the
Room with 2) The area
shore of Lake hiking 3)Children
extra bed. Greenery Outdoor
Nyabikere. Playground
3) The view 3) furn
of the Rwenzori iture 4)Kids TV Channels, Baby
ranges. Beachfront Sitting.
4) Sun deck
5)Private beach area 5)Body Massage services.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
 6)BBQ Terrace 6)Pets Allowed
Garden

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
3 Bellavist 4.2 star 12 Rooms 1) Lodge 1) Over looks 1)Fully functional 1)Swimming
a Ratings Bella Vista is Nyamiteza Crater Restaurant.
Family, Children 2)Bicycle Renting
an Italian lake.
and Infant beds BBQ Grills
themed lodge 3)Pets Allowed
available. 2) Surround
2) 40km from ed by the
Fort Portal greenery.
and Kasese.
3) View of
Mountain ranges.
4) Next to
Kibale Forest
4 Papay 4 star 09 Cottages 1)Comfortable 1) Surrou 1) Restaura 1) Massage
a drive west nded nt, Lounge and Services available
Lake Ratings Eight of the
cottages tarmac towards evergreen Bar full time.
Lodg
e feature two beds Fort Portal forestry
2) Swimming 2) Chimpanzee
(one king-size City. Pool
2) Great Tracking, Crater Lakes
and one Crater Lakes Exploration Tour, Mahoma
single), local region Falls Tour, Community
stone- decorated Walk Tour, etc.
bathrooms with 3) Set
shower units, and between two
verandas extinct
equipped with volcanoes
deckchairs. 4) Between
The ninth cottage waters of the
– Family Lyantonde and
Cottage – is a Kifuruka
two-level villa 5) Views
boasting three Rwenzori
bedrooms, a living Mountain Range.
room with a
fireplace, a
TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,
Kampala
TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,
Kampala
 spacious bathroom
and a large
terrace.
5 Crat 5 star Family Friendly Fort Portal is 1) Nyinamul 1) At Crater Activities and excursions
er Ratings and Group setting the closest itwa Crater Safari Lodge there range from cultural tours,
Safa
accommodation town and is 22 Lake is a restaurant, bar butterfly collection,
ri
Lodg Facility. km away and lounge. fishing, birding, hiking and
2) Rwe
e Chimpanzee tracking.
Private Entrance to Crater Lake nzori 2) Craft shop
each lodge. Mountains
3) Mobil
3) located 7 e spa
km from the facility.
tropical
4) Campfire
rainforest of
area where guests
Kibale Forest
can relax and
National Park
enjoy views of the
Crater Lake.
6 Turaco 4.7 08 Cottages Turaco Powered by Solar 1) Restauran 1)Chimpanzee trekking
Tree Ratings Treetops’ 5.2 t and Lounges
Tops Luxury At the lodge 2)Day Night Forest Walks
Cottages hectares of rain
grounds many of 2) Pool Time
forest, 3)Mountain Bike Tours
Very spacious the birds,
neighboring 3) Playing
cottage - 40m2 monkeys and 4)Birding Tours
Kibale National ground for kids
butterflies that 5) Bigodi Swamp Tours
Sleeps up to 4 Park and Family
inhabit the Kibale
adults, or a family friendly Activities. 6) Crater Lakes and
Forest can also be
of 5 found, including Tree Plantations
Extra-long beds primates like 7) Village Tours
>2m Bush Babies, Family Activity Games
Black and White
Standard
Colobus monkeys
Cottage
and of course the
Room size of 30m2
TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,
Kampala
TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,
Kampala
 Sleeps upto 3 Great Blue
adults or a family Turaco.
of 4 (babycot)
Extra-long beds
>2m
7 Kyaning 05 09 Cottages. Fort Portal Great Rift valley Kyaninga 1) Running the
a Ratings City with a meets the Triathlon Rift Marathon.
Swimming Pool
view Congo Basin
2) Gorilla
Lounge and
View One
Dining Trekking
Crater,
Kyaninga Rwenzori 3)Chimpanzee Safari
Grounds Mountain
ranges, Queen
Elizabeth

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
4. Positioning
The current brand positioning of TOW in the tourism industry is that it is a view point and
also known by a select few as a campsite. Despite having a restaurant at the most picturesque
point in the region, it is not known as a place to dine and wine, stop over for a meal. It is
also not commonly known for its accommodation facilities.
To change this, there’s a need for TOW to renovate, restructure and reposition the brand
in the customer’s mind.
5. Proposed Renovation, Changes, Estimates and Costs.
The Proposed renovations:
a) Main Entrance
 Have a nice exciting Avenue drive way, this could be through planting
beautiful trees on the side to create a grand entrance.
 There should be clear signage showing all the facilities of the lodge from the
entrance area and in different spots on the site for ease of mapping out the
place.

b) Main Building - Below Deck.

• Make the Restaurant Space the main feature of TOW, and in turn the best vantage

point in the greater Fort area.

• Open Up the space by removing pillars and increase the Floor to ceiling space

which is too low.

• The Kitchen Removed from the main building and put slightly next to the Main

building.
• Create the Bar Area on the Rooftop with the Bar at the center.

• Put an Upper Deck on the Roof Top or Increase the Balcony Space with a deck

extension. Wide enough for sitting space and thus proving guests and walk in
clients with an amazing top of the world dining experience
• Right below the Restaurant, you could create a Cave like space, Cave

Restaurant or a Cave spa experience facing the crater lake.

c) The Campsite
 Create a fun and Unique fire place.
 Outdoor Deck Bar and Restaurant
 Viewing Deck.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
  Renovate Bathrooms.

d) Additional Cottages.
 5 - 10 Tree Houses.
We can start with 5 Tree Houses and add with time. Tree House design to
perfectly blend in with the natural landscape of the property.
 More Appealing to the foreign market that has higher spending power.
 More unique than your typical cottages and thus making TOW more
competitive.
 Most tourist properties are currently being built or renovated to suit the eco-
friendly and sustainability agenda. In summary, minimal alteration of the
natural environment

e) Cottages
 Better linen- accent cushions, simple bedside rugs, kitenge bed runner or
accent cushions instead of full kitenge curtains and full kitenge chair
upholstery etc. All this in a bid to improve the value as seen through the eyes
of the guest, and in turn increasing revenues
 Interior work to improve on the window openings, or big ones instead of
many small ones. This is however quite costly. Improving linen would make
the room feel less busy, more holidayish.
 Lounge furniture that can double as a bed to create more family friendly
accommodation
 Repaint with more earthy tone to improve the general feel of the space

TECHNICAL REVIEW
This report covers the one (1) day tour at the “TOP OF THE WORLD ROYAL
COTTAGES” in Kamwenge District off Fort Portal-Mbarara Road. This was review on site
visit which was done to assess the technical aspects of the proposals and the likely impact of
those proposal on the building costs. The visit was meant to shade light on the possible
modifications, expansions, and other features that can be added to boost up the profitability
of the resort.

SITE ANALYSIS (TOUR)

The two (2) teams walked through the entire resort area and deduced the following;

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
The resort is located on steep hills overlooking three (3) crater lakes forested land and

1. CAMPSITE:
The campsite has adequate tree shades and washrooms. However, the washrooms are facing
aggressive moisture attacks and deteriorating rapidly. It was discovered that the campsite
does not have a properly built fire place. There is no dedicated well organized lake view
point. These two (2) features were proposed to be added in the new designs and also
mitigation measures for the washrooms.

2. CRATER LAKES:

The resort is surrounded by three Crater lakes namely;

 Nyamirima,
 Nyinabulitwa
 Nyabikere
They are connected by a river. Currently, there is no view point where all the lakes can be
seen at once. It was therefore suggested that a vantage point should be created where all
the three lakes can be seen at once. The proposal is to have a viewing deck above the
existing Restaurant.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
There are no commercial activities taking place on those lakes as reported by the resort
management.

3. RESTAURANT:

The restaurant is at the top of the hill and over looking at lake Nyabikere. It has an
octagonal shape with each side measuring about 7m long.
The restaurant has a separate private enclosed lounge, dinning space and a
kitchen. It was proposed that the following modifications be done on the
restaurant;
a) The kitchen be relocated from the present spot which can be better utilized as a
part of the main area
b) The proposed view point of the three lakes be provided for at the top of the
restaurant
c) A view deck be provided for around the restaurant. It will extend of the existing
verandahs to create more workable space.
d) Floor finish be updated to reflect a world class and yet natural dinning space.

4. COTTAGES:

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
The cottages are single and octagonal in shape similar to the restaurant. There is no instant
water heating equipment which is a big issue that has be sorted. During the meeting,
following changes were proposed;
a) Enlarge the windows and create single windows with wide views.
b) Hot water system be installed in all cottages.
c) Explore natural toned roof
d) Improve on the floor finishes with options for earth toned floors such as terracotta
OTHER FEATURES:
The client is advised to consider adding activities and features that enhance the experience
on the site. This includes
 a zip line on the sides of the hill
 explore the caves below the camp site
 create a viewing deck beyond the campsite overlooking the hills
 stepped foot paths to the lakes for nature walks

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
zip line on the sides of the hill

explore the caves below the camp site

create a viewing deck beyond the campsite overlooking the hills

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
stepped foot paths to the lakes for nature walks

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COSTING FOR TOP OF THE
WORLD PROJECTIONS TO GUIDE CLIENT
A DESIGN & PROJECT MANAGEMENT NO. UNI RATE AMOUNT
T
1 Design (Architectural, Engineering & Surveying) 1 Unit 60,000,000 60,000,000
5%
2 Auxiliary works (Soil Tests, Land surveying, EIA) 5 1 Unit 3,000,000 15,000,000
3 Construction and project Management 1 12 Mnths 3,000,000 36,000,000
SUB-TOTAL 111,000,000

B CONSTRUCTION NO. UNI RATE AMOUNT

T
1 Restaurant Renovations, Extension deck & Bar 1 250 Sqm 1,500,000 375,000,000
2 Tree houses 5 40 Sqm 1,500,000 300,000,000
3 Cottages Improvements 5 1 Unit 10,000,000 50,000,000
4 Walkways and paths 1 1000 Lm 40,000 40,000,000
5 Plumbing System 1 1 Unit 70,000,000 70,000,000
6 Power Supply 1 1 Unit 90,000,000 90,000,000
7 Campsite Build (Fire Place and Sitting place) 1 1 Unit 20,000,000 20,000,000
8 Campsite Outdoor Bar 1 50 Sqm 1,500,000 75,000,000
9 Activity Features (Swings, Zip Lines Etc) 20% 1 1 Unit 60,000,000 60,000,000
10 Furnishings and décor Items (TBA) 100,000,000 100,000,000
SUB TOTAL 1,200,000,000
GRAND TOTAL -UGX 1,311,000,000
GRAND TOTAL -USD 374,571

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala
 Recommendations
We recommend the following options-
1. A TOTAL RENOVATION job is done at once as per the proposal above. This is likely to take about 6 months ensuring that
you make it for the busiest tourism period (season). This will require a total investment of USD 374,600. The advantage
with this option is you start earning from your investment immediately and therefore a bank will be willing to give you a
loan for the renovations work. As you can see below- assuming you have a net margin of 30% on your operations, at 50%
occupancy, you will be in a position to recover your investment within 3 years.

PROJECTED INCOME FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD HOTEL

Type of Room Room rate # rooms #nights MONTHLY ANNUAL 50% occupancy

Cottages Single Room 120 2 30 7,200 86,400

Cottages Double Room 200 3 30 18,000 216,000
Tree House 150 5 30 22,500 270,000
TOTAL ACCOMODATION 10 47,700 572,400 286,200

Other Income Rate Daily # #days Monthly Annual

Buffet 45,000 10 30 13,500,000 162,000,000
Ala carte 25,000 10 30 7,500,000 90,000,000
Walk Ins 15,000 20 30 9,000,000 108,000,000
Camp Site 50,000 5 30 7,500,000 90,000,000
Activties 60,000 5 30 9,000,000 108,000,000
TOTAL other INCOME 30,000,000 558,000,000 79,714
TOTAL INCOME 365,914

2. The second option would be to phase the work into three phases of about USD 130,000 (shown using the three different colours
above.) Phase 1- Yellow, Phase 2- Green Phase 3- Blue. This will be more affordable for the hotel owners.

TNH Consultancy Plot 60, Lugogo Bypass,

Kampala