Zaria Court Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has brought hospitality experts from Kenya to Kigali to upskill its Food & Beverage team, reinforcing its commitment to service excellence and exceptional guest experiences. The week-long training, which ran from July 6 through 11, 2026, was conducted in partnership with the Nairobi Institute of Hospitality from Kenya, which provided a specialist Food and Beverage trainer to conduct on-site sessions with hotel staff. Zaria Court Hotel blends sports and cultural experiences, featuring 80 rooms, dining outlets, a fine dining restaurant, a sports area where guests can watch football, basketball and other events, as well as a rooftop lounge. Christelle Umubyeyi Mugisha, Training Manager at Zaria Court Hotel, said the initiative reflects the hotel's commitment to investing in employees through continuous learning and professional development. She said the programme focuses on strengthening service excellence, improving guest experiences and promoting knowledge exchange between Rwanda and Kenya’s hospitality industries. “We believe that this programme is not necessarily about teaching staff completely new skills; rather, it focuses on upskilling them and enhancing the knowledge and skills they already have,” she explained. Umubyeyi said the training equips staff with skills to better handle guest complaints, improve customer service and strengthen their fine dining abilities. “The training involves the entire Food and Beverage team because they are the staff members who interact with guests most of the time. After this training, we expect to see increased guest loyalty, improved customer satisfaction, and more positive reviews from our guests,” she said. She added that delivering excellent services would help the hotel retain existing customers while attracting new ones. “When we treat our guests well and provide excellent services, they are more likely to return and recommend us to others. This will help us build a strong and positive brand reputation,” she said. Umubyeyi said 49 staff members, mainly from the Food and Beverage department, participated in the training because they have the most frequent interaction with guests. She added that the hotel plans to extend similar training to the Front Office team, which serves as the first point of contact for visitors. She noted that while many hotels may offer similar facilities and services, the difference lies in the experience guests receive. “That is what encourages them to return. That is why we continue investing in this type of training so that we can provide our guests with the best possible experience,” she added. Inside the training programme George Makali, a trainer from the Nairobi Institute of Hospitality, said the Hospitality Excellence Programme delivered at the hotel covers six areas focused on improving hospitality operations, including guest complaint handling, fine dining, sales, teamwork, communication and guest management. “The first module focuses on guest complaint handling and resolution. In this area, we train the team on how to effectively manage and resolve customer complaints. We provide them with specific structures and strategies to follow when addressing guest concerns,” he said. Makali said the training also focuses on fine dining skills, including proper table setup, arranging cutlery and professional communication with guests during service. “Since this is a high-end hospitality establishment, we train staff on how to deliver fine dining services, including proper table setup, arranging cutlery, and communicating professionally with guests during service,” he said. The programme also covers sales, upselling and cross-selling to help employees promote hotel services while ensuring guests enjoy their experience. “We train staff on how to promote the products and services offered by the establishment, encourage guests to purchase additional products, and increase the average spending per guest while ensuring customers have an enjoyable experience,” Makali said. He said the overall goal is to create memorable guest experiences while supporting the hotel’s revenue growth. “Another area we have covered is teamwork and communication. We focus on how different departments can work together as one team and as one hotel to achieve common objectives,” he said. The final module focuses on guest management, helping staff understand how to effectively engage with visitors and respond to their needs. Meanwhile, Makali said that the Nairobi Institute of Hospitality has been operating in Kenya and has also conducted training sessions in Uganda and Tanzania. “We have worked with major international brands, including alcoholic beverage companies such as Diageo and Bacardi Martini,” he said. Staff welcome skills development Chantal Uwineza, who has worked in the Food and Beverage department at Zaria Court Hotel for one year and three months, welcomed the training, saying continuous learning is important in improving hospitality standards and delivering personalised services. “One of the most important areas is paying attention to detail because it helps us in our daily work and improves the overall guest experience. Attention to detail helps us understand our guests better and provide a higher level of service,” she said. The hotel receives both local and international guests, and Uwineza said understanding different cultures and expectations is essential for delivering quality services. “It is important to understand people and their cultures. Different guests have different expectations. For example, some guests like to receive detailed explanations and more information, while others prefer quicker service where they simply request what they need and continue with their activities,” she said. Yves Iradukunda, another Zaria Court Hotel employee, said continuous training helps staff improve their ability to serve different guests. “Such training improves our skills. When guests receive better services, they become happy and keep coming back. This contributes to the development of the hotel. “We learnt how to handle clients’ complaints, and this matters a lot for the hotel’s brand and image,” he said. He added that quality hospitality services contribute to Rwanda’s tourism ambitions. “When guests and tourists receive better services, they tell others and continue visiting Rwanda. This benefits both the hotel and the country because visitors spend money and contribute to the economy,” he said.
