Dreams Guest House

Good service, nice rooms, and amazing rates.

It felt like a home away from home. I stayed for a week with colleagues from Zambia and Canada, and we had a warm welcome when we arrived on Sunday evening. Our rooms were clean and spacious, including the bathrooms, with a good view of the compound and the airfield. The place was quiet but close to the road, and the rates were affordable. We found the peace we needed to rest and could have a few beers in the lounge. We'd gladly stay again the next time we're in Uganda.

We left without staying. I booked through Expedia, but the hotel said they didn't know how to collect the payment and wouldn't give us a room unless we paid again, even after 45 minutes of discussion. I did see one room, and it was very basic: the bathroom door was a shower curtain, and a bare bulb hung from the ceiling. They advertised WiFi, but said there was none, and the advertised 24-hour airport shuttle wasn't available either. Don't book.

I stayed for about 10 days in November 2016. The place was clean and spacious, well maintained, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It cost USh 50,000 a night, which seemed reasonable. There was no WiFi, though, and the TV only showed one local channel. I was ready to give it more stars until my things were stolen. I went out for an hour in the late afternoon. When I returned, the room was still locked, but most of my belongings were gone. I had kept my key with me, along with my money and passport, fortunately. Someone with a spare key must have been responsible. The police thought it may have been a staff member, but there was no gate security and reception was often unattended, so anyone could have entered and taken a spare key. Staff said someone must have used a master key, mentioned a suspicious guest whose ID hadn't been checked, but nobody saw anything, and none of them would help me contact the police. Police questioned several employees and arrested one, but there wasn't solid evidence to prosecute anyone. The police report said hotel security was inadequate. It cost me a lot of time and money, though at least I was safe. This isn't typical of Uganda, which is generally a very safe place for crime, even if traffic is another matter.