Sankara Nairobi is the first hotel in Africa to be certified in accordance with the Safehotels security standard. They have gained the quality marking due to their leading-edge expertise in crisis management and security. The hotel is also the first ever to achieve 200 points in an audit, which means they have received both certification and the Trust Symbol.

Moshi Perer, General Manager of Sankara Nairobi, sees certification as a milestone in the hotel’s development. The aim is for the hotel to be world-class in the area of security.

“Certification is very important for us. It helps us to maintain a high service standard and clearly shows our guests that their needs are our number one priority.”

According to Moshi Perer, the quality marking indicates an approach to security that creates greater assurance for international travel managers when looking at hotels for their meetings and negotiations in Nairobi.

“Now they have a reference point they are familiar with and norms that correspond to their requirements. It helps them to focus on the other conveniences and services that the hotel offers to match each guest’s needs.”

Moshi Perer sees the annual security inspections as significant for overall security. Focusing on the guest experience helps the hotel to advance so that it maintains the highest international class in all respects. It also helps the hotel to be at the forefront of development in the industry.

“The training element in the developing security process at the hotel is also very significant, as it helps our employees get a better understanding of the certification. In addition, they get further training in the systems and security measures that have been introduced.”

Since 2011, Sankara Nairobi has also been certified in accordance with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, HACCP – again, the first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve this. Certification is globally recognised as one of the most rigorous and extensive preventive food safety systems in the world.

Andy Williams, Global Operations Director of Safehotels, says that the company was created because security is one of the most important issues in today’s international hotel and meetings industry.

“Safety in food handling is a major issue, especially for hotels, and should be taken with the utmost seriousness,” he says.

Often, it is a lack of time and the absence of rapid measures that impede progress toward meeting the growing need for safety and security in the global meetings industry.

The Safehotels solution is to provide an objective third-party evaluation of the security standard at business hotels and meetings facilities worldwide. It covers all significant aspects relating to security for hotels and various types of meetings.