Latitude 0° – named after its position on the equator – opens this summer in Kampala, Uganda. Located on the outskirts of the lively city of Kampala, atop the peak of the quiet, leafy suburb of Makindye, it just 45 minutes from the international airport.
The Latitude Hotels Group is a distinctly African lifestyle hospitality brand offering chic city hotels as slick as the most sought after in Europe – think sprightly and progressive, with groovy African overtones, and you will come somewhere close to what makes Latitude’s properties so desirable, and so unique. With existing hotels in Lilongwe and Lusaka, the portfolio has now expanded with this third – and largest – property, which takes Latitude’s signature style to an unprecedented level.
The Latitude Hotels Group was born out of necessity – its founders could find few quality, “cool”, urban African hotels to stay in or recommend to their friends and colleagues visiting the continent. Whilst wondrous safari & beach destinations abound in Africa, many is the traveller who has bemoaned a city stay beyond Cape Town…until the birth of Latitude.
Latitude 0° incorporates 47 airy rooms all with lake or city views. Facilities are of the usual Latitude stylish high standard with exceptional restaurant, bar and lounge, hip rooftop bar, spa, and fitness centre with 18m swimming pool overlooking the lake. ‘The Works’ business environment with private workspaces and meeting rooms is allocated its own floor, while ‘The Other Side’ private members club offers a separate lounge/den, bar and dining area, along with games room, elegant cigar lounge and screening room.
The Latitude Hotels Group sees its relationship with each local economy as a symbiotic one, with a positive social impact and sustainability at the heart of the brand. Each hotel provides a platform for local artists and producers to showcase the best of African creativity and talent. This is developed to an unprecedented level at Latitude 0°.
The stunning signature interiors are sourced through Latitude’s longstanding partnership with ethical art organisation Katundu – and they create a space which reflects the vibrancy of the immediate Ugandan locale. Katundu’s numerous art partnerships within the community are dynamic, inventive, ambitious and inspirational. The resulting hotel interiors are exciting and powerful, leaving a lasting impression of beauty, style and substance. Each piece tells a story beyond its immediate visual allure – whether it’s the inclusion of street kids in the artistic process; the creation of something exquisite from discarded waste; or the scouring of local markets for historic treasures to breathe new life into… Latitude 0° feels as much ‘art gallery’ as ‘hotel’, offering guests an unexpected insight into the best of modern African art.
The belief in operating sustainably extends across the business: energy use, HR practices, local sourcing and community partnerships. At Latitude 0°, with as few exceptions as possible, the employees are local, as are the architects, engineers and quantity surveyors.
Nicholas Best, Group Commercial Director, commented: “At Latitude 0° our Team have really taken our already distinct style and proposition to another level; the hotel is bigger in scale, and with even more Latitude pizzazz. Kampala is an exciting, up-and-coming African capital, and the hotel’s elevated position, overlooking both Lake Victoria and the city makes Latitude 0°the ultimate place to relax and enjoy our individual take on Ugandan hospitality, whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure.”
Future Latitude Hotel projects
Further hotels are in the planning stage – Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Mauritius, Nairobi and Harare are all expected to join the group in the coming years. For more information, visit: thelatitudehotels.com.
