Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia offers a wide range of accommodation to visitors to suit all possible needs and requirements.

Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia offers a wide range of accommodation to visitors to suit all possible needs and requirements.
In the Khomas region of Namibia, where Windhoek is situated more than 2 600 rooms with 5 714 beds in 210 hospitality establishments are registered with the Namibia Tourism Board.

Apart from luxury hotels like the Kalahari Sands in the city centre, and the Windhoek Country Club and Casino on the outskirts of the city, Windhoek is also home to a variety of quaint and comfortable Bed & Breakfasts as well as self-catering apartments and camping sites.
Traditionally, Namibia’s peak tourism season was between July and October, as the main tourist source markets are from Europe. French and Italian tourists prefer to travel in August.

Following excellent marketing from the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and more tourism awareness about Namibia in South Africa, Namibian tourism industry‘s seasonality is continuously spreading out, and the country has seen quite a remarkable increase in tourists coming in the March to June period.
With December being Namibia‘s travel month, the quietest months now seem only Jan & Feb, which is considered a very good development.

The Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) registers its members in different categories based on the NTB classifications namely: Hotels and Hotel Pensions; Lodges (tented lodges and tented camps); Guest Farms; Guest Houses, Bed & Breakfasts, Backpackers’ lodges; Rest Camps, Caravan Parks, Campsites as well as a separate category for Marketing Groups, head offices of groups, restaurants, (non-NTB) and other affiliated/support members.

Some of the hotels offer beds for more than 400 people, state-of-the-art conference facilities, a choice of bars and restaurants, entertainment in the form of casinos and live music.
Windhoek also has a large number of pensions and guest houses, suitable for businessmen as well as tourists. These establishments have the advantage that they are usually managed by their owners who offer personalized service.
Most of these establishments are members of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (H.A.N). Their membership is a guarantee that the establishment is committed to quality, service and the highest standards.
According to the official H•A•N website, it is the association’s vision to be viewed by members and visitors in Namibia as the benchmark for quality in all hospitality endeavours.

H•A•N members offer:

• The highest hospitality standards in the country
• The best service experience to all visitors
• Safety of the individual and protection of the environment
• Transparency in pricing
• To encourage training, growth and empowerment within the hospitality industry

H•A•N was started in 1987 with only 16 members, and today is the largest tourism trade association in Namibia with over 350 members.
H•A•N has two primary objectives: Firstly, it strives to promote the common interests of its members and the sound development of the hospitality industry in Namibia. To do this, H•A•N provides its members with pertinent information on various issues; encourages feedback and interaction amongst it’s members; facilitates access to and information about training, and represents it’s members on national and regional bodies such as FENATA (the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations), the NTB (Namibian Tourism Board) and others.

Secondly, to set the highest possible standards of hospitality excellence, and to motivate and support its members in striving to reach them. This is where the H•A•N Code of Conduct plays a major role, as each member is required to subscribe to the Code. In addition, the annual “H•A•N Awards of Excellence” are awarded in recognition of those establishments that go the extra mile.

By Estelle de Bruyn