With the hospitality industry slowly returning to business after the pandemic hitch, some outlets have found it tough to re-emerge.
That has also been the case with Camel Inn Lodge.
However, the owners are ready to put their disappointments behind after the lodge recently finally opened doors to welcome its customers. Situated just a stone-throw away from Gaborone in Mmopane village, Camel Inn Lodge was once a very popular place.
But like any other outlet, it found the going tough when COVID-19 struck with no business at all.
Now emerging from the adversity, the place could actually to return to its former glory days. “It basically went from bad to worse as we could not even receive COVID-19 people who were on isolation.
There were safety concerns,” remarked Managing Director Barudi Mosimaneotsile. But with sheer determination from the owner, Camel Inn Lodge has risen from the ashes and is ready for a new chapter of its existence.
With its unique and convenient location, Mosimaneotsile is adamant that placing entertainment and leisure at the core of the strategies can actually revive the place. Camel Inn Lodge has 21 accommodation rooms, with fourteen of them roofed with impressive timber and thatch. To add to this, the lodge is sitting on a rocky terrain which offers some sort of a scenic view.
These features set it apart and make it a convenient choice for hosting cultural activities, private parties, weddings, retreats and cocktail parties. With its spruced-up bar restaurant, it offers a traditional, unpretentious location.
The bar restaurant is spacious with comfortable top seating and stunning views. Although still ongoing refurbishment, the bar restaurant has the same floor space as the previous building had, that the public could rent for use for things like weddings, dances and other reserved functions.
Mosimaneotsile said recently when she hosted the media to share her plans for the future, that the lodge has endured tough times since the death of her husband, a situation that worsened during COVID-19 and after the horrific fire incident, but she could not let it go under. “It is the legacy I want to leave for my children. My husband was very passionate about this business, so I thought I can’t allow it perish just like that,” she said.
She said while they will continue to offer lodging services, the plan is to also turn the place into an entertainment hub, especially for cultural activities in order to turn the situation around.
To mark its official opening, Mosimaneotsile indicated that they have lined up a cultural function, which will be held around October. She said they will invite top local cultural performing groups across the country to entertain on the day.
