Kampala Marriott Hotel menu, gym prices stir debate among Ugandans

• Kampala Marriott Menu: Meals reportedly range from Shs40,000 to Shs75,000, with breakfast listed at Shs75,000

• Gym: Individual memberships cost Shs700,000 or Shs900,000 per month.

• Swimming: Adults pay Shs100,000 for a single gym-and-pool pass, while children pay Shs60,000 for pool access.

• Hotel profile: The Nsambya complex has 181 rooms and suites and 96 serviced apartments.

Prices at the newly opened Kampala Marriott Hotel have sparked debate among Ugandans, with its meals, gym memberships and swimming charges drawing the most attention on X and TikTok.

Videos showing the inside of the luxury hotel in Nsambya have attracted questions from people who want to visit but remain unsure about the cost.

“Help us with the menu,” one TikTok user wrote.

Another asked: “Can you send the menu, please?”

A content creator who toured the hotel said breakfast costs Shs75,000. She placed meals at other restaurants within the complex between Shs40,000 and Shs75,000.

The hotel’s official website lists six restaurants and bars. These include The Woodshed Grill and Bar, Luna Cake Studio, Majlis Coffee Lounge, Kasana Deck, Tatu Rooftop Bar and Iron Taps Sports Bar.

Some posts on X claimed that breakfast costs $30, while others put the cheapest menu item at $150. The claims caused shock and jokes online. However, the TikTok prices suggest that food charges vary across the hotel’s outlets. The hotel had not published a complete menu on its website by press time.

Attention later shifted to Saray Spa’s gym membership rates.

An individual membership costs Shs700,000 per month or Shs6 million per year. It covers the gym and swimming pool and gives members a 10 per cent discount on food and drinks.

The higher individual package costs Shs900,000 per month or Shs7.5 million per year. It includes fitness classes, the pool, private coaching, a sauna, steam bath and vitality pool. Members also receive a 20 per cent discount on food, drinks and spa services.

Corporate membership starts at Shs600,000 per person each month for groups of at least four people. The family package costs Shs1.8 million per month. It covers a couple and up to two children below 12.

A single adult pass for the gym and pool costs Shs100,000. Children pay Shs60,000 for pool access. Pool-only monthly membership costs Shs600,000 for adults and Shs480,000 for children.

The figures divided social media users.

Some said the charges placed the facilities beyond the reach of many Kampala residents. Others argued that they matched prices at premium gyms elsewhere in the city.

“There are gyms that charge Shs20,000 daily with access to steam and sauna. Monthly rates of Shs700,000 and Shs900,000 are affordable,” one person wrote on X.

Another user compared the price with a gym in Kisaasi that charges Shs500,000 a month without the additional services.

“If a gym in Kisaasi charges Shs500,000 monthly without all those extras and discounts, why shouldn’t one at Marriott charge Shs700,000 or Shs900,000?” the user asked.

The rooms have also attracted interest. Online posts placed the starting rate at $162 per night, although room prices can change with dates, taxes and packages.

President Yoweri Museveni opened Kampala Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments on August 27, 2026. Ugandan businessman Ponsiano Ngabirano and his wife, Eva Ngabirano, developed the property under a franchise arrangement with Marriott International.

The complex has 181 hotel rooms and suites, as well as 96 serviced apartments. It marks the entry of Marriott’s flagship hotel and executive apartment brands into Uganda.

Despite the debate over prices, some visitors praised the building’s finish and luxury.

“The Marriott hotel in Nsambya is one of the best hotels I have seen in the world,” one user wrote. “The developers did an exceptional job.”