Fort Motel | A Quiet Beautiful Hotel in the heart of Fort Portal
Fort Motel is a quiet hotel in Fort Portal located a few minutes away from the city center and within walk-able distance from town. Fort Motel is a boutique hotel that features clean elegantly decorated rooms, beautiful gardens and friendly staff. It is arguably one of the best hotels in Fort Portal town. a town that recently achieved “tourism city status”.
Fort Portal is indeed a tourism hub as it is in close proximity with some of Uganda’s best parks and attractions like Kibale Forest National Park famously known for chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park with its abundant wildlife, Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Semuliki National Park which is a prime birding destination. Fort Motel acts as a good base for visitors looking to experience the rich Fort Portal city and the nearby attractions. The hotel is also a great choice for visitors looking for an intimate accommodation facility that is less busy with tourists and quiet.
Fort Motel offers privacy in its rooms, gardens and general main areas. The hotel recently added another section with deluxe rooms, private gardens and a private lounge area. This section is open to residents only and works perfectly for guests that like privacy while on safari in Uganda.
Accommodation at Fort Motel
The hotel features 16 rooms in total, of these 7 are standard rooms, 8 are deluxe rooms and 1 suite. The suite is much larger in size than the other rooms.
The standard rooms are located on the main building which also houses the reception down stairs. The standard rooms are reasonably sized with great amenities and these work well for the budget traveler. The standard rooms consist of an en-suite bathroom with bathing soap shower gel, body lotion, shampoo, dental kit, bathroom slippers, a weighing scale, clean towels and a flush toilet. The standard room also comes with a large comfortable bed with clean white linen bed sheets, bedside tables, a bedside lamp and a telephone with voicemail. The room also has a reading desk, two chairs, a mini fridge, a satellite TV, a tea/coffee making station and an in room safe.
A standard room at Fort Motel
The deluxe rooms at Fort Motel are located at the private section of the hotel and in our view these are the best rooms. They offer privacy and exclusivity while staying at the hotel. The views of Fort Portal from the deluxe room balcony are stunning, on a clear day you can see the Rwenzori Mountains further ahead.The deluxe rooms feature a large king sized bed with clean linen bed sheets, bedside tables, bedside lamp, two chairs in the room, two chairs on the balcony, a tea/coffee making station, in-room safe, a telephone with voice mail, complimentary drinking water, a mini fridge, and a trash can.
Deluxe room
An en-suite bathroom is available with a bathtub, mirror, and a bowl sink, dental kit, bathing soap, body lotion, shower gel, bath robes, bathroom slippers, a weighing scale, a flush toilet and clean towels. The deluxe rooms are much larger in size than the standard rooms and overlook the lush hotel gardens.
Deluxe room Bathroom
The suite is the largest room at Fort Motel, the bathroom in the suite features both a bathtub and shower. The other bathroom amenities include a dental kit, bathing soap, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion, clean towels, a weighing scale, large mirrors with two bowl sinks, and bathroom storage space. The suite also features a large wooden bed with clean linen bed sheets and a small lounging area with comfortable sofas and a table. The flush toilet in the suite is separate from the bathroom. The beauty about the suite is that you can easily walk to the lounge as they are situated in the same area.
Suite at Fort Motel
Mini lounge area in the suite
All the rooms at Fort Motel come with mosquito nets, extra duvets as it is sometimes cold at night in Fort Portal and storage space in each room.
Facilities and Services
Restaurant – Fort Motel has a restaurant located in the hotel’s main area overlooking the swimming pool. The restaurant serves breakfast with eggs of choice, bread, tea, coffee and other tasty options. Lunch and dinner is also served, an a la carte menu is available so you can order your meal of choice and three course meals are served as well. The restaurant surrounded by wooden designs and comfortable outdoor seating is the perfect place to eat. The kitchen caters to guest’s dietary requirements so you can let the staff know on arrival or let your tour operator know of your dietary requirements and they will let the hotel know.
Hotel Restaurant
Bar – The hotel has a bar located right next to the restaurant in the lodge’s main area. The bar is fully stocked with wines, spirits, gin and local beers. The bar has a separated area with seats but you can still order your drinks and the staff will bring them to you. You don’t necessarily have to only drink at the bar. A bar attendant is available at all times.
Hotel Bar
Swimming Pool – Fort Motel features a swimming pool at the property. The swimming pool has sun loungers available and the changing rooms are situated right next to the pool. The swimming pool is a great area to relax on a lazy hot afternoon.
Swimming pool at Fort Motel
On-site gym – A mini on-site gym is available at the hotel and works for a short workout. The gym has few equipment that can work for simple working out and exercise.
Lounge – The hotel has an elegantly decorated lounge with sofas and throw pillows. The interior is warm with art pieces hanging on the walls and perfect lighting for a cozy atmosphere. The lounge is located in a separate section of the hotel that is open to only residents so it offers privacy. There is an outdoor seating area so you can decide to have your meals and dining here.
Private Dining area right outside the lounge
The lounge also offers great views of the hotel gardens from the outside and if you are keen birder you might see some common birds of Uganda like Common Bulbuls, Scarlet-chested Sun birds and Red-eyed doves.
Lounge area
Crafts Shop – Fort Motel features a crafts shop just outside the main area. Here you can purchase some gifts or souvenirs like the handmade bags, beaded necklaces, handmade jewelry, handmade baskets and “kitenge” cloths. You can’t miss the crafts shop as it’s close to the main area.
Reception – The hotel’s reception is the first place you will encounter on arrival. The reception is where you are briefed before being taken to your room. The staff at the reception are very helpful throughout your stay, David one of the receptionists is very attentive and friendly. The reception is where you come when you have any questions, you can even call reception from the comfort of your room.
Reception desk
Other services at the hotel include Wi-Fi, a reasonably sized car parking area, a separate pizza section, sauna, massage and steam bath.
Attractions and Activities
One might wonder what activities to engage in while on a visit to Fort Portal or staying at Fort Motel, well there is so much to do because Fort Portal is a tourism city so it has a lot to offer. Below are activities you can consider;
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest – A Chimpanzee Trek is a great choice for the visitor who would like to come close to these amazing primates who are our closest relatives. The chimpanzee trekking adventure begins at Kanyanchu visitor centre in Kibale Forest National Park which is 30 minutes away from Fort Motel. Your tour operator will arrange the tour for you and have the driver guide pick you up and drop you off at the hotel at the end of the day.
A chimpanzee in Kibale Forest
Kasenda Crater Lakes – The crater lakes are located approximately 20-30 km south of Fort Portal. The lakes have stunning views from the top and a hike up to see the crater lakes from the top is worth it. The crater lakes include Lake Nkuruba, Lake Nyabikere, Lake Kifuruka and Lake Nyinambuga. The crater lakes with their very steep walls and forested surroundings offer great photo moments and are best visited on a day tour.
Birding Semuliki National Park – Birding in Uganda is a rewarding activity for the keen birding enthusiast and Semuliki National Park is a top birding destination. Semuliki is mainly visited to look for the 35 Guinea-Congo forest biome bird species which are only found in this park and nowhere else in East Africa. Bird species to look out for in the park while on a birding safari include Yellow-throated cuckoo, Brown-eared woodpecker, White-crested Hornbill, Yellow-throated nicator, Red-Tailed Greenbull, African crake, Abyssinian Ground hornbill, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Marsh tchagra, Leaflove, Congo serpent eagle, Papyrus gonolek, Long-tailed hawk, Black-wattled hornbill, Carruthers’s cisticola, owls, Standard-winged night jars among other species.
Fort Portal City Tour – A 1 day Fort Portal City tour is a great way to explore the town and visit the main attractions within the city. Places that you visit on the day tour include the “Omukama Palace” which is the King’s place, the Empaako monument, two local markets for an experience of the local life, River Mpanga, Gerald Portal monument and have lunch at a local food restaurant.
Entrance to the King’s Palace
Tooro Botanical Gardens – A visit to Tooro Botanical Gardens is one of the easiest activities to do while staying at Fort Motel.The botanical gardens are easily accessible from the hotel, you can take a forest walk through the garden, and do some birding as you also see different types of trees. Tooro Botanical Gardens is a bio-diversity hub and is one of the largest tree nurseries in Uganda, over 117 indigenous trees are found at the botanical gardens and a variety of plant species.
Location
Fort Motel is located on Plot 2. Lugard road and right next to Tooro Club. The hotel is a 3 minute drive away from Fort Portal town/city.
Recommended Tours
2 Day Chimpanzee Trekking Safari
2 Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari
3 Day Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Swamp Walk Tour
