Nestled in the leafy upmarket suburb of Selepa in Francistown is the exquisite, plush and executive lodge of comfort palace.

COMFORTABLE: Mbanga in one of the rooms

It is home for the business person who spends a lot of time on the road. A quiet place to relax and seek solace from the hassle and bustle of the metropolis. This is exactly what Anicia and Esau Mbanga had in mind when they decided to diversify their line of business into the hospitality industry.

“Being avid travellers and spending many days away from the comfort of our home, we were not happy with the quality of service that most lodges offered be it locally or in neighbouring countries. We found our home better off.

This is why when our home became vacant we decided to convert it into a lodge”, says Anicia Mbanga who jointly owns the business with her husband.
Comfort Palace which is a  a five roomed lodge was licensed early this month and plans are in place to see it being graded. “My dream is for this place to earn stars, at least four stars. It’s not mere talk, I know I can make it. All I need is to make some touches up here and there.

I have already enquiries from the relevant authorities and they told me this can only be done some months after the lodge has been in operation”, continued the mother of three.
The lodge is her former home which she has renovated and transformed into a classy breath taking resting place .

“When I moved out of this place, into another house that I had finished building on the outskirts of Francistown, I let out the place, but later on realised that I was not making as much as I wanted. Secondly when you are leasing out property tenants do not look after the place and its surroundings as you would like.

Now that I have turned my home into commercial use, I am here daily to ensure the gardens are well manicured, the grounds are maintained and the cleaning is tip top all the time”, she emphasised.
Despite being a novice in this line of business, Mbanga is optimistic great times are in store.

“In the two weeks that we have opened our doors to the public, so many clients have come through to enquire, view our rooms and make bookings. I am very positive our legacy of excellent service will go far and wide. People will know of us and what we have to offer.

Because we know one can never go wrong in this business, we will be opening our second lodge which is ten roomed in Kasane next month. We chose Kasane because it’s a tourism destination and anytime you visit Kasane the hotels and lodges there are fully booked,” she says.
“At Comfort palace, like all reputable hotels we offer all the services that you would get from the graded hotels, such as wireless internet, DSTV, 24 hour security, CCTV cameras and even a professional chef to take care of the meals. My staff are well trained in service delivery.

I am particular on that one especially that we know that as a country we don’t rate very well. They are aware that they will not serve locals only this is why they address everyone in English,” she elaborated.

xx