Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe

A lakeside hotel roughly a kilometre from Entebbe International Airport, useful on the first and last nights of a Uganda trip, when flights tend to land late and leave early.

Why We Love It

It solves a logistics problem without feeling like an airport hotel. The lawns run down to Lake Victoria, the terrace looks over the water, and a free shuttle runs around the clock, so a two in the morning arrival becomes somebody else’s problem rather than yours.

The Experience

Seventy-three rooms, the better ones with balconies facing the lake, plus a pool, a sauna and a spa. The restaurant serves tilapia and Nile perch pulled from the water in front of it. The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre is a few minutes away and fills a spare afternoon well.

Need to Know

This is a hotel rather than a bush lodge, and it is run and priced as one, which is the point at either end of a long trip. It bookends our Great Primate Expedition. Read our Uganda destination guide for planning.