The Kenya Cinema, the Regal Cinema and the Port Reitz Hotel Mombasa

 

Port Reitz, an area located to the northwest of Mombasa Island, was named after Lieutenant J. J. Reitz, an officer in the Royal Navy, who became commander of Mombasa in February 1824.

Interestingly the hotel was designed and built by William Miller Robertson as business was bad at the Regal Theatre on Salim Road!

We do not know what happened between 1935 and 1955 at the Port Reitz Hotel. However, in 1956 Mohanlal Kala, the owner of Majestic Cinema and Kenya Cinema in Mombasa decided to purchase the Port Reitz Hotel and 50 acres around Port Reitz Airport (see below screenshot from the book Jambo Samji Kala).

The hotel was leased to a British expatriate. According to the book, the hotel was only open to the British, and even Mohanlal Kala was expected to enter the hotel from the side entrance. Because of this and the fact that the hotel served meat, Mohanlal Kala decided to sell the hotel! ...and that was that!!