DOMINIC MUOKI MUEMA2026-07-142026-02https://repository.mua.ac.ke/handle/123456789/2940The hospitality industry plays a significant role in economic growth, employment creation, and service sector development in Kenya. However, many hospitality organizations continue to experience performance challenges associated with operational inefficiencies, inconsistent service delivery, and ineffective resource utilization, which are often linked to weaknesses in organizational planning practices. This study examined the effect of planning practices on organizational performance in the hospitality industry in Kenya, with specific reference to Serena Hotels. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of strategic planning practices, operational planning practices, financial planning practices, and human resource planning practices on organizational performance. The study was significant to hospitality managers, policymakers, and scholars by providing empirical evidence on how structured planning enhances organizational effectiveness. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based View theory supported by Systems Theory, Financial Control Theory, and Human Capital Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted. The target population comprised 180 employees drawn from key functional departments at Serena Hotels, from which a sample size of 124 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula and selected through stratified random sampling. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A pilot study involving 10% of the sample was conducted to test the research instrument. Validity was established through expert review, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient to ensure internal consistency. Out of the 124 questionnaires distributed, 112 were successfully returned, representing a response rate of 90.3%. Descriptive findings indicated that respondents agreed that planning practices were effectively implemented, with composite mean scores of 4.10 for strategic planning practices, 3.91 for operational planning practices, 3.92 for financial planning practices, and 3.91 for human resource planning practices. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between planning practices and organizational performance, with strategic planning practices recording the strongest association (r = 0.689), followed by human resource planning practices (r = 0.672), financial planning practices (r = 0.658), and operational planning practices (r = 0.641). Multiple regression analysis showed that planning practices collectively explained 61.2% of the variation in organizational performance (R² = 0.612). All independent variables had statistically significant positive effects on organizational performance, with strategic planning practices emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.342, p < 0.05). The study recommends strengthening participatory strategic planning processes, enhancing operational coordination through digital management systems, adopting data-driven financial planning and cost control mechanisms, investing in structured workforce development and succession planning programs, and institutionalizing continuous performance monitoring systems supported by customer feedback and service quality audits to sustain organizational performance improvements. Ethical considerations including informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality, privacy, and anonymity were strictly observed throughout the study.Article