Popular hotel chain Hilton hotel has revealed its anticipated opening of a new hotel in February 2023 ahead of the closure of its swanky hotel in the heart of Nairobi's CBD in December 2022.
In an announcement through their website, the hotel chain announced that they will be launching Kwetu Nairobi, Curio Collection by Hilton.
“We are opening in February 2023, but aren’t accepting reservations yet,” the announcement on the website reads in parts.
Located in the Peponi-Kitisuru Road junction, the hotel located near Karura forest has 102 rooms confined in five interconnected blocks.
The latest comes amidst a report that twenty-nine global hotel brands are considering opening new facilities in Kenya.
According to a report on the Hotel Chain Development Pipeline in Africa, the new facilities anticipated will add 4,354 hotel rooms.
Hilton announces closure
In April, Hilton announced its closure after 53 years of operation
The hotel through management said that it would redeploy some of its staff to other hotels within Hilton's Nairobi portfolio.
"Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham and Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport are growing our portfolio with new hotel development opportunities in the city and beyond," Hilton said.
The hotel, which is actually 40.57% owned by the government, pointed out how the Covid-19 pandemic served as a single factor that affected its operations.
"Covid-19 created unprecedented challenges for our industry. However, the decision to cease operations is not directly related to the pandemic," the hotel stated.
"Unfortunately the closure of the hotel will result in a retrenchment process."
The hotel which consists of over 200 rooms failed to state exactly how many staff members would be laid off and how many would be redeployed.
Besides the iconic Intercontinental Hotel, a number of top hotels including Laico Regency, Radisson Blu and now Hilton ceased operations after the economic shakedown brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hilton hotel will truly be missed, especially as a gem of some incredible memoirs in Kenya's history. Having been launched by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on December 17, 1969, the hotel stood as the tallest building in Nairobi during the golden years.
Norfolk reopens
During the same month, Fairmont Norfolk Hotel reopened nearly two years after it shut its doors.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in the country and the strict containment measures drove out the iconic hotel among other notable names in the Industry.
In what signified a recovery of the sector, the hotel, which is run by French hospitality giant Accor, announced it was ready to host guests and resume full operations.
Government guidelines on social distancing at the advent of the pandemic in 2020 ensured that events such as meetings were moved into the digital sphere, sucking the life out of The Norfolk and other multinational hotels such as Intercontinental, Laico Regency and Raddisson Blue Upperhill. A move that led to the loss of at least 1.1 million jobs in the hospitality sector with a loss of Ksh152.4 billion, in revenue.
Kenya Country General Manager Mehdi Morad said Fairmont had weathered the storm and would reopen on April 1, to welcome guests and visitors
“The hotel management and Accor regional team have worked closely together to ensure that operations resume at the hotel and its facilities,” Mehdi said.
