There are days when you just feel let down by your city, like when
educated and prominent men behave like some hooligans here and there, or
when you get to the stage and the bus fare has doubled!. Then there are
those days you smile for being part of a great city, maybe because we
have the best night life or simply because the council workers called
off their strike and we can now walk in garbage free street.
Another reason to be proud of your city is when it becomes a hot spot
for internationally renowned hotels. Well Nairobi has just gotten to
that level. Apparently Kenya is set to host nine new international
hotels which are planning to put up 1,437 hotel rooms to cater for
growing demand for travel and accommodation in the country. This comes
on the back of increasing interest by international hotel brands seeking
to set base in Nairobi.
The need to invest more in the hospitality industry is as a result of
the increased number of tourists in the country. Just this year, we
have seen two big hotels – Villa Rosa Kempinski and Hemingways open
branches in Nairobi. This will just be the beginning as several other
hotel chains are in the process of opening their branches in the capital
including, Marriot, a five star international hotel that plans to open a
hotel in Kenya by 2015 and Accor a global chain.
Other hotel brands seeking to invest in the Kenya include Emaar
Hospitality Group, a Dubai based hotel group Radisson Blu, Park Inn and
Lonrho hotels. Many of the deals were made at the AHIF in Nairobi last
year. The conference is scheduled to take place in Nairobi on 23 – 25
September this year.
