BEST WESTERN ON THE PROWL IN NAIROBI
(Posted 02nd March 2017)
For the hospitality industry’s global players has Nairobi become a hotspot of hotel developments in recent years. Kenya’s MICE sector has been growing in leaps and bounds and in a way became the backbone of the increase in visitor arrivals in Nairobi over the past 18 months. New brands are pushing into East Africa’s most vibrant economy with Carlson Rezidor leading the pack with a Radisson Blu already open and two more of their brands opening soon, a Park Inn in Westlands and Radisson Residences near State House.
Marriott’s Nairobi flagship hotel construction, after some downtime, is gathering momentum again as is one of their Starwood brands, Four Point, coming up near the international airport. Hilton is keeping fingers crossed that the construction of their new Hilton Garden Inn, also near the airport, will be ready on schedule, unlike the Moevenpick in Westlands which, like other hotels, is suffering from opening delays.
Now has Best Western made their intention known to add at least 6 more of their brands in Nairobi and the wider environs of Kenya’s capital city metropolitan area.
A new Best Western Premier is due to open in May this year, followed later this year by the GrandWest Best Western Plus in Westlands – a new business district in Nairobi where over the next years some 3.500 beds are expected to be added.
The Alba Hotel Best Western Premier in the suburb of Lavington expects to open its doors before the end of the year too.
Athi River, a fast rising part of the greater metropolitan area of Nairobi, is due to see a standard Best Western open for guests next year if all goes to schedule.
And finally will along the Thika superhighway two Best Western open to the public in 2019, the Vantage Square Executive Residence by Best Western and the Vantage Square Best Western Plus, both located at the Garden estate just off the highway.
All this will be good for the global positioning of Kenya, not just as a MICE destination but a major tourism destination for safaris and beach vacations as each new hotel will have to pull out all stops to sell sell sell in large scale marketing blitzes.
