SERENA HOTELS SIGNS DEAL WITH BURUNDI GOVERNMENT FOR CITY HOTEL
Corrrection: I was given the wrong name of the hotel in question and have therefore deleted reference to that particular hotel. Any inconvenience caused is highly regretted.
As reported here previously, the Government of Burundi was for some time in negotiations with Serena Hotels to take over, manage and upgrade a hotel in Burundi’s capital city of Bujumbura.
With a single confirmation pending, a second source from Burundi has now also confirmed that pen has apparently been put to paper about two weeks ago in a deal, yet to be formally announced, which will see Serena come on board. This will after Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali and Dar es Salaam be the fifth major city hotel Serena will operate in either the political or – in the case of Dar es Salaam – commercial capitals of the East African Community and closes the existing and remaining gap, now giving Serena, the region’s leading hospitality group, a presence in every country of the EAC.
A source met at a recent EATP launch from Burundi was swift to comment yesterday evening: ‘Serena coming to Burundi is very great news. We in tourism hope they can move fast to make the hotel become a real Serena like those in Kigali or Nairobi. And we have parks also. Burundi also has national parks and little is known about them. We have been slow in promoting them but are now ready to tell the world. You tell the world that we have parks and that we hope Serena can even put up a lodge somewhere. With Serena coming here we have crossed an important barrier and now have an ally to promote Burundi as a new tourist and business destination in East Africa’.
The hotel, reportedly located on the in the heart of Bujumbura currently has 200 rooms and suites and with Serena on board now will undoubtedly in months to come undergo a major transformation and be brought to the standards of other Serena city hotels too. As and when, TripAdvisor reviews will then surely fall in line with those sister properties and swiftly outrank the competition in Bujumbura. Watch this space on upcoming renovation, modernization and very likely expansion plans.
8 Responses
Do you actually know the city hotel, because I used to live in Buja, but I can’t say I have heard of it.
Hotel Source du Nil …
Thanks for reading my blog.
W.
ah, ok. That place is a major shit hole and it will be a hell of a refurbishment job!
I have seen how Serena transformed the former Nile Hotel in Kampala, same situation I guess. And this year they won the only World Travel Award for a Ugandan hotel. I have every confidence in Serena to turn this around, and fast.
Great news. The hotel really needs a major overhaul. But with Serena in charge undoubtedly if their is any hotel chain that can do that job it is definitely Serena. Having said/ or written that, wow kudos to Serena! They are about to control a gem. The beaches accessible to the hotel guests without a shadow of doubt rival the best the region can offer!
Serena has the capacity to turn any hotel around and will without doubt succeed with the Hotel Source du Nil too. Thanks Faustin for continuing to read my blog.
W.
For your information is actually the old Novotel Hotel!!!
Thank you for the information and for reading my blog.
W.