The Kigali Marriott – the twist in the tale

HOTEL OPENS BUT NOT AS MARRIOTT, YET

(Posted 11th May 2016)

Open, but then, not as a Marriott and certainly not with full capacity, that was the finding of a walk from the AFRAA Aviation Convention hotel, the Kigali Serena, a few hundred metres along the same avenue to the entrance of the new hotel.
It is now established that only 100 rooms are ready for occupancy, in the nick of time for the World Economic Forum on Africa, which is hosted by Rwanda this week. Guests, while they can have breakfast in the hotel, have to take their meals elsewhere, probably at the conference venue which like AFRAA is also the Kigali Serena.
For the mid year African Union Summit 2016 will another 100 rooms be ready, again under the same operating principle, before Marriott, according to at least two sources, will enter the scene in September or October this year when all rooms and restaurant, banqueting and conference facilities will be completed.
Surprisingly are most of the staff seen at the hotel from Uganda and it is understood that an old friend, formerly of the Kampala Sheraton Hotel, in an almost clandestine fashion is the key man to have accomplished this part opening on behalf of the owners, the New Century Development Company Ltd which is closely linked to the Rwandan government.
This does now seem to confirm the assertion of the Radisson Blu team in Kigali that it will be them opening ahead of the Marriott in time for the AU Summit, which is due to be held at the adjoining new national convention and exhibition centre, also to be managed by Radisson Blu like the hotel.
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