Nairobi — Hilton has opened its Sh2.5 billion Garden Inn hotel near the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
The hotel lies on a 1.3 acre piece of land on Mombasa Road.
The hotel will have a maximum of 175 rooms and has created 110 full-time direct jobs as well as opportunities for sub-contractors and entrepreneurs responding to the hotel's demand for products and services.
"Jomo Kenyatta Airport serves 6.5 million passengers every year and we are delighted to have opened Kenya's first Hilton Garden Inn property here. Since opening, the team and I have welcomed business and leisure guests alike, offering great value accommodation within easy reach of this flagship international airport," Lorenzo Baleri, General Manager, Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport said.
The hotel's management team has also launched a training and development programme where team members can actively participate in cross training in other departments so as to broaden their knowledge and skills.
"Our goal is to grow, develop and promote talent from within the hotel. Our programme has also been extended to young people in hospitality institutes, where we provide internships and mentorship in order to add value to the industry," said Baleri.
Hilton currently operates 21 hotels in the sub-Saharan Africa region and continues to grow with a commitment of Sh5 billion over the next five years towards the Hilton Africa Growth Initiative.
The continued expansion of its portfolio in the region sees a further 47 properties in its pipeline, including Doubletree by Hilton Pointe-Noire City Centre and DoubleTree by Hilton Kigali City Centre.
The New York listed hotel chain on Wednesday announced an initial investment of Sh100 million to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa.
Speaking at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum in Nairobi, Hilton's President Chris Nassetta said the commitment will allow the firm to invest in and scale up initiatives that build skills among young people and mitigate risks in human trafficking.
It will also engage local entrepreneurs across its supply chain improve water efficiencies and promote responsible wildlife-based tourism.
Kenya's hospitality sector is booming with the country expected to get an additional 4,000 hotel beds in the next five years.
Advisory firm PwC estimates that 13 hotels will be set up in Kenya over the next five years.
The move comes even as the tourism sector continue register improvement as tourism was the best performing sector of the economy in the second quarter of 2018.
