KENYA: Hilton To Set Up New Airport Hotel Near JKIA

Global hotel chain, Hilton Worldwide will set up a hotel near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to enhance the convenience of its travellers.

The follows the establishment of Hilton Garden Inn near Abuja Airport which also has serious traffic concerns.

The announcement follows the signing of a franchise agreement with Reliance Hotels to open Hilton Garden Inn Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The 171-room hotel will be located two kilometers from JKIA, making it an ideal base for local, regional and international visitors, Hilton Worldwide’s senior vice president of development, Europe and Africa, Patrick Fitzgibbon, said in a statement.

“Agreeing our first Hilton Garden Inn for Kenya, and adding a second airport location to our African portfolio, demonstrates how we are growing and evolving our presence across the continent with leading brands in convenient locations,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Mr Fitzgibbon declined to disclose the value of the investment.

He added the addition of the second airport hotel in Nairobi to its African portfolio is a demonstration of the hotel’s increasing presence on the content. It is among 11 other hotels being set up in Africa.

The current Hilton Hotel in Nairobi is part of the Hilton Worldwide franchise and has operated in Kenya since 1969.

Nairobi, with a population of about 4 million people serves as a transport and financial hub for Eastern and Central Africa. It is home to many international firms that generate significant levels of business travel to the country and the region.

Ongoing expansion of JKIA to handle 20 million passengers per year is expected to attract a lot of visitors using the airport as a hub for business and travel in sub-Sahara Africa.

“The hotel will serve the needs of travellers looking for a trusted brand in a prime location,” Hilton Garden Inn’s global head, Adrian Kurre, said.

Some of the other airports where Hilton Garden Inn has a presence include Heathrow in London, Ataturk in Istanbul and Schipol in Amsterdam.

Reliance Hotels chairman, Noorali Manji, zaid, “We are delighted to be working with Hilton Worldwide to develop the first Hilton Garden Inn for Kenya, a milestone for the country's hospitality industry”.