This year, investors are actively constructing 25 new hotels in Kenya, capitalizing on the resurgence of both domestic and international travel. This marks a slight uptick from the 24 establishments built in 2022, as reported by The Hotel Chain Development Pipeline Africa study from the W Hospitality Group.
The ongoing and planned construction efforts will result in an additional 3,729 rooms, supplementing the 3,155 units established last year. This surge in hospitality sector investment coincides with the industry’s gradual recovery from the setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which struck the country in early 2020.
In 2020, international visitors to Kenya for various purposes plummeted to 579,600, but rebounded to 871,300 in 2021 and further increased to 1.54 million last year. According to the 2023 Economic Survey, 36.3 percent of these visitors came for holidays, while 27.3 percent were business travelers.
“BWH Hotel Group is excited about future development possibilities in African markets, fueled by strong interest in our brands in markets like Kenya and Ethiopia which seems to be moving in the right direction again,” Neville Graham, the managing director of International Member Services at BWH Hotel Group is quoted in the hotel development report.
International brands
Kenya has also garnered interest from renowned international brands, such as Best Western Hotels & Resorts Group (BWH Group), aiming to expand their footprint in the country. Notable BWH brands eyeing growth in Kenya include Best Western Plus Meridian Hotel, Best Western Premier, BW Signature Collection, and BW Premier Collection.
“We will debut Waldorf Astoria in Seychelles with the opening of Waldorf Astoria Platte Island, return to Tunisia with the opening of Hilton Skanes Monastir Beach Resort and bolster our presence in the Kenyan hospitality market with the opening of Kwetu Nairobi, Curio Collection by Hilton,” said Carlos Khneisser, Vice President, Development, Middle East & Africa at Hilton.
Kwetu Nairobi, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, is scheduled to open its doors on November 30th this year. Initially planned for a February launch, the hotel’s website currently does not accept reservations and has updated the opening date to November 30th. The hotel is situated off Nairobi’s Peponi Road.
