Nairobi’s Hilton Hotel to Close Down After 53 Years of Operation
Nairobi’s Hilton Hotel located in the central business district is set to close down in December 2022. According to the...
REBP
Nairobi’s Hilton Hotel located in the central business district is set to close down in December 2022.
According to a director of the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) who spoke to The Standard, the agency has received a notice from Hilton noting they will cease operations on December 31.
The director stated: “I can confirm that Hilton Hotel will shut down in December this year. We have received the notice from them. I’m not sure what has occasioned the decision, but I know business has not been looking up for the hotel, especially after Covid-19 struck.”
Speaking to Business Daily, a Hilton spokesperson confirmed: "Following extensive discussions with the hotel ownership, Hilton Nairobi will close its doors for the last time on 31st December 2022 and cease operations.
“Covid-19 created unprecedented challenges for our industry. However, the decision to cease operations is not directly connected to the pandemic. Unfortunately, the closure of the hotel will result in a retrenchment process. However, we will work with those impacted to help them find alternative employment,” he mentioned.
[The Hilton Hotel. Photo/Courtesy]
The notice issued to KTB, however, added that Hilton’s other facilities in Hurlingham and Mombasa Road (Garden Inn) which is a few kilometers from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will continue to operate in the country.
Some of the staff members from the CBD branch will be absorbed into the other two.
The Hilton Hotel was officially opened on December 7, 1969, by then-President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
The five-star facility soon became the preferred hotel by many after its launch as it attracted high-end customers, including government officials and diplomats who would travel to the country for conferences.
It has 287 rooms. 45 twin rooms, 185 doubles, 22 pool rooms, 27 executive rooms ad seven rooms that offer suite services.
According to experts, what was the hotel’s advantage in the past, has partially led to its downfall. Its strategic location at the center of the CBD has in recent years driven its high-end clientele away as they are trying to avoid congestion and noise in the CBD.
Hilton’s bio however reads this of its location, ““A central Nairobi stays near the KICC. We’re in Nairobi’s central business district, within blocks of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and the Masai Market. Enjoy city views from our tower rooms and relax in our outdoor pool, spa, steam room, and sauna. Karura Forest and the wild animals of Nairobi National Park are less than 40 minutes away.”
Besides its location, the hotel has previously decried neglect from the state despite it having a 40.57 percent state in it.
The Five-Star facility becomes the second that has government links to its collapse after the Intercontinental Hotel closed business in August 2020. The Government had a 33.83 percent stake in Intercontinental.
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