Hilton opens first hotel under $50m Africa Growth Initiative

Barely eight months after the launch of its Africa Growth Initiative with $50 million to be expended over the next five years to support the expansion of its sub-Saharan African portfolio, Hilton has opened DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham.

Formerly known as Amber Hotel, the 109-room hotel is the first in Africa to benefit from the $50 million fund intended to support the conversion of around 100 hotels in multiple African markets into Hilton branded properties, namely into its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand, the upscale DoubleTree by Hilton and the recently launched Curio Collection by Hilton, as well as, providing instant benefits such access to over 69-million Hilton Honours members and leading innovative technology, including digital-check in.

The initiative, which is expected to add roughly 20,000 rooms from the hotel conversion project in the next five years across Africa, hopes to deliver more hotels this year on the continent with DoubleTree by Hilton Kigali City Centre opening later in the year.

The 153 room-hotel in the Kigali central business district, which is at the final stage of its conversion and rebranding process, was formerly known as Ubumwe Grande Hotel, and will be Hilton’s first property in Rwanda.

However, the Africa Growth Initiative is also impacting the Nigerian hospitality landscape where Hilton has sustained only one hotel for over two decades. With the initiative, Hilton’s expansion, which is long overdue in Nigeria, is taking off with the launch of Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton in August this year.

Already, the hotel, according to source from Hilton in Nigeria, has gone through all the approval stages, certifications, test running and is ready to open its doors to discerning public this August.

The 54-rooms and suites hotel, which is rightly located within the Lagos Airport environ with exclusive, secure, and proximity to the international terminal of the airport, will be the first hotel in Lagos and among the pioneer 100 hotels under the Africa Growth Initiative. Also, Hilton is bringing its first African general manager of Nigerian origin to manage the Curio in Lagos.

As well, hotel conversion projects are ongoing in other West African countries with majority of the 100 hotels expected to open from 2020.

It would be recalled that at the launch of the $50 million Africa Growth Initiative in October last year, Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton, said: “Hilton remains committed to growth in Africa having been present on the continent for more than 50 years. The model of converting existing hotels into Hilton branded properties has proved highly successful in a variety of markets and we expect to see great opportunities to convert hotels to Hilton brands through this initiative.

“It enables us to rapidly grow our portfolio and delivers returns for owners by increasing exposure of their business to more international, inter-regional and domestic travellers, and specifically to our 65 million-plus Hilton Honors members, who look to stay with us in our suite of industry-leading brands. We see huge potential here in key cities and airports, as well as allowing us to develop our offering in resorts and safari lodges.”

Hilton currently operates 19 hotels in the Sub Saharan Africa region with a further 29 in its pipeline. It has held a presence on the African continent for over 50 years.