The agreement will see the Avic International construct and manage the luxury hotel that got a construction permit in July 2015/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – Avic International Real Estate Kenya has signed a management services agreement with JW Marriott’s International luxury brand of hotels for the Nairobi hotel that is currently under construction.
The agreement will see the Avic International construct and manage the luxury hotel that got a construction permit in July 2015.
The hotel worth Sh40 billion is a 365 room luxury hotel located in Westlands.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero welcomed the investment saying the deal will add bed capacity in Nairobi that currently stand at 5,000 which is insufficient.
He says the investment is about 8 percent of annual construction expenses in Nairobi.
“This is not only about the landmark value and prominence of Avic International’s Headquarters in Africa, but more about its brand positioning and market orientation which is in line with the JW Marriott brand. As the hub of East Africa, Nairobi is a most promising destination for investment and business growth. Eyeing on the high-calibre planning and development within Avic’s Headquarters in Africa, its cosmopolitan atmosphere and sterling quality, JW Marriott has chosen to call it its home,” said Vice President of Marriott International Karim Cheltout.
The project is supposed to be completed and come into service in 2022.
Throughout the construction phase and during follow-up management, it is estimated that a minimum of 6,000 jobs will be created, which would help improve livelihood for the local people and bolster economic development in Kenya and in East Africa at large.
“Nairobi is the gateway to East Africa and to Africa at large. Confident in the economic future of Kenya, Avic International has decided to place its Africa Headquarters here in Nairobi, with the aim of establishing good rapport with the Kenyan government and various social communities of the country, so as to achieve mutual benefits, win-win results and shared development that in turn contribute to the economic growth and prosperity in Kenya,” Wang Long, General Manager of Avic Real Estate Kenya Stated.
The hotel will have 50 service apartments and 315 guestrooms with a floor area ranging from 40 m2 to 200 m2, equipped with a hotel lobby, a Marriott bar, a specialty cafeteria, a Chinese restaurant, and a 24-hour gourmet restaurant.
In addition, the hotel will possess a two-storey high 760 m2grand ballroom and seven meeting rooms.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,400 properties in 87 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of more than $14 billion in fiscal year 2015.
A number of international hotels targeting the high-end consumer have been jostling for a space in Nairobi due to its regional commercial hub status.
In November last year, Nairobi opened its doors to Radddison Blu which has plans to open two more hotels in Nairobi.
In July Kenya hosted 3,000 investors during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit that was preceded over by the United States President Barack Obama.
Nairobi also hosted the 2015 World Trade Organization Conference (WTO) in December that attracted over 7,000 delegates from all over the world.
The city is also set to host the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in September 2016, bringing together about 5,000 delegates.
