Global hoteliers to open Radisson Kigali next year

The facility, to be established under Radisson Kigali, will feature 161 rooms, a move that will help address the challenge of accommodation facilities. The Park Inn mid-scale property will be Carlson Rezidor’s second hotel project in Rwanda after the Radisson Blu Hotel, a Five Star facility, which will be located at the Kigali Convention Centre with 292 rooms. The country’s hotel industry is fast-growing with several hotels expected to open in the next few years, including Marriott a 5-star hotel with 251 rooms, Vision Hotel (4-star) with 157 rooms; and the Sheraton Hotel. “The Park Inn by Radisson will welcome the first guests just a few months later in the first quarter of 2014,” reads a statement from the Rezidor Hotel Group. Rwanda has 370 registered hotels with a total of 6,700 rooms. Most of the decent hotels in Kigali, the accommodation rates range from $50 to $500 a night. “We are delighted to introduce our young and dynamic brand Park Inn by Radisson to Rwanda and to further strengthen our presence in the country. Africa is a key development market for our group,” said Wolfgang M. Neumann, president of the Rezidor Hotel Group. Neumann, who is also the chief executive of the hotel group, added, “Our African portfolio now comprises 50 hotels with a total of 11,000 rooms in operation and under development across 21 countries.” Rezidor Hotel Group said the Park Inn facility will be located within the city centre in Nyarugenge District. Joseph Mugisha, the chair of Hotel Vision Limited, the proprietors of Park Inn by Radisson in Kigali, said: “We are delighted to partner with such an important international hotel company like Carlson Rezidor and their exciting Park Inn by Radisson brand because of its outstanding quality and renowned services. “Our companies share a common vision that will make Park Inn the hotel of choice in the mid-market category in Kigali,” Mugisha said.Rich tourismRica Rwigamba, the head of tourism and conservation at Rwanda Development Board, yesterday said the development is great news for the tourism sector because hotels with such strong brand names attract tourists looking for quality and standard accommodation facilities. “The plan by Rezidor Hotel Group to open a Park Inn facility in Kigali is one of the outcomes from the meetings we have had with them. We are excited by the initiative. This adds to international hotel brands that continue to join the Rwandan market,” she said. Last year, the tourism industry generated $281.8m (Rwf178 billion), compared to $251.3m (Rwf159 billion) the previous year. Leisure visitors accounted for about 97,000, while business visitors were about 422,000. The Rezidor Hotel Group operates more than 430 hotels worldwide. Rezidor operates Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, along with the Club Carlson loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson, a private global hospitality and travel company, based in Minneapolis, US, is the majority shareholder. The corporate support office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.

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Global hoteliers to open Radisson Kigali next year