Kenya: Hilton hotel closes down after 53 years
One of Nairobi's most iconic landmarks Hilton hotel has announced its closure after 53 years of operation. The doors of the magnificent hotel are now set to officially close on December 31, 2022.
The hotel through management said that it will redeploy some of its staff to other hotels within Hilton's Nairobi portfolio.
Hilton Nairobi
"Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham and Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport are growing our portfolio with new hotel development opportunities in the city and beyond," Hilton said.
The hotel, which is actually 40.57% owned by the government, pointed out how the Covid-19 pandemic served as a single factor that affected its operations.
"Covid-19 created unprecedented challenges for our industry. However, the decision to cease operations is not directly related to the pandemic," the hotel stated.
"Unfortunately the closure of the hotel will result in a retrenchment process."
Hilton has over 200 rooms
The hotel which consists of over 200 rooms failed to state exactly how many staff members would be laid off and how many would be redeployed.
Besides the iconic Intercontinental Hotel, a number of top hotels including Laico Regency, Radisson Blu and now Hilton ceased operations after the economic shakedown brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hilton hotel will truly be missed, especially as a gem of some incredible memoirs in Kenya's history. Having been launched by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on December 17, 1969, the hotel stood as the tallest building in Nairobi during the golden years.
