Nairobi’s Hilton Hotel will close its doors in December 2022 after 53 years of operation in the heart of the city, and lay off an un-specified number of workers, underlining the troubles of hotels in the wake of Covid-19 travel slump.
While many luxury brands have been scaling down operations or shutting down outlets altogether in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilton said its closure does not entirely stem from the pandemic.
The hotel, which is owned 40.57 percent by the government, has pointed to other factors beyond Covid-19 for the planned closure, after more than 50 years of operation from its location at the heart of the central business district.
Hilton said on Wednesday that, it will not quit Kenya and will continue to operate its other brands in the country, and will redeploy some staff to hotels within its Hilton portfolio in Nairobi, which include Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham, and Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport.
Standing high at Nairobi’s Central Business District since December 17, 1969, the hotel was then the tallest building in the capital and boasts of 287 rooms; 45 twins, 185 doubles, seven suites, 22 pool rooms and 27 executive rooms.