August 19, 2015 TnH Global 0

Sarovar opens its 3rd hotel in Africa

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has strengthened its presence in Africa by opening its third property in the continent: The Zehneria Portico.

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, India’s fastest growing hotel management company recently announced the opening of The Zehneria Portico, Nairobi. With the opening of this 56 room hotel, Sarovar Hotels has further strengthened its connection with this region. This will be Company’s second hotel in Nairobi after The Heron Portico and the third in Africa, including the New Africa Hotel in Dar-es-Salaam – Tanzania. Sarovar now looks at opening a Premiere property in Nairobi in the mid of 2016.

Centrally located close to the city’s major shopping malls, in close proximity to the commercial West lands area of Nairobi, The ZehneriaPortico, offers a calm and peaceful oasis for business and leisure travellers. Deriving its name and inspiration from the traditional Kenyan flowering plant ‘Zehneria’, the Hotel commits to offer – ‘earthiness’ in genuine hospitality, ‘beauty’ in rejuvenation, and ‘quality’ in service delivery and efficiency. The ZehneriaProtico is designed to redefine the hospitality experience for a traveller seeking efficient, secure, clean and value for money accommodation.

Commenting on the opening of the hotel, Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “At present we are focusing on expanding in East Africa as we are well versed with this market and we consider it as a second home for our Company. Nairobi, the capital and the largest city of Kenya, is now one of the most prominent cities in Africa both politically and financially. It is popularly known as the “Green City in the Sun” and is an established hub for business and culture. Nairobi is also nicknamed the “Safari Capital of the World” due to its prominence as a hub for safari tourism. Nairobi also houses headquarters of many international corporates like GE, Google, Cisco Systems and Coca Cola. It is also the UN’s fourth ‘World Centre’ and East Africa’s sporting centre.

Ajay K Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels& Resorts, said that the idea is to expand in Africa, where they see enormous business and growth opportunities. “Africa is a key market where a lot of Indian companies are expanding, and we are looking to cater to this growing demand. The economy is settled, infrastructure is taking shape and most of that region particularly East Africa has a historic link that dates back to 3-5 generations. This helps a lot when you’re an international company based out of India,” he added. “At a time when other hoteliers are rationalizing their operations in the country, we remain very positive and choose to see this as an opportunity to grow our business. In line with the National Tourism Strategy 2013-2018, the acquisition of Zehneria Portico seeks to tap into the tourism potential in conferencing facilities. The Zehneria Portico would enable their hotel brands cater to an ever-increasing variety of customer needs, and was part of their commitment to differentiating their service offering from other city establishments,” said Bakaya.

Heron Portico’s MD KarimTeja said, “It was in line with their strategy to tap into the burgeoning middle class in Africa and discerning travelers across the world. The hotel will also leverage on its partnership with the internationally accredited hospitality management company Sarovar Hotels & Resorts to ensure their customers enjoy world class services.”