Luxury boutique hotel chain, Hemingways Collection has reopened its Nairobi and Watamu properties, with effect from today, 23rd June 2020. The properties had been closed since the onset of the coronavirus in Kenya in late March.
According to the group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alastair Addison, the hotel will be fully operational, providing rooms, restaurant services, Spa, and other amenities in line with government COVID-19 directives.
However, the group’s Ol Seki property in Narok county will remain closed until further notice.
Hemingways says it will retain all 400 employees, despite the downturn in the hospitality sector.
Hemingways Collection is a group of 5-star luxury hotels in Kenya. The properties include Hemingways Nairobi, Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, and Hemingways Watamu.
The government of Kenya has temporarily lifted the ban on meetings held in private hotels, a move that seeks to support Tourism promotion and the hospitality sector at large.
Plans are also underway to provide soft loans to hotels. The funds will be channeled through the Tourism Finance Corporation. For the 2020/21 budget, the Tourism Promotion Fund was allocated KSh2.5 billion.
Speaking during this year’s Madaraka Day Celebrations, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Kenya’s hospitality sector would receive a KSh2 billion stimulus package, to cushion the industry from the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The sector has experienced a huge dip in revenues in the past three months.
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