Mohammed Hersi . A hotelier passionate about Tourism & Governance in Africa

Good people I have seen a list of hotels either closing or are under duress on various chat groups.

While pessimists love to share anything and everything bad please allow me to shed light as follows .

Every product has a shelf life and at some point it plateus. If you don’t invigorate it then it dies. There is also nothing wrong to close and bounce back bigger and better .

While that list focused on some 7 or so hotels we have also have double that number opening in Nairobi while old brand names like Nairobi Serena undergoing a major refurb. Currently Sarova Panafric is doing the same and they are even adding more new rooms.

Mayfair is closing shop since the owner a Kenyan family who own the property wants to redevelop the plot and that may include a hotel. Tsonga Sun were only managing . Anyone saying a South African hotel group is exiting Kenya due to bad times is misinformed. You are just ignorant.

Jacaranda I feel for them . Hotel business and shareholders feuds don’t go together . I hope and pray they resolve their issues soonest possible. Jacaranda is a beautiful hotel in a prime location.

Windsor is going some rough patch as well but downsizing to plan a comeback is very much part of business but again a location to die for.

Pride Inn MD / Owner has made it clear . What was said about Lantana was nothing but nonsense. Hasnain Noorani please keep going and you have full faith in Kenya .

Boma is a good business but highly geared and that may not work very well in the hotel industry . Financing a project 100% debt financing is always a long shot but I strongly believe good management can help them come out of their financial turbulence.

So much about bad news , now the following brand new hotels have opened.

We now have three yes 3 Radissons in Nairobi.

Hilton 2 and soon 3.

We now have 3 Airport hotels . 5 years ago we had none. 1 Hilton. 1 IHG. I Sheraton.

Tribe added a brand new hotel trendy hotel Trademark at Village Market . Go have a look .

City Lodge at Two Rivers.is another great addition.

Then Ole Sereni major expansion which has just been completed

Then throw into the mix Villa Rosa Kempinski. Crowne Plaza. Best Western and I can go on and on and on.

To those who see nothing but doom pole sana you will have to wait for a very long time.

Are we facing challenges ? Of course we are . If you don’t want challenges then please don’t get out of bed. You cannot talk about the weather when you are still in bed.

Folks as always I choose to remain an optimist.

Mohammed Hersi

Chairman Kenya Tourism Federation .