The 3 hotels have added 360 bed spaces
The travel and tourism industry has seen significant progress in terms of both investments and number of bed spaces created, In 2018 alone, the industry has added about 360 bed spaces just from top three hotel investments (excluding other hotels and Lodges opened across the country in 2018). The three big three hotels in order of amount invested include Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka, Tsogo Sun’s Garden court Kitwe and Sarovar Premiere Hotel Lusaka.
All the three hotels above have committed to local sourcing of their inputs which the local small and medium size businesses are expected to take advantage of to grow their businesses. Its these industry linkages which when fully exploited can benefit the local private sector industry and spur further connected sectors industrialisation.
The hotel industry is also critical to the growth of the airline and transport sector as the travelers will have to be transported by mostly air and road to the various sites of interest. Zambia has already seen an increase in both airline traffic and visitors numbers quarter on quarter. The travel and tourism sector is also key as a source of foreign exchange for the country as travelers transactions involve forex. Below are the top three hotels unveiled in 2018 which between themselves account for an addition of over 360 bed spaces and total investments of over
Hilton Garden In – Lusaka
On 7 August 2018, Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, officially welcomed Hilton Garden Inn which added 148 bed spaces to the travel and tourism industry. The hotel is the second Hilton Garden Inn property to open in Sub-Saharan Africa this year, and joins 42 existing Hilton properties in Africa. Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka Society Business Park is the latest addition in the recently refurbished mixed-use development Society Business Park (SBP), offering leisure and business traveller alike access to Hilton’s renowned hospitality in the capital.
The hotel is located in the heart of the city with up to four shopping malls within a five-kilometer radius and is just a 30-minute drive away from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka Society Business Park offers guests access to 148 guest rooms with panoramic city views, including four junior suites with kitchenettes located on the 18th floor.
The hotel also has an all-day dining restaurant – Garden Grille – for those looking to start their day with a hearty breakfast or indulge in various international cuisines in the evening. After a day exploring the city, guests can head over to the hotel’s bar and lounge, which is perfect for relaxing, catching up on emails or having a quick bite to eat.
The developer for the Society House Hilton Hotel Napsa is reported to have invested about USD98 millions in the mixed use complex with the hotel being the biggest part of this development.
Tsogo Sun’s Garden Court Hotel – Kitwe
In the same month of August 2018, Zambia’s second largest city by population, Kitwe, welcomed the Tsogo Sun’s Garden Court Hotel. It opened up a new level of contemporary comfort, international experience and service-excellence in Zambia’s Copperbelt. 130 rooms with modern design and familiar comforts, 6 adaptable event venues equipped for productivity, the Copper Club Restaurant, Bar & Terrace for dining and relaxing, and the best of home and holiday extras including hotel-wide WiFi, a rim flow pool adjacent to the terrace and landscaped gardens, and a 24-hour gym.
Each of Garden court Kitwe hotel’s 130 modern rooms include nothing less than a comfy bed, flat-screen TV, free WiFi, integrated workspace, en-suite bathroom, as well as air-conditioning, blackout curtains and sound softening windows to ensure a great night’s sleep in Kitwe. Six customisable venues in the hotel and the adjacent conference centre can be adapted for small boardroom meetings and large scale conferences or elegant evening events for 200 or more delegates.
An on-site business team, inclusive AV technology and menus to suit your culinary preference. The Copper Club is three unique settings in a one-of-a-kind destination for connecting, relaxing and dining. Property developer, the National Pension Scheme Authority – NAPSA are reported to have pumped in about USD 38million for the construction of the Hotel
Sarovar Hotel – Lusaka
On 12 November, Lusaka again welcomed an international 82 beds Sarovar Premiere Hotel. This is a first ever all ensuite hotel in Zambia. According to the property developer, Neelkanth Group Chairman, Subash Patel, the hotel is a result of an investment of about USD 20million that the group has pumped into the multi-storey structure. He stated that the Neelkanth group owned by Tanzanians of Indian descent started its trading business in Zambia way back in 2008.
The hotel comes with the Copper Pot restaurant with all day dining, a Roof top Grill with a view of the city of Lusaka, the Swirl bar, the Sweet talk pastry Shop & Tea lounge, the Emerald banqueting and conference facility and the Conclave board room. The hotel has a killer location next to one of Lusaka iconic Manda Hill shopping mall within a fast developing and high end corporate and leisure enclave.
The Tanganyika and Kasaba Bay enclave is currently being showcased and is expected to attract a core resort hotel brand name to fully establish the Northern tourism circuit for tourism. The core hotel would then anchor the tourism offering for the area. The Northern province expo has attracted top property developer funders such as Napsa which would unlock the area once funding is secured and a suitable resort hotel brand is sourced to run the facility and co-ordinate the local and international marketing and attraction of visitors.
Below is newly opened Sarovar Premier hotel in Lusaka
