Wyndham Hotel Group has signed a management agreement for the first upscale Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property in Africa, the Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa, close to the Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
The 290-room resort, complete with an 18-hole golf course, conference centre and spa, is expected to open in 2017, becoming the second Wyndham Hotel Group brand to launch in the country following the signing earlier this year of the first Ramada hotel in Nairobi.
The addition of Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa continues the rapid growth of the company’s namesake brand in the Middle East and Africa, joining five other Wyndham Hotels and Resorts properties under development in the region. Other locations under construction include the iconic twisted glass façade of Wyndham Grand Manama in Bahrain and the 497-room Wyndham Dubai Marina in the United Arab Emirates, both expected to open in 2015.
“As Kenya’s economy continues to grow, demand continues to increase for internationally renowned, world-class brands in virtually all segments, from budget through to upscale and extended stay,” said Bani Haddad, Wyndham Hotel Group’s regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa. “With Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa catering to discerning leisure and business travellers and Ramada Nairobi welcoming business guests in the capital, Wyndham Hotel Group will be well placed to cater to both international and domestic travel needs in Kenya.”
Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa will be located approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, bordering the country’s second most-visited national park. Offering stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the surrounding nature reserves, the resort will combine state-of-the-art, flexible meeting space with fitness facilities including swimming pools and a tennis court.
“Our vision for the 400-acre site was to create a new class of luxury resort incorporating not only world-class golf and spa facilities but also a 300-delegate capacity, international standard conference centre as well as serviced plots for the development of private cottages,” said Dr. Anthony Monyo, chairman of Wyndham Amboseli Golf Resort and Spa. “The Wyndham® brand, with its upscale positioning and strong global footprint, provided the ideal fit and I’m extremely proud to be partnering with Wyndham Hotel Group to bring the brand to Africa for the first time.”
In addition to the 18-hole championship golf course, the development will include what is expected to be the country’s first executive nine-hole course, designed for golf enthusiasts with limited time.
