Rwanda debut for Marriott

Marriott International on Tuesday officially opened the doors of its first Marriott Hotel in Rwanda, bringing the signature brand to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in its nearly 90-year history.

The 254-room structure in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, is creating some 500 jobs and will be among the country’s biggest and most luxurious properties, further enhancing Kigali’s reputation as a hub for conferences and conventions. 

Marriott says the hotel will offer “world-class meeting spaces”, with modern amenities to cater to the demands of this rapidly-growing market.

Marriott has been working with community-based organisations to help to staff the hotel and supply it with locally-produced goods, underscoring Rwanda’s goal of building up its core industries, including tourism and agriculture. 

In one example, the hotel has partnered with the Akilah Institute for Women to recruit and train Rwandans for supervisory positions.

The opening of the hotel comes a little over a week after Marriott International completed its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, creating the world’s largest hotel company.
Marriott International now operates or franchises 5,700-plus properties and 1.1m rooms in more than 110 countries. The acquisition meant Marriott’s distribution more than doubled in the Middle East and Africa combined.

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/kglmc-kigali-marriott-hotel

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