Hilton Worldwide recently announced the signing of agreements to open a further two Hilton Garden Inn hotels in Nigeria, in the city of Owerri and at Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Hilton showcased the Hilton Garden Inn modular build prototype at Hilton Addis Ababa during the Africa Hotel Investment Forum recently. Constructed in China by CIMC Modular Building Systems, modular guest rooms and hallways are built entirely in manufacturing plant conditions – leading to benefits of faster development, streamlined design, efficiencies of cost, as well as quality control assurances. The technology has already established itself in the UK, with various mid-market brands growing via modular build. Hilton brings this solution to its strategic development market of Africa for Hilton Garden Inn, which currently has nine hotels under development, confirmed for locations including Lusaka (Zambia), Uyo and Lagos (Nigeria) and Tanger City (Morocco).
Hilton Garden Inn Abuja Airport, located approximately 1.5 kilometres from the airport terminal, will offer 220 guest rooms. Expected to open in the second quarter of 2017, the hotel is the first property to be constructed in the vicinity of the airport some 36 kilometres from the centre of Abuja. The hotel will offer 425 square metres of events space, a health club, lounge, bar and grill restaurant.
Hilton Garden Inn Owerri, expected to open late in 2017, will be located in central Owerri in a prime position for nearby corporate, government and education organisations. Offering 150 guest rooms, Hilton Garden Inn Owerri will be operated under a management agreement with a private investor. The hotel will offer various meeting spaces, as well as a fitness centre and lounge, bar and all-day dining restaurant.
Hilton Worldwide currently has 36 hotels operating across Africa, with a further 26 hotels under development – nine of those being Hilton Garden Inn hotels. The company’s most recent opening was DoubleTree by Hilton Zanzibar Stone Town (Tanzania). The longest serving Hilton Hotel in Africa is Hilton Addis Ababa, which opened as the first internationally-branded hotel in the city in 1969.