Dusit looks ahead to Nairobi opening

Construction is well under way on what will be Dusit International’s first hotel property in Kenya, and only its second on the African continent.

Dusit is an international hotel group with the bulk of its properties located in Thailand. It also has properties in the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Maldives, China and Egypt, whilst plans are in place to expand Dusit’s presence in Thailand, China and the UAE, and add properties in the USA, India, Qatar and Kenya. The latest opening was Dusit’s first property in China, the dusitD2 Fudu Binhu Hotel Changzhou in Jiangsu Province.

Dusit International operates four brands: Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts; dusitD2 Hotels & Resorts; Dusit Princess Hotels & Resorts; and Dusit Residence Serviced Apartments.

The property in Nairobi will be a dusitD2 property, and opening is provisionally scheduled for the end of the year. It is well located on the west edge of the suburb of Westlands, off Waiyaki Way and Riverside Drive, within 14 Riverside, Nairobi’s first and only secluded office park with a luxury hotel. Dusit recently named Olivier Francais as the hotel’s general manager.

New Property for Nairobi

One of Asia’s most prominent hospitality groups, Dusit International, will be opening a new hotel property in Nairobi, Kenya in the third quarter of 2013.
DusitD2 Nairobi will be the group’s second property on the African continent, after the Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo, Egypt. The new property is located at 14 Riverside, an exclusive development in downtown Nairobi.
Flanked by high-end residences, universities, government offices and embassies, dusitD2 nairobi looks to be well located, offering a mix of all-day dining outlets, meeting facilities, a spa and terrace bar. The 17th of January saw the signing of the hotel management agreement between Nairobi-based Cape Hotels, Ltd and Dusit International, who will oversee the hotel’s operations.

Though this is the company’s second location on the continent, it is its first in sub-Saharan Africa. The company first entered the African market in 2009 with the opening of Dusit Thani Lake View. This latest venture marks a progression from the company’s operations in the Middle East.
“The favourable growth prospects and infrastructure of Kenya’s capital city provide an excellent foothold from which to further develop our brand on the African continent,” said Dusit International Managing Director and CEO, Chanin Donavanik.
 “In concert with our international expansion plans, we aim to solidify our presence in Africa and explore opportunities in locations such as Masai Mara, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Kampala.”