Famous Hilton Hotel in Kenya closes after 50 years

Kenya’s iconic Hilton Hotel, a multi-story building that was once one of the tallest structures in the center of the capital, Nairobi will reportedly cease operations in December.

The hotel was built in 1969 six years after Kenya gained independence from the UK and has been a landmark feature of the city, it has 17 floors, with a total of 287 rooms.

Its impending closure comes amid a slump in the tourism and hospitality sector arising from the Covid pandemic.

A number of big hotels in Nairobi shut operations, some indefinitely in the wake of the pandemic. Hilton says its closure is not linked to Covid.

It told reporters that its closure would result in some of its employees losing their jobs while others would be redeployed to other businesses under its portfolio.

“Following extensive discussions with the hotel ownership, Hilton Nairobi will close its doors for the last time on 31 December 2022 and cease operations,” a Hilton spokesperson said

BBC/Christopher Ojilere