Leading hospitality group Rotana made its long-awaited debut in Africa with the official opening of Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The luxury five-star hotel was inaugurated by the Governor of the city of Kinshasa, André Kimbuta Yongo, in the presence of prominent dignitaries and members of Rotana’s senior management including Nasser Al Nowais, chairman and Selim El Zyr, vice chairman.

“Rotana has been increasingly looking to markets in Africa to drive business growth and expansion, and today we mark a major milestone in our efforts to extend our geographical presence in the continent,” said Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO of Rotana. “We are very excited to bring our decades of hospitality expertise to the Democratic Republic of Congo – a country we believe has immense tourism potential which has largely remained untapped.”

He added: “As the second largest city in Africa, Kinshasa offers tremendous business opportunities and is renowned for its nature attractions. Yet, the city is still vastly underserved when it comes to hospitality, especially in the upper end of the market. The opening of Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana marks a significant step in the further development of Kinshasa’s hospitality industry, and will enhance the city’s positioning and credentials as a destination that offers comfortable accommodation to visitors. The five-star hotel will bring a new standard of refinement and guest comfort to Congo’s fast-growing hospitality sector.”

A modern property equipped with contemporary technology and facilities, Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana include 101 luxurious rooms, studios and suites along with a selection of three food and beverage outlets. The hotel offers four meeting and conference rooms – all fully equipped with the latest technology and audio-visual equipment – in addition to a grand ballroom.

Strategically located in Gombe, on the crossroad of the Justice and Ouganda Avenues, the property offers direct access to the Kin Plaza shopping mall and is just minutes away from the main embassies and ministries, Gombe river and Boulevard du 30 Juin that connects the key business and leisure attractions of the city.

Rotana’s entry into the Democratic Republic of Congo will open up significant employment opportunities for Congolese nationals in the hospitality industry.

“At Rotana we strongly believe in nurturing local talent in each market where we operate,” Kaddouri said. “Through our unique HR programme, we will make it a point in DRC to tap into the vast native talent pool across the country, ensuring talented young citizens are recruited and offered the training, mentoring and work experience needed to excel in their careers, support their families, and contribute to national economic growth.”

Rotana currently has a number of projects under various stages of development across Africa including Marrakesh, Luanda, Nouakchott, Dar es Salaam and Lagos.

“We believe Africa has tremendous potential for growth, and we are committed to contributing to the development of the region’s tourism and hospitality sector by expanding our pipeline in the continent,” Kaddouri concluded.

Rotana is gearing up to open 17 new hotels by 2018 including seven in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia, two properties each in Oman, Turkey and Iraq. - TradeArabia News Service