Radison Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa, Radisson Blu, a subsidiary of Rezidor Hotel Group, built at a cost of about half a billion birr opened its door softly early this week.
Radisson, the third international hospitality chain for Ethiopia, started part of its luxury services including partial, restaurant, cafe and bar services.
The nine storey global brand located at Kazanchis, in the heart of the city and close to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and national palace has 204 bedrooms including 44 business classes, 16 luxury suites including one presidential suite.
According to officials at Radisson Blu, the luxury hotel cost over 500 million birr, although that has not officially been disclosed by the hotel.
The hotel has one bar, ‘The Signature’, with a capacity of serving 52 people inside and 80 people on the terrace located on the first floor of the hotel.
Its luxury French restaurant ‘Verres en Vers’ that began culinary service including a super breakfast, which is the hotel’s special service in the morning presents a unique cuisine. The restaurant has a capacity to serve 144 customers. The cafe located on the first floor of the hotel serves exquisite coffee from the local brand Tomoca Coffee, according to officials at the hotel.
Radisson Blu is decorated with Abraham Abebe’s paintings. It has nine ballrooms that can seat over 300 guests named after Ethiopian kings and local trees. The smallest ballroom can hold 30. The hotel is fully non-smoking except partial areas on the second and eighth floor.
Radisson is using a French product, Annes Emonin brand housekeeping equipments for the bedrooms.
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts, Park INN by Radisson and Country Inns and Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 400 hotels in operation and under development with 90,000 rooms in over 60 countries. The hotel group has five brands of luxury hotels worldwide.
The Redizor Hotel Group, inaugurated its new hotel in Lagos Nigeria in May 2011. It will have a total of 17 hotels in Africa including upcoming ones in Maputo, Lusaka, Abuja, Nairobi, Sierra Leone and Kigali. Following Hilton and Sheraton Addis; Radisson Blu is the third prime business hotel carrying a global brand for the country.
The hospitality industry is booming in Addis Ababa; the diplomatic hub of the continent and centre for the African Union and ECA.
Source: http://www.capitalethiopia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=342:radisson-blu-opens-in-addis-&catid=35:capital&Itemid=27
