InterContinental takes over JKIA-based hotel

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has taken over the management of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport-based hotel Lazizi Premiere which is set to rebrand to Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport Hotel this week.

IHG confirmed it was taking over management of the five-star hotel, owned by Kiran Patel, from Mumbai-based hotelier Sarovar.

The hotel sits on a 1.5-acre plot. It features three conference rooms targeting business meetings, as well as a rooftop pool, spa, gym, coffee shop, bar, and café where guests can rest as they wait for their flights.

During its opening last year, Lazizi employed 165 staff, with Satya Roychowdhur, an ex-Carlson Rezidor executive, as the general manager.

READ: Kenya’s first airport hotel Lazizi Premiere opens doors to guests

It is one of the two hotels at JKIA, with the other being Four Points run by Sheraton Nairobi Airport Hotel, a 172-room property under the Marriott International umbrella.

The two hotels are targeting the passenger traffic at the airport as Kenya entrenches its status as a regional transport hub.

International arrivals and departures in Kenya —most through JKIA — stood at 2.8 million last year, according to the Economic Survey 2018.
International travellers are the main target for airport hotels.

Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport Hotel will be the second under the Crowne Plaza brand in Kenya.