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Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club reopens after two years of closure

Mehdi Morad

Mehdi Morad is the general manager for Accor Group. The group manages Ibis Styles, Movenpick and Fairmont hotels in Kenya. PHOTO | POOL

High-end Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club has reopened its doors after more than two-years of closure due to financial constraints caused by the Covid-19's restrictions such as fligh bans.

The hotel, which is run by French hospitality giant Accor, said the facility is now open for local and international visitors.

Operations at the iconic facility, which is located in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, were halted in 2020, after President Uhuru Kenyatta imposed a blanket ban on local and international flights that affected the country’s hospitality and travel industries, resulting in closures of businesses amid cashflow issues.

“Our regional teams have worked closely together to ensure they provide the guests with exceptional services and facilities in line with the luxury positioning of the Fairmont brand including a new Food & Beverage concept, more activities on site and within the grounds, alongside the opportunity for  observation of the wildlife and ecosystem of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, to meet with customers evolving needs,” said Accor Kenya and Fairmount Hotels $ Resorts Country General Manager Mehdi Morad.

The reopening of the hotel comes just ten months after the reopening of Fairmont Mara Safari Club and two months after the reopening of Fairmont the Norfolk in Nairobi.

Kenya expects the tourism sector, typically one of its top sources of foreign exchange, to earn Sh173 billion this year, up 18.5 percent from last year, the government said.

Earnings slumped to Sh88.6 billion in 2020 as governments around the world restricted the movement of people, including through the closure of air spaces, to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

They bounced back to Sh146 billion last year, with the number of hotel nights occupied by Kenyan travellers doubling during the period.

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