Companies

Luxury hotel Kempinski appoints new GM

kempsiki

Mr Roberto Simone. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Popat family-owned five-star luxury hotel Villa Rosa Kempinski has named Roberto Simone as the facility’s new general manager, coming at a time when the hospitality player is targeting to grow its clientele via digital marketing. Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, Mr Simone said the hotel will concentrate on building its online presence with a view to attracting young wealthy families to their two facilities in Nairobi and the Maasai Mara National Game Reserve’s Olare Mara Kempinski, a high-end tented camp property.

“Kenya is an attractive market for any serious hospitality chain and Kempinski is keen to enhance its offering to hold its ground against rising competition.

“We shall concentrate on experiential tourism activities that emphasise on the warmth of the Kenyan people, their culture and that includes Kenyan cuisine in our menu,” he said.

The Italian corporate finance specialist, who took over from Frenchman Phillipe Charraudeau, said the hotel had invested heavily in information technology to protect client data via a dedicated global encrypted platform that is in use in all their 80 high-end outlets across the world.

The properties owned by Simba Corp and managed by global hospitality chain Kempinski have hosted an array of prominent international visitors including presidents and billionaire since inception.

Kenya host an array of global hospitality brands with a Sh40 billion investment by China’s Avic International currently underway that will see US hospitality chain JW Mariott occupy a 32-floor block in Westlands, Nairobi.

Accor, the largest hotel chain outside the US, has slated the opening of its first MGallary Hotel Collection in Gigiri, Nairobi, in the first quarter of 2021.