The Hub Hotel by Westfield opens its doors in Addis Ababa
With intent to do business differently within the booming local hospitality industry, a new brand name hotel has opened-up shop in a section of Bole known for affordable restaurants and lounges rather than an all-purpose International Hotel.
The Hub Hotel by Westfield, located just north of Moenco Dealership was inaugurated on Thursday, and is to be managed by AMS. For the Washington DC based company – with plans to expand its operation within Ethiopia and a number of nations across the continent, including Nigeria and Ghana – this is its first partnership in the region.
The hotel owned by Mekdes Aklilu–board member of Abyssinia Bank and chairman of the board of Nile Insurance – is to have 85 rooms, six meeting spaces, including the biggest holding up to 150 people, restaurants serving local, South Asian and international cuisines and a café. The Hotel targets corporate clienteles.
“We are not driving everyone’s car, but driving ours,” said Adil Khan of AMS Hospitality Group. “We will have a new approach of doing business in Ethiopia, including hiring people who are looking for careers, not jobs with us and not looking to hire top-down managers, but identifying talents within those we hire (for promotion).”
The company, self-describes itself as one that “brings to life the colors and rhythms of the various continents; creating experiences of local cultures as well as enhancing the renowned tradition of hospitality at its operations in North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.”
In addition to Westfield Hotel, AMS is known to offer brands such as Fairview, Sona, Sona Inn, Sona Guest House, Loyalty Inn and Numa Hotel. It describes its Westfield brand as a “mid-to- upscale hotels in urban and resort destinations, covering both leisure and business markets.”
Taking notice of the lack of parking space in the area, the hotel has bought small residential properties at the back and is in the process of converting them to parking spaces.
Source: The Reporter
