This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
Published on August 4, 2020, Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited is weighing the permanent closure of its Nairobi unit, citing operational reasons.
The hotel's management has announced that it will wind up its operations in Kenya, effective immediately, and send home its entire workforce within the next 45 days.
In a notice signed by the hotel's appointed attorney, Oliver Geyer, the management stated, 'We write to inform you that Intercontinental Hotels Corporation Limited (Kenya Branch) is for operational reasons considering a permanent closure of the Intercontinental Nairobi and winding up all its operations in the republic of Kenya.'
As a result, all employment positions within the hotel, including that of the waitress, will become redundant.
Although the hotel management did not explicitly state whether the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their decision, the sector has been severely affected by the pandemic, with 60 percent of hotels surveyed by the Central Bank of Kenya ready to reopen once international flights resume.
International flights resumed on July 30, with the Ministry of Transport establishing a 'safe flights' list of 19 countries whose citizens will not be subject to quarantine upon docking into Kenya.
