PROTEA ENTER KENYA WITH LUXURY BOUTIQUE HOTEL - 02 June 2005

Protea Hospitality Corporation has announced their entry into Kenya, with the launch of a new-build luxury hotel. This hotel, which is due to open mid-2007, is ideally located within a prestigious Nairobi district and will be Protea's first hotel in Kenya. Securing a Luxury Boutique Hotel in Nairobi is strategically important for Protea, from both a geographic point of view as well as to meet growing market demands. "This hotel will meet our growing guest demands for a quality hotel in the regional hub of East Africa as well as our continued growth in East Africa," said Arthur Gillis, Group Managing Director for Protea Hotels.

This luxury hotel is owned and being developed by the Village Market Shopping and Recreation Complex, the largest shopping complex in East Africa - with over 140 shops and outlets. The hotel will include 100 luxury bedrooms, as well as two suites, namely the Ambassadorial Suite and Presidential Suite. In addition to this, 20 luxury duplex suites are planned to target the long-stay market. The hotel will also feature a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, wellness center, sound room, three meeting rooms, business centre and WI-FI internet connectivity in the public areas of the hotel.

The site allocated for the hotel is a mere 10 minutes from the city center in the impressive Gigiri suburb of Nairobi and is attached to the Village Market Shopping and Recreation Complex. It'll also share a neighbourhood with the United Nations Head Office in Nairobi, UNEP, UNICEF, World Agro Forestry Headquarters, International Aviation Authority Head Office, U.S. Embassy, Canadian High Commission, Belgian Embassy, Turkish Embassy, as well as Muthaiga Road which houses over 30 Ambassadorial residences and is a mere 5 minutes drive from the Muthaiga Golf and Country Club.