Stylish lodges prove popular in Kenya

Chinese group invests to create top-class accommodations in areas tourists favor

A hotel boss has seen his company's presence in Kenya go from strength to strength.

Having worked in the hospitality sector for more than 25 years, Zhang Tong joined the Beijing-based Zhongfa Group in 2014.

The group has a landmark building at Zhongguancun, China's Silicon Valley and all of its hotels are scattered outside China.

In February 2015, he took over the daily management of the hotel business and became the CEO of the hotel group in the Philippines. He was engaged in making strategic plans and introducing strategic cooperation partners.

Zhang moved to Kenya to take charge of the group's operations there in May 2016.

These include Zhongfa Asia Africa Hotels and two hotels - Masai Mara AA Lodge and Amboseli AA Lodge - located in the two tourist resorts.

Before 2010, the CEO of the group paid a visit to Kenya and found the country was rich in tourism resources and planned to set up its own hotels to tap the tourism market.

"With a rising number of international tourists in Kenya, the executives of the group decided to help the Kenya Tourism Board popularize its tourism to the world," says Zhang, CEO of Zhongfa Asia Africa Hotels.

AA Amboseli Lodge was built in 2010 with a three-tier design and is located 2 kilometers from the main gate of Amboseli National Park. It is 180 km from Nairobi and commands a panoramic view of snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's highest free-standing mountain.

AA Amboseli Lodge has 60 sets of rooms in different styles and was built in African style. Covering an area of 60 acres, the hotel has a long corridor running through. Elephants, zebras and giraffes can be seen beside the hotel.

In seven years, the hotel has been ranked among the top three in the Amboseli area, Zhang says.

Five years after Amboseli, the group set up its AA Lodge Mara.

It is located in the world-famous Masai Mara Game Reserve in southwestern Kenya. It is 255 kilometers - a one-hour flight or four-hour drive - from Nairobi.

The lodge is spread over 30 acres, with sprawling grounds that include rolling manicured lawns, a virtual mini forest of indigenous shrubs and exotic trees, a large swimming pool overlooking a bonfire, a restaurant and bar.

It has 78 rooms, 36 cottages and 42 classic tents. The cottages are unique in design. They were produced in China before being installed in Kenya.

The cottages are made of wood and glass. The wooden floors are elevated and the rooms are equipped with electrical appliances and furniture of world five-star hotel standard. The roofs are soft and in the shape of a tent. The hotel is highly recommended by travel agencies of many countries, including China.

The entire complex is surrounded by an electric fence and patrolled by highly trained security personnel.

"AA Lodge is a relatively large hotel brand with massive investment. The two hotels located in the tourist resorts are popular with people from all walks of life in Kenya," Zhang says.

"In addition, the hotel group has brought a third plot of land in Masai Mara for a new hotel," Zhang says. "Once the new hotel is place, it will increase the capacity of AA Lodge."

panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/03/2017 page25)