The Pan-African hotel group ONOMO has opened its doors in Rwanda’s capital Kigali to boost business tourism in Rwanda and in the region at large. The hotel premises are located in Kiyovu, Kigali city with easy access to the city center and Kigali International Airport. The hotel is a US $20million investment project seeking to boost accommodation and tourism business in Kigali and the rest of East Africa. ONOMO’s establishment becomes the 9th in Africa and the first of its kind in East Africa. With 109 modern and comfortable rooms, the 3-star hotel majorly targets business clients. In addition to the hundreds of rooms, the hotel has 10 suites with separate lounge areas and kitchenettes. Other hotel offers include 3 meeting rooms, restaurant, and cocktail bar with a swimming pool from which clients can view the breathtaking Kiyovu valley.
According to Julien Ruggieri, president of ONOMO hotels, they decide to start with Rwanda because of the improvement of the country’s hotel sector and they hope that their new establishment will also contribute to the country’s hotel and accommodation success. The establishment of luxury hotels and lodges all over rwanda is one of the reasons why Rwanda has transformed into a luxury gorilla tour destination to Volcanoes national park as well as a best destination for MICE travelers.
The Pan African hotel group was established in 2009 and currently spread in 9 countries across the continent with 12 hotels and some 1,200 rooms. Basically hotels are located in capitals and major cities of the home countries namely; Cape Town, Sandton and Durban (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Bamako (Mali), Libreville (Gabon), Lome (Togo), Conakry (Guinea), Rabat (Morocco) and new comers Kigali (Rwanda).
The group is also aiming to open new doors soon in new cities including the second hotel in Cape Town, Casablanca and Tangier (Morocco), Douala (Cameroon), Maputo (Mozambique) and Kampala (Uganda). This move is part the group’s overall ambition to operate more than 3,700 rooms by 2023.
The proprietors have huge hopes that Rwanda being a young market that is registering huge success in a quick time and with one of the most stable economies in Africa, they expect the growth trajectory to be very positive. The set of such a facility comes with such a huge and tremendous contribution in areas like ecological and technological solutions, contemporary culture and local resources to benefit the whole community.
According to Samantha Annandale, Regional Operations Director of Onomo Hotels, the hotel offers unique and high standard services that make tem stand out from other hotels in its class and they also compete favorably with the more upmarket ones. Among the unique services offered by the hotel include a unique guest experience at affordable rates. There is a combination of contemporary comfort with an African art of living and clients are assured of state of the art security and connectivity.
Perhaps the most unique feature that distinguishes Onomo from all other hotels in the same category is their attention and support for Africa’s arts scene through the Onomo Visual Art Concept. In Rwanda, the hotel has taken up the Imigongo art to decorate its façade. The concept has helped to promote creativity and art diversity across the continent. It has also given a platform to contemporary African artists and key players in the cultural life of the continent to exhibit their talents and promote African products.
