Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise agreement with Reliance Hotels to open Hilton Garden Inn Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. 

The hotel joins 11 Hilton Garden Inn properties already under development in Africa, including Hilton Garden Inn Abuja Airport, and is expected to open in early 2016.

The 171 guest room and suites hotel will be located just two kilometres from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the largest airport in Kenya and a busy hub for Sub-Saharan travel. 

In addition, it will be situated off Mombasa Road, the main road-link between Nairobi and Mombasa, making it an ideal base for local, regional and international visitors.

“Hilton has long pioneered the concept of airport hotels and in recent years has added new properties in aviation hubs including London Heathrow, Istanbul Ataturk and Amsterdam Schipol airports,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president of development, Europe and Africa, for Hilton Worldwide.

“Agreeing our first Hilton Garden Inn for Kenya, and adding a second airport location to our African portfolio, demonstrates how we are growing and evolving our presence across the continent with leading brands in convenient locations.”

With a population of more than 3.5 million people, Nairobi is the largest and most populous city in Eastern Africa. 

In addition to being a political and financial centre, it is a regional base for several international companies bringing significant levels of business travel to the city, where Hilton has been present since 1969 with the well-known Hilton Nairobi. 

Looking ahead long term plans to refurbish and expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will contribute to Nairobi’s status as a visitor hub in the region.