Australia’s Argyle Hotels Group (AHG) has chosen Kenya as the location for its first hotel outside Australia and Asia. Argyle Grand Hotel, located on Mombasa Road near the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), is also the Group’s first establishment in Africa.
AHG is a luxury hotels group operating more than 200 hotels in Australia and Asia.
According to Mr Bhupendra Kumar, General Manager of the newly opened Argyle Grand Hotel, the Group selected Kenya owing to the country’s vibrant hospitality industry. “The country has vast potential and is also known for its game.” The decision to build the hotel in Nairobi and not the tourist city of Mombasa was due to ease of logistics in Nairobi and availability of adequate land in the capital city for a facility of this kind.
A five-star hotel set on five acres of lush greenery, captivating landscaping and great views of Nairobi National Park and air traffic in and out of JKIA, the Argyle Grand Hotel is not your ordinary hotel, says Bhupendra. With state-of-the art finishes and installations, the 231-room hotel is arguably one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the country, with substantial investment in technology and commitment to sustainability.
“Our hotel is a unique brand”, says Bhupendra, a seasoned manager with at least 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry in East Africa.
The hotel targets diverse clientele including regular customers, travellers, airline crews, corporates and Government.
At Argyle Grand Hotel, guests can order food or check out from a screen in the comfort of their rooms. Rooms feature imported top-of-the range fittings, with curtains that open automatically when the door access card is inserted into its slot. They can also be controlled from an electronic bed-side panel. The hotel features smart toilets that minimize contact with users.
Argyle Grand Hotel has gone big on solar, harnessing the energy for heating within the facility, including in the swimming pool. Part of waste management involves waste recycling, where used cooking oil is exported to Germany and processed to become biofuel.
The hotel has flexible conference facilities with rooms to cater for as few as 25 participants with sound-proof partitioning and as many as 350. In a ball-room set-up, the hotel can accommodate up to 700 guests. LED screens measure 11 metres by 4 metres, making them the largest in the country.
A VIP Holding Room complete with bathroom and water closet as well as a refreshments serving area is another element that sets The Argyle Grand Hotel apart.
Bhupendra says the hotel is conscious of the community around it and therefore engages in initiatives that support economic activities in the area. He says the facility buys fresh produce and milk locally and supports organic farming.
Since the hotel opened its doors to the public in December 2023, it has received high profile guests who have complimented the team for excellent service and admired the facilities. Bhupendra however emphasizes that although it is a luxury hotel, their prices are quite affordable in order to welcome more guests. “We are providing luxury at an affordable price”, he says.
The hotel has extensive parking, armed round-the-clock security backed by biometric access systems and 240 CCTV cameras to give guests and staffs peace of mind.
Construction
The trend with large developers in Kenya has been to use foreign contractors, mostly Chinese, on their projects. For a five-star luxury hotel, one would not have expected anything different. However, a local contractor, unknown in the big league, working with local consultants, has been able to execute the Argyle Grand Hotel project successfully without the usual delays that plague most projects. It is a feat many contemporaries will envy.
Project Manager Oswald Kilungya is modest about the accomplishment. “With the right personnel, it is possible to carry out any project”, he says. He adds that the project proceeded smoothly despite commencing at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
