Speaking as the Guest of Honour at a colourful ceremony to rebrand Amber Hotel to Holiday Inn Mutare, Chimene said the rebranding placed Mutare on the global hospitality map and raised the competitiveness of the city and Manicaland as an investment destination.
Holiday Inn Mutare is now a franchised property owned by African Sun Limited and it features 96 rooms, an outdoor pool and a meeting room capable of seating 250 people.
The Holiday Inn Mutare brings to three the holiday inns in Zimbabwe after Harare and Bulawayo.
Said Chimene: “I am happy that the rebranding has put my city and province on the international map. I now want to challenge and urge the hotel management to embark on a massive marketing drive to market and promote this hotel.”
She added: “The world should know that we have such good hotels and they must visit the hotel. Local people should come and experience the great hospitality at their disposal.”
The Managing Director of African Sun Limited Edwin Shangwa said the rebranding of Holiday Inn Mutare came back on the back of numerous efforts by the Zimbabwe government to increase the country’s accessibility and capacity to trade within the SADC region.
Shangwa said: “As we all know, accessibility and trade are catalysts of travel. The government is undertaking some remarkable efforts with a direct impact on tourism. These developments are among other efforts to boost the economy and this rebranding in Mutare is a way of preparing ourselves to host regional and international guests as we anticipate increased traffic in Mutare.”
Shangwa said the Holiday Inn is the only international hotel brand in Zimbabwe. “As a company we are witnessing one of the key milestones as enunciated on our strategic intents that include ensuring that our association and relationships with regional and international brands have sustainable long-term returns,” said Shangwa.
The decision to rebrand the hotel was made in 2015 and considerable investments were made to meet the International Hotel Group (IHG) company specifications on the Holiday Inn franchise. IHG is a global brand comprising of over 5000 hotels worldwide, hence, the rebranding of Holiday Inn Mutare is envisaged to attract a wider customer base.
Post published in: Business