Concerning the acquisition of Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, Marriot International has kicked against a rushed closure of the hotel saying workers and guests would be adversely affected.
A Marriott International spokesperson exclusively told BizWatch Nigeria that “the owners of the Sheraton Abuja Hotel have informed us that they intend to close the hotel in a matter of days.
“Whilst we acknowledge that the owners need to carry out significant renovation works at the Hotel, we have objected to the closure on such short notice.
“We are concerned that the hurried manner of such closure will cause distress to hotel employees, and significant disruption to guests, suppliers and partners.
“After more than 30 years managing this iconic Abuja property, we are now working with the HAPSSSA and NUHPSW unions to support the 291 hotel employees impacted by this rushed closure.”
Acquisition of Sheraton Hotel Abuja
BizWatch Nigeria recalls that NIPCO Plc acquired the Abuja Sheraton Hotel as part of its strategy to diversify into the hospitality industry.
22 Hospitality Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIPCO Plc, acquired a majority stake in Capital Hotels Plc (CHP), the owners of the Abuja Sheraton Hotel, in this latest landmark transaction.
According to a statement issued by NIPCO Plc’s spokesman, Alhaji Lawal Taofeek, the company’s Group Executive Director, Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, disclosed that the new investors want to restore the hotel to its former glory as the first-choice luxury hotel in Abuja.
Aminu said this strategic drive aims to carve a niche for the hotel by becoming a leading hospitality firm that provides premium services to customers in accordance with global standards.
“The hotel is currently managed by Starwood/Marriott under various system license agreements with CHP. In the past, Starwood had acknowledged in various reports that the hotel was in a very degraded state and will require hard renovations to make it brand compliant.
“However, despite the hotel’s poor condition and non-compliance with its brand standards, Marriot/Starwood has continued to manage the Sheraton Abuja Hotel, which is currently in a dilapidated and deplorable state,” the statement explained.
According to the statement, the new investors are eager to turn around the hotel’s fortunes by injecting substantial new capital under certain conditions.
