PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and Spa, a 5-star hotel facility in Mombasa County has temporarily suspended operations effectively joining the long list of businesses in the country that have closed temporarily due to the pandemic.
This comes after the government on Monday reported that the number of positive cases in Kenya had risen to 50 and projections that the cases will hit 10,000 by the end of April.
As it stands the government has banned all international passenger flights and only cargo is being allowed into the country dealing a blow to both the aviation, tourism, and hospitality industries which are hugely dependent on each other.
The hotel which heavily depends on international visitors, especially for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) has been greatly affected by the ban on flights.
As it stands, most hotels across the country are reporting occupancy rates of below 10% with most of them reeling from coronavirus-related cancellations.
PrideInn Group Managing Director Mr. Hasnain Noorani during the closing prayers said the hotel is suspending operations until the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
“The hospitality industry is experiencing a great hit and an impact to the business that will require PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort & SPA to temporarily suspend hotel operations as from March 31, 2020,” said Mr. Noorani.
“This is a temporary measure that is reflective of the current business environment, an agonizing decision for me and one of the hardest things I have had to do in my entire career,” he added.
Ann Peggy, PrideInn Paradise General Manager, said the hotel has seen a significant decline in reservations.
“We have over 400 employees, we have been forced to send them on leave because we have not been receiving a significant number of guests in the last three weeks,” said Ann Peggy.
“Our biggest priority is the safety of our staff, guests, and the community at large. We look forward to reopening soon and putting this challenging time behind us,” Noorani said
Mr. Noorani applauded the government for the measures that they have taken to curb the spread of the virus. He also urged Kenyans to co-operate with the government and take all precautionary measures to ensure their safety.
“Let us all work with the government and also support each other during these trying times and together we shall overcome,” Noorani added.
Out of the nine PrideInn hotels, five units have remained operational, PrideInn Azure, PrideInn Raphta, PrideInn Lantana, PrideInn Nyali and PrideInn Mombasa City.
