Hilton Hotels plans to open a 160 room 4 star hotel in Kigali after it completed the registration of their US$30 million (Rwf17.85 billion) investment, Rwandan Development Board (RDB) has said.

Luxury apartments will be built alongside the hotel on 20 acres of land Kigali City Park by Opulent Hotel Group as part of their partnership with Hilton Hotels Corporation in Africa. 

RDB said in a statement, yesterday, that the hotel is expected to be opened in 2012, helping to meet the increasing demand for high quality hotel accommodation in Kigali. Rwanda is positioning itself to grow as a conference and business hub for the region. 

"Hilton’s investment is a great vote of confidence in Kigali. It shows that people are increasingly looking to Rwanda as a place to come to invest in and to do business...Kigali is an increasingly attractive destination for tourists and business visitors,” John GARA, CEO of RDB, said in the statement.

Opulent Hotel Group visited Rwanda in 2010 as part of the Rwanda Investment Forum organised by RDB and the Commonwealth Business Forum.  At the time, the Director of the Opulent Group praised Rwanda’s reputation for good governance and said he was committed to supporting Rwanda’s development efforts. He also announced, at the time, their interest in starting a business in Rwanda.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is one of the leading global hospitality companies, with more than 3,300 hotels and 550,000 rooms in 77 countries.

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