The Protea Hospitality Group has entered the Zanzibar market with the addition of the Mbweni Ruins Hotel to its portfolio of properties.
Protea Hotel Mbweni Ruins is situated on the coast, 7km from Stone Town and 5km from the airport and consists of 13 rooms, a restaurant, a deck, a pool and beach bar.
Protea Hospitality Group CEO, Arthur Gillis, said Zanzibar was one of Africa’s most popular leisure travel destinations visited by approximately 170 000 foreign tourists in 2012, which makes it a very attractive proposition from a hospitality point of view.
“As Protea Hotels has said time and time again, Africa is the future of hospitality and there is room for companies with trusted, recognised brands to expand rapidly,” said Gillis. He added that the group would be entering two new markets, Ghana and Rwanda, in 2014, and was also exploring opportunities in several other African states.
Guests at Mbweni can enjoy activities including boat excursions to Chumbe Island, which are available directly from the hotel’s jetty, and hiking along trails around the property, which contains 120 different species of palm trees and more than 30 exotic species of indigenous plants. The hotel also offers an in-house tour desk service to arrange excursions such as swimming with dolphins, deep-sea fishing, diving, spice tours and visits to Jozani National Forest.
What are now the Mbweni ruins was built in 1871 and completed in 1877. The chapel at the ruins is currently used for functions and weddings.
