THE Sheraton Harare Hotel in Zimbabwe is to be rebranded following an agreement to part ways between Rainbow Tourism Group, which owns the hotel, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Sheraton brand. The Sheraton brand has been operational in Zimbabwe since the opening of the five-star Sheraton Harare Hotel in 1985. This new agreement will come into effect from December 31, 2005 Rainbow Tourism Group and Starwood Hotels and Resorts have, however, agreed to a three-month handover period from January 1 to March 31 during which Starwood Hotels and Resorts will continue to offer support until Rainbow Tourism Group has launched and stabilised its new brand for the five-star hotel. Initiatives are underway to manage key strategic elements such as product and service quality, human resources, marketing, branding and other operational issues. (Natalia Thomson)
