Times Of Swaziland: HILTON GARDEN INN WON’T CLOSE – GM

HILTON GARDEN INN WON’T CLOSE – GM
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BY MMELI MKWANAZI on 15/01/2021 01:08:00


MBABANE – Following recent reports that the Hilton Group will temporarily
close over 1 000 of its establishments worldwide, this will not be the case for
the Mbabane-based hotel.
This was disclosed by the General Manager (GM) at Hilton Garden Inn; Christine
Ndlovu, as she stated that it would not be the case for the local establishment.
This follows news reports that the international hotel group was shutting down
over 1 000 of its hotels worldwide with the Durban and Cape Town establishments
having already been closed.
Impact
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected the
tourism sector on a global scale and many companies in this industry have had to
make tough decisions, such as temporarily closing their establishments and
placing staff on layoffs.
According to reports from one of the leading news channels in South Africa,
eNCA, the Durban branch was temporarily closed partly because the nearby
International Convention Centre (ICC) had events cancellations to the tune of
E60 million. The other hotels were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s
adverse effects on the economy, making business not viable in some countries.
South African Business Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tshifiwa
Tshivhengwa stated that this then caused a loss of revenue for the nearby hotel
as it was heavily dependent on the ICC being operational since it normally
attracted conferences from all over the world and guests normally then booked
into the hotel.
Ndlovu said in response to market conditions, Hilton has had to temporarily
suspend its operations of over 1 000 hotels at various points throughout the
duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
Market
“The vast majority of these hotels have now resumed trading and we continue to
monitor the situation in each individual market where we operate.  I can confirm
that HGI Mbabane remains open to guests and operating in adherence to all local
protocols and the Hilton CleanStay Programme,” she stated.
Ndlovu further stated that as part of the CleanStay Programme, the Hilton Group
would begin a worldwide rollout of a new programme to deliver an industry
leading standard of cleanliness and disinfection to Hilton properties.
“The programme was created in collaboration with Lysol and Dettol maker
Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Mayo Clinic, which includes new procedures to help
Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay during the pandemic,” she
said.
Furthermore, she stated that the Hilton and RB had expanded this partnership to
support the global portfolio of hotels and the trusted RB family of products,
which would be used in multiple markets around the world.
Worth noting is that the establishment was the first hotel to be awarded a Safe
Travels stamp certification by the Minister of Tourism and Environmental
Affairs, Moses Vilakati. This then made the country to be the first in the
Southern African Region to obtain the prestigious Safe Travels Stamp from the
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
This came after the hotel was assessed to ensure that the COVID-19 regulations
that were launched were accordingly adhered to.