Haile Hotels and Resorts, the hotel chain owned by the athletics legend, Haile Gebreselassie, disclosed its plan to develop a world class resort in the lakeshore of Tana, Gorgora locality at a cost of more than one billion birr, it was learnt.

Gorgora is one of the three places where Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) this week announced to transform into a tourist attraction.

Haile told The Reporter that his company is going to develop the resort on more than 10 hectares of land secured from the Amhara Regional State. There was an old hotel in Gorgora where former president of Ethiopia Mengistu Hailemariam used to visit in the 1980s.

Haile said the project includes the development of an artificial beach, a huge resort and villas. “It is a hidden paradise. The water is clean and deep. Former naval forces used train there. We want to restore the old prestige of that place,” he said. “It will be a world class resort and recreation center. We are contemplating to bring in foreign partners who will co-invest with us on the project. We may not attain the ambitious project all by ourselves,” he added.

According to Haile, his company is finalizing the legal process. Work on the preliminary design has commenced.

Haile Hotels and Resorts last week opened a state of the art hotel in Adama town, 80kms south east of Addis Ababa built at a cost of 400 million birr.

The new hotel has 110 guest rooms, bar, restaurants, swimming pool, fitness center, spa, conference rooms and children play ground. Construction began three years ago on the hotel, which lies on 12,000sq meter of land. The four storey building has all the necessary amenities that meet international standards. The total investment cost of the hotel is estimated at 400 million birr, according to Haile. The Adama hotel is the seventh one under Haile Hotels and Resorts.

Once the hotel starts operation at full swing it will open 300 jobs. Haile Hotels and Resorts is already planning to undertake an expansion project. The company has requested the Adama City Administration for land for the expansion project.  “We are planning to build pent houses where guests who want to stay for longer time will have their kitchen and living room. There is an occupied land adjacent to the hotel. If the city administration gives us the land we will build nice pent houses,” Haile said.  

Haile Hotels and Resorts operates seven hotels and resorts mainly in the rift valley towns. The company has 1,400 employees.

Recently, the Hawassa and Arba Minch Haile resorts won the prestigious TripAdvisor 2020 Travellers Choice Award.  

Currently, Haile is building three hotels and resorts in Addis Ababa, Sodo and Konso. The hotel under construction in Lamberet area in Addis Ababa is near completion. Debre Birhan is the next destination for Haile Resorts, it was learnt. “If government offices are cooperative to us we will realize more investment projects fast. We completed the Arba Minch resort with only one year and five month time. Our country has an immense potential in the tourism sector. We only need to work hard to exploit the opportunity,” he said.

TheReporterEthiopia