After three years of construction, Hotel Verde Zanzibar – Azam Luxury Resort & Spa will host her first guests on 21 March 2018. The 106-roomed, five-star hotel was commissioned by owner and Zanzibari-born businessman Mr Said Salim Awadh Bakhresa and will now fulfil his vision of becoming leaders in the green economy sector by building East Africa’s greenest hotel.
Following on from their success and worldwide recognition of Hotel Verde, Africa’s greenest hotel in Cape Town Airport, the project was contracted to South African-based Verde Hotels. Mr Bakhresa, Chairman of the Bakhresa Group, appointed the group to manage the construction and development through to opening, including the marketing and management of this new sustainably responsible hotel.
Verde Hotels was able to enter the building phase at a timeous point to implement the many green, sustainable strategies required in the promotion of responsible tourism. Some of these implementations include a renewable energy generation, reticulated grey and black water recycling systems, waste management, a heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) system and regenerative drive elevators. During construction, the hotel has followed the criteria of the Green Building Council and will manage and operate as a certified sustainable establishment, offering a carbon-efficient stay.
The hotel is situated 2km from the popular and ever-developing Stone Town and a within walking distance to the beach. The 106 rooms offer guests 5-star ultra-luxury standard rooms and penthouse suites, a spa, a gym (fully equipped with energy-generating gym equipment), 3 restaurants, conference facilities, entertainment, a gaming room, kids’ club, jet-skis and water sports. Future plans include the completion of a marina and a fully-kitted waterpark, which is already under construction.
Commenting on the opening of the hotel, Calvin Boia, who is part of the Verde Hotels executive team managing the opening of Hotel Verde Zanzibar – Azam Luxury Resort and Spa, says, “This is an extremely exciting time not only for us at Verde Hotels but also for Zanzibar tourism – the destination is gaining huge recognition as a sought-after holiday and conference hot-spot and the hotel will add even more value. We have combined five-star luxury with sustainable strategies and offer a range of fantastic facilities and activities. We are looking forward to seeing families, conference groups and all our guests enjoy the fruits of our carefully thought-out hotel.”
With inbound tourism numbers on a sharp incline, Zanzibar is indeed becoming a popular choice for holiday-makers, incentive travellers, and corporate and conferencing groups. Tanzania offers great value for money and ticks off many boxes: Mount Kilimanjaro, un-matched wildlife parks, and an incredible history, not to mention the kilometres of pristine tropical coastline.