The airline is set to open the million-dollar hotel whose construction began in 2016, officially to the public on the 28th of January, according to the Airline’s Head of Infrastructure Planning and Development, Abraham Tesfaye.
“We are striving to make Addis Ababa the main gateway to Africa. The hotel will play a significant role in boosting the tourism sector and making Addis Ababa a conference hub,” said Abraham Tesfaye.
The hotel, which covers 42000 square metres with a parking lot that can accommodate more than 500 cars, is located just five minutes from the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Airlines is reported to have provided 35% financing while EXIM Bank of China provided 65% of the project’s financing.
In addition to promoting Ethiopian tourism, this hotel will also welcome passengers during transits, stopovers or technical delays. The facility is expected to generate over 400 jobs.
“Ethiopian Airlines will have a sufficient number of internationally standard hotel rooms to create an environment conducive to tourists in addition to receiving passengers during transit, stopovers or technical delays,” said Mr Abraham Tesfaye.
The Skylight Hotel has 373 guest rooms and three restaurants – a Chinese restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant and a European restaurant. The hotel also has three bars – lobby bar, executive (rooftop) bar and Jazz club. Twenty-seven of the guest rooms are spacious suites.
The hotel also encompasses a grand ballroom which has been designed to accommodate 2,000 persons convenient for conference and wedding parties. It also has five meeting rooms that can accommodate 20-30 persons, health centre that provides spa, massage and gym services, an outdoor swimming pool with a pool bar and mini golf court in the premise.
Other recreational services such as a coffee shop, ticket office, and souvenir shop are also offered in the hotel. A large kitchen, laundry and cold room are ready service.
On top of that, the Ethiopian carrier is also preparing to launch the construction of a second 5-star hotel. The entry into service is scheduled for 2021 and will be built on an area of 22410 metres, the hotel will have 637 rooms.
