Haile Gebrselassie builds four-star resort in Arba Minch

To increase number of hotels to 20 in five years.

Haile Gebrselassie, renowned athlete turned businessman, is building a four-star resort hotel in Arba Minch town, Southern Regional State at a cost of 250 million birr.

Under his investment arm, Haile and Alem International, Haile has built Haile Resort Hotels in Hawassa, Ziway, and Shashemene towns in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. He has also built Yaya Village in Sululta town, Oromia Regional State.

Stretched on 41,313sqm plot of land with a panoramic view of lakes Chamo and Abaya, Haile Resort Arba Minch has three storeys. The resort has 108 guest rooms of different standards, swimming pool, spa and gym, conference hall, and a mini golf yard.

Haile told The Reporter that the site is the best location in Arba Minch commonly called “Ye Igzer Dildiy” situated by two large lakes that are separated by a land bridge. According to Haile, construction commenced in September 2016 and within a year 85 percent of the work is completed.

“It took us only a year to reach here. We are now doing the finishing work. It will be finalised and inaugurated in December 2017,” Haile told The Reporter. “We always talk about the Chinese construction firms’ efficiency. I want to show that we “Ethiopians” can also do things fast.”

The resort hotel is designed by Geretta Consult, a local consulting firm which is also doing the supervision work and the contractor is Haile and Alem International. The company has built an in-house capacity to undertake construction work.

Arba Minch is a growing resort town in Southern Ethiopia known for its rift valley lakes, crocodile farm and Nech Sar National Park.

Haile joined the hospitality industry when he opened Haile Resort in Hawassa eight years ago.

Read more at: The Reporter