Global hotel chain Hilton Worldwide is set to open its first Kenyan Hilton Garden Inn shortly after the construction of a Nairobi outlet by a franchisee is completed in December.

The Sh2.3 billion hotel on Mombasa Road near the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is set for opening in March next year.

Hilton Worldwide also manages the Hilton Nairobi, a 287-room luxury hotel in the central business district.

“The structure of the building will be complete in December but the hotel will be opened in March next year,” said businessman Noorali Manji, the Hilton Garden Inn developer.

The hotel sits on 1.3 acre land hived off from Modern Reliance warehouse land.

Mr Manji confirmed that his company, Modern Reliance Industries ltd, has signed a lease agreement with Hilton for the franchise. “We are expecting the name to sell the business,” said Mr Manji.

The prime location is likely to attract business travellers and tourists checking in and out of the JKIA. The developer said future expansion would depend on the success of the current investment. Hilton Worldwide in 2013 said that it had ceased owning hotels and instead had adopted a franchise model that is less expensive and more efficient for expansion.

The Hilton Garden Inn will have 175 rooms. It will be priced at a lower rate than typical five-star hotel in the city centre. The Hilton Garden Inn will be operated as an airport hotel targeting sophisticated travellers seeking convenience of accommodation that minimizes their chances of being held up in Nairobi’s notorious traffic jams.