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Tawanda Musarurwa
One of Zimbabwe’s top hotels, Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), expects to complete the US$3 million refurbishment of its flagship hotel, the Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference by January next year.
The group has temporarily closed off the hotel side as 183 of its guest rooms and suites are being renovated.

The hotel’s other 122 guest rooms were refurbished over the past two years.
The project will include the installation of two high-tech guest elevators to complement the modernisation programme.
In this regard, two brand new high-tech guest elevators to be installed with security key card access system will be installed.

Management said the magnitude of the refurbishment project will require the temporary closure of the hotel’s guest rooms and hotel side conference facilities from December 17, 2019 to January 31, 2020 to make way for the major works on the rooms.

But, all food outlets, restaurants, the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), as well as the new Adventure Park, will remain open for business throughout this period.

RTG operations director Tichaona Hwingwiri, said the timing for the refurbishment was strategic in that this is the low season for city hotels as most activities are for business and NGOs, which close down over the festive season.

“During this time, occupancies are generally low with more focus placed on selling the food and beverage offerings,” he said.
According to management, the new-look rooms and suites will embody an ultra-modern contemporary theme.

“Part of the works will necessitate the reconstruction of the guest room interior space such as the construction of bulk heads with down lights to enhance the overall room lighting and general ambience. These modifications capture the essence of modern luxury living and functionality,” said group corporate communications and innovations manager Pride Khumbula.

“At 38m2 for standard rooms, the Rainbow Towers Hotel & Conference Centre guest rooms are already the largest in Harare. Luxury in the hospitality industry is about space, opulence and quality. The new rooms will definitely encapsulate all these elements.”

The hospitality group posted a profit before tax of $6,7 million in the six months to June 30, a sixteen-fold jump from $416 000 in the prior comparable period on the back of a 170 percent rise in revenues.

At the time, group revenues rose to $37 million, despite business disruption in the form of the closure of Rainbow Bulawayo for refurbishment as it leveraged on the RTG Virtual model.

The RTG Virtual is a partnership platform between RTG and selected hotels, lodges and tourism activity companies in Zimbabwe.