Meliá Hotels International Reveals Plan to Open its Fourth Hotel in Tanzania in 2023

In order to complete its safari circuit in the area, Meliá Hotels International has announced intentions to open its fourth hotel in Tanzania in early 2023.

The ninth hotel in the portfolio and a “major step forward for the group’s sustainability program” will open under the boutique brand The Meliá Collection of the hotel chain.

The so-called “crater highlands” in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania are home to a number of lodges, including Ngorongoro Lodge, A Meliá Collection Hotel, which is located 137 miles from Kilimanjaro Airport and 112 miles from the city of Arusha.

More than 20,000 herbivorous mammals live in the Ngorongoro Crater, which also boasts the highest density of huge predators in the entire globe.

After undergoing a significant makeover, the building, which was originally the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, will reopen with 28 guestrooms and 24 suites including views of the crater, two restaurants, a grilling area, an infinity pool, and a spa.

The refurbishment was planned in collaboration with the hotel’s owner Albwardy Investments to maximize energy efficiency and waste management while protecting the local flora and wildlife and the natural environment.

Through tools like solar panels, the hotel will produce a “substantial part” of its own electricity. Instead of air conditioning, the hotel will use conventional local fans, and it will also have a bottling factory that processes local water without using plastic or requiring shipping.

Meliá claimed that in order to ensure that it was respecting the local environment, culture, and communities, it worked closely with the Maasai tribe and local artists. In order to incorporate and promote Masaai tradition and culture, the hotel hires members of the surrounding Masaai tribes, uses locally manufactured artwork and decorations throughout, and produces goods that may be sold to raise money for the local economy.

The company claimed that by adding Meliá Zanzibar, Meliá Serengeti Lodge, and Gran Meliá Arusha, Ngorongoro Lodge, A Meliá Collection Hotel completes its collection of lodging options in Tanzania.

The hotel has plans to collaborate with charitable organizations like the Meliá Serengeti Lodge and Gran Meliá Arusha, like the Dada Project or Sanaa, which support underprivileged locals and female entrepreneurs, and Born to Learn, a Moshi-based NGO that operates a school and clinic for neighborhood kids and their families.

A main selling factor for travelers interested in the location will be the hotel’s sustainability program, which will be “aligned” with Meliá Hotels International’s corporate values.