The upcoming premier sports and events destination, Talanta Sports City, is set to feature a 300-room four-star hotel and a shopping mall, as part of efforts to position the venue as a premier destination for sports, entertainment and major events.
Fresh disclosures show that the hotel and shopping mall would be developed on three- and four-acre parcels, respectively, of a Kenya Forest Service (KFS)-owned land, with the mall designed to offer a minimum of 30,000 square metres of gross lettable area (GLA). A GLA is the total floor area of a property that is available to be rented out to tenants.
KFS says the two developments will constitute the first phase of the planned facilities designed to complement Talanta Sports City, which is nearing completion.
Talanta Sports City is being developed as Kenya’s premier sports and events destination for hosting local and international sports tournaments as well as large-scale cultural and community events.
The stadium has a seat capacity of 60,000, and its construction is funded by a securitised bond, with its first major targeted event being the 2027 African Cup of Nations.
KFS has invited qualified developers to bid for the development, design, financing, construction, operation and transfer of the hotel and mall within its grounds along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
The land is in proximity to the Nairobi National Park. The successful bidder will get a 40-year special-use licence.
“The special use licence shall confer on the successful bidder an exclusive right to occupy and utilise the specified parcel of KFS for the purposes of developing, financing, constructing and operating the 4-star hotel and shopping mall,” KFS said in a tender call.
Hotel ratings in Kenya use a one-to-five-star system, governed by the Tourism Regulatory Authority, indicating service levels from basic to luxury, with five-star hotels offering top-tier amenities.
The four-star hotel will serve as the initial anchor facility in a phased programme that will see multiple hotels developed on the KFS land. The hotel will have a mix of standard rooms, deluxe rooms, junior suites, executive suites and family rooms.
KFS says the hotel and the shopping mall will set the architectural, operational and sustainability benchmark for subsequent facilities that it intends to develop within the same site, including additional hotels of different categories and capacities.
“It is envisioned that the hotel and the shopping mall will catalyse new demand for Talanta Sports City by offering modern hospitality services, enabling larger events and tournaments, and stimulating further investment within the same land parcel,” KFS said.
“The hotel will provide a unique platform for athletes, officials, spectators, corporate guests, and tourists to access high-quality hospitality services directly within Nairobi’s premier sports destination,” the agency added.
KFS says the project will meet the growing demand for on-site accommodation and leisure services, particularly for international sports participants, sports tourists, government officials and corporate visitors.
Currently, most high-end accommodation and large-scale retail options are located several kilometres away from sports facilities, despite the growing demand for on-site hospitality and shopping facilities to accommodate the busy schedules of sports participants and visitors.
