The Grand Hotel Kinshasa has earned itself a reputation of providing unfaltering quality service and accommodation.

Situated on the banks of the Congo River, the DRC’s capital Kinshasa is one of Africa’s most dynamic and culturally active cities. It has a population of seven and a half million, making it the same size as Johannesburg. Originally founded as a trading post in 1881, it flourished with the construction of a railway and became the country’s capital in 1920.
Like any major city, Kinshasa offers a variety of aspects: upmarket residential areas contrast with more bustling central urban zones, where thriving communities of musicians and artists make for a world-famous nightlife. In addition, the city has two universities and is home to the country’s government. It is also the DRC’s main industrial center, processing many of the raw materials brought from the interior.

This confluence of energies means Kinshasa is, in the context of the country’s peace process, leaps ahead of the more remote parts of the country. Infrastructure is being repaired on a major scale and the presence of resident foreigners is promoting a rapid economic recovery.

One institution which has maintained its status through good times and bad is the Grand Hotel Kinshasa (GHK). Jointly owned by the state and the InterContinental Hotel chain, it used to be the InterContinental Kinshasa. With its 422 rooms, conference and banqueting facilities, leisure complexes and shopping center, the hotel is the obvious choice for national and foreign businessmen. It also features a master automatic generator that protects against uncontrolled power-cuts.

MUDABI FAL BOB General Director Grand Hotel Kinshasa

“The hotel plays an important role in making people feel secure. We provide them with good services and, when they go back, they have the feeling of being well looked after, of being safe,” says Mundabi Fal Bob, the hotel’s General Director. Starting out as a waiter in 1971, he has worked at the hotel for 34 years and is committed to the hotel and what it represents for the country.

His experience as a manager and businessman makes him fully aware of the country’s weaknesses when it comes to attracting investment. “The worst is red tape. If we can put an end to it and allow people to run their companies to make a profit, and at the same time help to develop the country, things will work,” he says.

In particular, he recalls the positive input of U.S. firms in the 70s. “American businessmen contributed a lot to the development of our country, setting up companies and creating jobs, and we think they could do so once again.”