Kempinski cancellation claims 'far from the truth'

The owners of three properties in Damascus, Syria and hotels in Marrakech, Morocco and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, have hit back at claims by Kempinski that the projects have been cancelled.

Speaking exclusively to Hotelier Middle East (‘Five Middle East Kempinski hotels cancelled’ published on February 28) Kempinski Hotels president for Middle East and Africa Ulrich Eckhardt said: “The hotels in Damascus were under one owner and the whole cluster agreement is being cancelled by mutual agreement between Kempinski and the owners, who wish to take a different route with their investment”.

He added the hotels belonged to the same owner, whose identity remains confidential, and that they were cancelled in one cluster agreement.

However, contracts manager of the aforementioned properties, Jinmayam Nesco, who was speaking on behalf of the owners, said they were “very much surprised” to read the claims by Eckhardt.

Nesco continued: “As the contracts manager who was involved with Kempinski from the inception of these management contracts with Kempinski on behalf of the owners of these properties, [we are] totally refuting the statement given by Mr. Ulrich Eckhardt.”

“His statement is premature and far from the truth. There is not any such cancellation of the hotel projects in Syria, Morocco and Egypt as claimed by Mr. Ulrich Eckhardt. The fact is all these contracts are still valid and very well in place.”

Despite the assertions put forward by Nesco, Kempinski Hotels Middle East and Africa regional director of PR Doaa Amin stated: “I would like to confirm that the information provided by Kempinski Hotels to Hotelier Middle East regarding the cancellation of five Kempinski hotels is factual and accurate.”