Haile Resorts Adds 11th Hotel With 1.9 Bln Birr Project in Debre Berhan

Minteesinot Niggusie

Haile Hotels and Resorts Group has opened a four-star hotel in Debre Berhan with an investment of 1.9 billion birr, as the hospitality chain accelerates expansion across secondary Ethiopian cities. The property, inaugurated on April 23, is the group’s eleventh destination and sits on an 8,000 square metre site.

Founder Haile Gebrselassie, a famous long distance running champion, said the project had faced delays but was completed to the intended standard. The launch adds capacity to a growing regional tourism and business travel market, with the group signalling further investment in Gondar, Dire Dawa and Harar as its next destinations.

Gebrselassie said the Gondar project would stand out within the portfolio, though he did not disclose timelines or investment figures. The Debre Berhan hotel features 123 rooms, four restaurants serving domestic and international cuisine, a bar and six meeting halls, positioning it to capture conferences and events alongside leisure demand.

The group said the property has already created 200 permanent jobs and is expected to employ more than 300 people once fully operational. Gadisa Girma, managing director of the group, said the hotel meets four-star standards and is designed to support both business and tourism flows into the city.

Local officials framed the investment as part of a broader push to attract private capital into the North Shewa zone. Mekasha Alemayehu, the zone’s administrator, said more than 370 investors had secured licences over the past six months, representing over 50 billion birr in committed capital and projected to create 65,000 jobs.

Haile Hotels and Resorts, established by the Olympic champion-turned-investor, has built a network of hotels and resorts across Ethiopia since the mid-2000s. The chain continues targeting cities with growing commercial activity and limited high-end accommodation.

Expansion of the group is expected to drive more tourism into regional areas of the country.