Sheraton Hotel, the only international brand hotel in The Gambia is leaving on Dec 11 according to a bombshell memo released to Staff on Tuesday, December 2, 2015. They were also informed their flag will come down on the day they cease operation. The poor economy, human rights, and Tourist Season have all been cited as reasons why Sheraton decided to disassociate itself with The Gambia. As expected, this news was met with shock, uncertainty, and trepidation by the employees. The hotel currently has 200 employees but no staff layoffs as part of this move have been announced as of yet. Sheraton has been operating in The Gambia since May 25, 2007.
The Sheraton brand is owned by Starwood Hotels but the land and building are both owned by MA Karafi and Sons. What that means is that the hotel will stay but will no longer operate under the Sheraton brand. MA Karafi and Sons will take full ownership of the building and running of the hotel according to information announced to the employees. What implication this current arrangement has for the employees and their jobs is the subject of speculation, but observers note that a more precise prediction can be made as more information becomes available.
Sheraton has been mired in controversy from the moment the idea of having the hotel at its current location, the coastal town of Brufut was announced. The land on which it stands was seized from its original owners – the Manneh Kunda clan, without any compensation whatsoever even though staff of the hotel were told it was given by the people of the town for free. In fact, the clan members at the time of the construction of the hotel had several days of confrontation with security forces sent there to forcibly enforce President Yahya Jammeh’s illegal confiscation of the land. By the time the fracas was over, some were beaten, others threatened, the rest bribed and coerced into silence, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of many.
So when the hotel started operation, most were happy to watch it struggle to attract customers. It was no secret that Sheraton despite its Five Star status could not leverage any advantages it seemingly had – great location, cutting edge facilities, professional staff, and comparably reasonable prices. It seems the djinns of Sanneh Mentereng had cursed this world class hospitality resort, and in the process, the people of Brufut vindicated and exonerated.
Gambia’s reputation as world renown for human rights violations didn’t help Sheraton Gambia’s already battered situation – gay rights groups like Human Rights Campaign rallied their troops not to visit Gambia because of President Jammeh’s policy of LGBT abuse, Amnesty International, Robert F Kennedy Center, Human Rights Watch, Article19, and Gambian activists in the Diaspora have kept beating the drum on the killings, disappearances, and tortures of innocent Gambians. And finally; the poor economy thanks to President Yahya Jammeh’s voodoo economic policies was the last nail into Sheraton Gambia’s coffin.
This is still a developing story and Faturadio will be monitoring the situation and update our readers as the matter progresses.
