Last Updated- Jul 5, 2009 10:29 - - 12 Comments


Hotel Obama opens in Accra, with a room called “White House”

Hotel ObamaThere is no stopping the growth of Ghana’s hospitality industry, as daily additions in the different sectors of the industry continue. There are increasing efforts to boost the tourism sector.

A recent addition has been made. A new hotel,
Hotel Obama, named after the first African-American President of the United States, Barack Obama opened in one of the capital’s choice residential areas, East Legon, Saturday July 4, 2009 – which is America’s Independence Day.

Incidentally, President Obama is due to arrive in Ghana July 10, 2009, on his first African visit since becoming president.

The 18-room hotel is one of the handiworks of accountant turned entrepreneur and CEO of Town and Country Plaza, Mr. Kwame Owusu. Hotel Obama, he says is an “upscale  of Town and Country Plaza’s chain of hospitality businesses.”

“I call it Hotel Obama, because, President Obama represents all that is possible in bridging all there is in ethnic and racial barriers, and a good example of all that is possible,” he told ghanabusinessnews.com.

Mr. Owusu told ghanabusinessnews.com that after living in the US for almost 25 years, he understands what it means to be a minority in a society like the US. He therefore, finds it fitting to honour the US President as a living legend.

The room called "White House"

The room called "White House"

The hotel has rooms named the ‘Obama Suite”, “Michelle Obama”, “Martin Luther King”, “Joe Biden”, “White House”, a room called

“1865” and so on.

Fitted with air-conditioning, wireless Internet connection, and cable TV, the Hotel Obama sounds like the place to be.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

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Comments

12 Responses to “Hotel Obama opens in Accra, with a room called “White House””

  1. Flossy Azu on July 10th, 2009 1:32 am

    I ponder the relevance of this hotel to Ghana and how this hotel seeks to honour aspects of Ghanaian culture. Does it also recognize great personalities in Ghanaian history? Pause. Ghana has no heroes worth honouring by naming hotels and suites after them.

  2. Naes on July 13th, 2009 5:31 pm

    ebei ghana oh….. sometimes u dont have to please people… why dont we have a Hotel Nkrumah?? or a Hotel Acheampong… but u have a hotel Obama?? come on now.

  3. Don on July 18th, 2009 1:35 am

    Must we always criticise. Whats wrong with the good gesture of this entrepreneur. There are soo many things named after people and places like “Thomas Sankara road” , Du Bios center etc. Rather than criticise, lets keep an open mind and spent time to do other creative things. If you disagree with Mr Owusu then build your own hotel and name it whatever name you wish.Its about time we stopped dragging people back. Someome is got to say it and I SAID.

  4. Dee on July 18th, 2009 11:27 am

    Hotel Acheampong?,..ridiculous, what did he do for Ghana?..Nkrumah. excellent idea. we have several institutions named after the visionary Nkrumah, hotel Nkrumah at Adabraka, Nkrumah university Kumasi, Nkrumah hall Capecoast etc… what does that tell you. only the truly great deserve honor?..

  5. M.A. Appiah on July 20th, 2009 10:27 pm

    Ghana will have arrived at the democratic place where it loudly claims to be ONLY when a local entrepreneur can call his business whatever the blazes he wants without a bunch of argument or criticism. True democracy means that if you don’t like the name, HOTEL OBAMA, you can patronize another hotel, or better yet, build your own hotel and call it whever you like.

  6. vnsy on July 21st, 2009 10:24 am

    This is soo not kuul. but well thatz what the owner wants. i wont ever think of naming ma hotel that. sorry brav !!!!

  7. warren currier on July 27th, 2009 5:35 pm

    *M.A. Appiah*

    Think about it, you’re wrong.

    True democracy, sir, could NOT exist WITHOUT a healthy free speech component.

    That others HAVE… “argument or criticism” AND… are able to speak up freely, is a good thing!!

    Personally, I’ll be LESS attracted to a hotel named, HOTEL OBAMA
    (everything else being equal) AND, I find it rather shocking that one reporter would mention that he thinks this is ‘the place to be’ because the building… “is fitted with air-conditioning, wireless Internet connection, and cable TV”

    Are there really HOTELS in Accra today WITHOUT such basics?

  8. FAISAL MUSAH on August 19th, 2009 4:27 am

    Pls give the guy a break,he is just trying to do something unique.Except that the amenities in the hotel is basic and nothing exceptional about the property.All the same,Nice try.

  9. willy on September 17th, 2009 10:22 pm

    I not think is a bad name calling a hotel obama one day I will own a hotel and I will name it bush becos I will like honouring him indeed ahhhhhh

  10. mingy on January 4th, 2010 1:29 pm

    thanks boss you made the place popular already

  11. D,Oracle on January 31st, 2010 8:54 pm

    Yep, I had the err.. pleasure of staying in the Obama hotel in December albeit for one night. Its a fairly mediocre establishment with basic service and absolutely nothing that distinguishes it from other similar hotels…except the price. I paid £50 for one night, damn! and I did not even get to sleep in the presidential suite!! Still, props to the owner, who I met on the day. Good luck to him.

  12. asafo adjei joseph on February 1st, 2010 12:58 pm

    i was there today and i think i like the place.yeah its a nice place

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