The ever-beautiful landscape of the most industrial city in the country, Tema, has been upgraded with the chic piece of architectural design of the new branch of the go-to brand in hospitality in Ghana, Alisa Hotels.
The Alisa Hotel, Tema, is conveniently positioned within close proximity of the motorway and harbour, with the distinctive style of the Alisa conference rooms and facilities.
The hotel can easily be located at Community 12, off the Tema General Hospital Road from Ashaiman.
It is opposite the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Community 11 and adjacent to the Electricity Company of Ghana office on the Hospital Road. It is also an 8km drive from Tema Harbour.
FACILITIES
Designed by Ghanaian architect, Augustus Richardson, the new Alisa Hotel, Tema, features a total of 46 guest rooms and four suites. There are five indoor meeting and event spaces; three outdoor event spaces; a restaurant, pool bar, patrone lounge and a sky bar. Also, the hotel features a fitness centre, a swimming pool, a tennis court and a SPA.
COMMISSIONING
A colourful ceremony was held on Friday, September 30, 2022 to formally commission the Alisa Hotel, Tema branch.
The ceremony attracted key personalities in the hospitality industry, as the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made time to attend and to open the facility.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo indicated his delight to being at the ceremony and to open the Tema branch of the Alisa Hotel, “which undoubtedly is one of the biggest hotels in Ghana.”
The President said that he had attended the ceremony not because of the brand Alisa Hotels, or his personal relationship with the owner, but because of his government’s vision to help market the country as an exciting destination for leisure, culture and tourism, amongst others.
“The existence of hotels such as Alisa is critical to the realisation of this vision and I congratulate the man popularly referred to and known as Sikkens and his partners on the brilliance of this vision.
What we are seeing today is a result of commitment, dedication and hard work. Kwame Bamfo Sikkens, ayekoo,” president Akufo-Addo praised his friend.
HOSPITALITY INITIATIVES
The President said his government has boosted the tourism economy since coming into office in 2017, through some measures and initiatives put in place.
The vision, according to President Akufo-Addo, is to use tourism as an effective tool for economic transformation. He opined that it would help to create jobs and prosperity for the people.
He acknowledged that the hospitality sector is the third largest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), after cocoa and oil and gas, accounting for two out of every ten jobs in the country.
The President noted that the government’s focus over the next 18 months is to exploit Ghana’s culture, heritage, history, hospitality and beautiful natural scenery to attract tourists, fun-lovers, and leisure seekers hoping to find a unique experience in Africa.
BY DINT OF HARD WORK
The Chairman, Alisa Hotels Group, Kwame OfosuBamfo, popularly known as Sikkens, in his remarks, said the edifice had come out of hard work, as the majority of the construction works were done during the COVID-19 pandemic season.
He recalled how the idea of the Alisa Hotel was conceived some 35 years ago, when he had a challenge to house his principals from Holland, who had visited Ghana to train local artisans in car spraying.
“This is when the idea of Alisa Hotels was conceived and the 14-room boutique hotel came on board at Labone. On completion, I deemed it appropriate to name it after my cherished mother, Alice Amanua.”
The Chief Executive of Bamson Group, Sikkens Paints, Glostal Aluminium and Alisa Hotels explained that his outfit decided to establish a branch in Tema because “the significance of Tema cannot be over-emphasised in my journey as a businessman.
Tema is where my business foundation was laid. At a young age of about 20 years, before bringing Sikkens into Ghana in 1983, I used to supply building materials such as iron rods, galvanised pipes, copper pipes, steel plates, bolts and nuts among others to the industrial hub of Tema.”
DEPUTY TOURISM MINISTER
In the absence of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Awal Mohammed, the Deputy Minister, Mark Okraku Mantey, commended the customer service of the hospitality sector, citing the just ended Global Citizens Festival.
He stated that the Ghana Tourism Authority is undergoing routine checks to ensure that hotels in the country are operating with the right regulations.
Meanwhile, he extended the ministry’s regard to the Sikkens for his “tremendous contribution to the hospitality industry. What we see here today is enough to say ayekoo.”
