Norfolk hotel in Nairobi sold to Prince Al Waleed
The Savoy's new owners, Fairmont Hotels have formed a joint partnership with Kingdom Hotels and IFA Hotels to manage five of the most prestigious, colonial-era properties in Kenya.
The hotels involved in the deal, of which Fairmont holds a 15% interest, are Nairobi's Norfolk hotel, the Mount Keyna Safari Club, the Aberdare Country Club, the Ark and the Mara Safari Club.
Famous past guests include US president Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby and John Wayne.
The Norfolk celebrated its centenary last year and was renowned for the strange antics of its guests. These included Lord Delamere who used to ride his horse into the bar and try to jump over tables without breaking any crockery and shoot bottles off the bar.
Over the next 18 months, the properties will undergo $25m (£13.4m) upgrades before they are renamed as Fairmont Hotels.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire behind Fairmont, bought the management contract for the Savoy in January and also owns the George V hotel in Paris.
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