Hotel Memling
Hotel Memling in the 1970's
General information
AddressAvenue du Tchad 5B
Town or cityKinshasa / Gombe
CountryDR Congo
Opened1937 (1937)
OwnerSabena Hotels
Other information
Number of stores20
Number of rooms159
Number of suites21
Number of restaurants2
Number of bars2
Facilities3 banquet halls
Website
Official website

4°18′16″S 15°18′44″E / 4.304337684899321°S 15.312232515120382°E / -4.304337684899321; 15.312232515120382 The Hotel Memling is a five-star hotel in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1]

History

Hotel Memling was built between 1937 and 1964,[2][3] in Léopoldville (modern-day Kinshasa) in Belgian Congo by Sabena, the former Belgian airline, offering accommodation to its passengers and clients. It is located near the river in the neighborhood that is today known as Gombe, in the center of the city, between Boulevard du 30 juin and the Grand Market of Kinshasa.

The hotel, modernised by numerous renovations since 1964, including in 1989 by architectural firm Henri Montois[4] and after the 1991 and 1993 Kinshasa riots, now has a number of rooms, banquet halls and conference rooms. Along with Grand Hotel of Kinshasa and the Hotel Venus, it is one of the most famous and prestigious hotels in the city.[3][5]

Following the collapse of Sabena in 2001, the future of the hotel was uncertain.[6] At the end of 2001, it was managed (in bankruptcy) by the Compagnie des Grands Hôtels Africains.[7][8]

The hotel is named after Belgian painter Hans Memling.[9]

The hotel today

The hotel has been the site of seminars,[10] receptions,[11] protests,[12] openings,[13][14] press conferences[15] and shows[16] in Kinshasa. International agreements have also been signed there, including the agreement for a EUFOR mission in the country.[17][18]

In 1994, the hotel was the site of a party honoring Congolese singer Abeti Masikini.[19]

In 2009, the FIFA World Cup trophy made a stop at the hotel on the way to South Africa for the games.

On June 29 and 30, 2010, Belgian journalist Nathalie Maleux presented her news broadcast live from the hotel on RTBF, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Congolese independence.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "La problématique du tourisme et de l'hôtellerie en Rdc - Par Stephane Etinga". www.lepotentiel.com.
  2. ↑ "Histoire". www.memling.net.
  3. 1 2 "Kinshasa : l'hôtel Memling, un établissement incontournable par Michel GHESQUIERE à Kinshasa". www.tourmag.com.
  4. ↑ Partners, Montois (2001). Hôtel Memling. ISBN 9781864700695.
  5. ↑ "Memling, petit 5 étoiles incontournable". www.lecho.be.
  6. ↑ "Kinshasa pleure la Sabena - vendredi 16 novembre 2001". www.afrik.com.
  7. ↑ "La vente des hôtels bruxellois et l'hôtel MEMLING". www.sabena.com.
  8. ↑ "Selon le journal La Libre Belgique la mise en vente de l'Hôtel Memling se confirme - Kinshasa, 16/09/2005 / Politique". www.digitalcongo.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  9. ↑ "SSA : D. R. of CONGO : Pre-Report : Hotel Memling company profile". www.winne.com.
  10. ↑ "Congo-Kinshasa: Du 29 au 30 avril 2009 à l'hôtel Memling - Blanchiment de capitaux : les opérateurs bancaires et financiers en séminaire professionnel". fr.allafrica.com.
  11. ↑ "Sarkozy en Afrique: les murmures de Kin-la-rebelle - Par Vincent Hugeux, publié le 26/03/2009". www.lexpress.fr.
  12. ↑ "Journal d'Afrique Centrale - R.D.C. du 4 au 17 avril 2010 n°143 - Chronique réalisée par Luc de l'Arbre". www.africamission-mafr.org.
  13. ↑ "Alfred Liyolo : Bronze passion, 45 ans de sculpture". www.mediacongo.net.
  14. ↑ "Vernissage à l'Hôtel Memling : L'Aica/Rdc rend un hommage à titre posthume à l'artiste Pili-Pili Mulongoy - Kinshasa, 20/11/2008 / Culture". www.digitalcongo.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  15. ↑ "Congo-Kinshasa: Sixième édition de la Coalition pour la conservation au Congo". fr.allafrica.com.
  16. ↑ "A L'HONNEUR HIER A L'HOTEL MEMLING: Marie Misamu réalise un clip sur la défense de l'environnement - 2010". www.afriqueredaction.com.
  17. ↑ "Ce samedi au Memling : Ouverture de la chambre de commerce Italo-Congolaise, par Désiré Kazadi - 8 février 2002". fr.allafrica.com.
  18. ↑ "EUFOR Mission Officially Launched - Monuc - 23 June 2006". allafrica.com.
  19. ↑ "Abeti Masikini". www.afriquechos.ch. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  20. ↑ "La RTBF, comme " Le Soir ", de Kinshasa, Le Soir, 29 juin 2010". archives.lesoir.be.
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