African Sun Welcomes Barack Obama to Holiday Inn Accra Airport in Ghana

President of the United States chooses to stay at an African Sun property during his visit to Accra, Ghana.

Pan-African hospitality group, African Sun Limited, is proud to announce that Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America, has chosen to stay at its Holiday Inn, Accra Airport property during his first African state visit to Ghana on the 10th and 11th of July.

President Obama and his family made our Presidential Suite, Suite 509, his 'home away from home' and his daughter Sasha remarked on the suite and said it was a 'cool' room. Our staff was thrilled to have the Obamas staying with us and to have the opportunity to serve such a venerable head of state," said Mr Bruce Potter, General Manager of Holiday Inn Accra Airport.

Shingi Munyeza, Group Chief Executive added "Barack Obama chose to stay at the Holiday Inn Accra Airport because of its position, great facilities and world-class service." "We are honoured that from 10 July to 11 July, he and his family were shown the true 'African Sun' experience and we look forward to welcoming them to any of our other properties whether they be in Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana or South Africa."

Holiday Inn Accra Airport is African Sun's flagship property in Ghana. The hotel is located only one kilometre away from Kotoka International Airport, boasts 2 presidential suites, 14 deluxe rooms, 48 executive rooms, 14 deluxe rooms and 98 standard rooms. Conferencing facilities catering for up to 450 delegates are also available.

African Sun Limited is the fastest growing hospitality group on the continent. The group boasts several other high-profile properties in its portfolio such as the award winning Grace Hotel in Johannesburg, The Victoria Falls Hotel (a member of the Leading Hotels of the World) in Zimbabwe and Obudu Mountain Resort in Nigeria. The group's interests cover all sectors of the hospitality industry from luxury resorts, to urban boutique hotels, city hotels and lodges. As well as having its own brands, namely Mulberry, Platinum, Amber, Adrenal-Inn, My Place and The Kingdom resort brand, African Sun also manages and operates Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) affiliated brands such as Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Express by Holiday Inn to gain a foothold in new markets where these brands are familiar.

Ghana

Fast Facts About Ghana

Population: 21 million
Area: 239000 square kilometres
Capital: Accra
Language: English and tribal languages
Currency: Cedi
Location: Gulf of Guinea, West Africa, bordered by Cote D’Ivoire in the west, Burkina Faso in the north and Togo in the east.
Climate: Tropical
Religion: Mainly Christianity with a significant Islamic following


Ghana

Ghana, formerly the known as the Gold Coast, was a British colony until 1957 when it became the first African country to gain independence. After political turbulence and questionable economic management, Ghana is now becoming increasingly economically healthy and is politically stable, with close ties to Britain. It is a staunch member of the Commonwealth.

Cash crop agriculture, with cocoa being the most important, is boosted by tobacco, coffee and tropical fruits. Mining, mainly gold and diamonds, is becoming important but the discovery of oils in 2007 and its exploitation, will transform this country.

Ghana first established trading links with Europe when the Portuguese visited in the 15th century. It became a British colony, named the Gold Coast, in 1874 and traces its history back to when it was the centre of a number of ancient kingdoms.

Being only a few degrees north of the Equator, and with the Greenwich Meridian running through it, Ghanaians can be excused for considering their country to be the closest to the centre of the world.

The port city of Accra is the political as well as commercial capital and is the gateway city. (Interested in staying in Accra, Ghana? Stay at the Holiday Inn Accra Airport)

Its coast, on the Gulf of Guinea, consists of low, sandy shores and used to be bordered by extensive rainforests. Now, sadly depleted, only remnants remain, some of them now protected, in the south west. North of what used to be rainforest is low bush, park-like savannah and grassy plains.

For the leisure traveller, Ghana's mix of beach resorts, game reserves, tribal music and dance, combined with a vibrant city nightlife provides a wide variety of things to do.

Ghanaians are friendly and welcoming people and the country's deep history and transformation to a well-embedded parliamentary democracy make it a comfortable and inviting destination for the leisure seeker, the history buff and, now with oil, the business traveller.

Welcome to Ghana - the centre of the world.