The largest and the oldest resort in Ethiopia, Sodere Resorts, resumed operation this month after being closed for three months due to over flooding caused by its adjacent river, Awash. The resort which was founded by the government 69 years ago is known for its hot natural springs.
The flood damaged 67 new bedrooms which were under the last stage of construction, according to Abyot Temesgen, Manager of the Resort.
“We have sustained millions of birr in damage by the flood,” he said. “We also paid three months of salary for 670 employees besides the potential revenue we could have generated. The resort is a life line for the Sodere Town, Awash and Adama and its closure has affected them badly. The flooding which was said to be caused by the increasing level of alluvial in the Awash River is being removed by the resort now. The resort also began making bricks to limit the flow of the water into the compound in addition to diverting the direction of the water.
“We hired 10 experts to study how society can use the water for irrigation while we all work to control potential damages of the river,” said Abyot. “We want to be a major chain hotel in Africa and we hope the resort will be ranked five stars soon.”
Abiyot also revealed that the resort soon will open new hotels in three different cities in Ethiopia including Addis. He also stated that that they are working to expand abroad.
Sodere Resorts and hotels currently has 304 bedrooms beside the upcoming 67 bedrooms under repair. The resort is constructing one Olympic standard swimming pool which also has mini stadium seats, aiming to host games. Four operational swimming pools, three meeting halls, unlimited parking lots, spa and bars are among the facilities it features.
The resort is said to claim 427 hectares of plot while only 127 hectares are utilized.