Detour

Ghana’s Rock City Hotel: Africa’s largest hotel is Black-owned and designed by women

Panoramic view over Accra Ghana
Panoramic view over Accra Ghana Shutterstock

Kwahu is a beautiful mountainous city in the Eastern region of Nkwatia. Elaborate mansions sit atop hills and throughout the trees. Amongst the beautiful scenery is the Rock City Hotel. The newly constructed resort is the continent’s largest hotel and the fifth largest in the world.

The drive up to the resort’s registration center allows guests to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Lush landscaping, colorful flower gardens and multiple lakes and ponds add to the ambiance of the luxurious resort.

Bryan Acheampong, the Country’s Minister of State in charge of National Security, is the owner of Rock City. Acheampong recruited a team of Black women architects to design and adorn the property.

Ghanaian-based travel influencer Wode Maya took a trip to the sprawling resort and spoke to one of the resident architects as he toured the location.

“We have 880 hotel rooms currently under construction, a conference room with a capacity of 2,200 people as well as 45 meeting rooms for smaller groups.”

Construction began on the property 11 years ago. The first phase opened in November 2019, allowing guests access to limited amenities. Travel Noire reported when crews began to lay the foundation for the resort in 2008, Acheampong’s goal was to build “Ghana’s golden castle.”

The complete vision for Rock City includes “2,700 rooms, a world-class aquarium and water park, a zoo, an 18 and nine-hole course, and more.”

The owner is looking to maximize Ghana’s flourishing tourism sector. The country reportedly contributed over $3.1 billion to Africa’s economy in 2021.

The resort intends to be the standard for Ghana’s hospitality industry targeting meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE) and positioning itself as a family and fun destination.

Acheampong and his team are committed to only utilizing regional resources and hiring locally.

As construction continues, standard deluxe suits are currently available to book for 650 Ghanaian Cedis or $112 per night. The team revealed that they plan to have rooms for an even lower price once the construction of the remainder of the resort is complete.

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.





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This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Ghana’s Rock City Hotel: Africa’s largest hotel is Black-owned and designed by women."

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