Equity Bank has placed the luxury Glee Hotel under administration, escalating a debt battle that has run through Kenya’s courts since late 2025. The bank appointed Kamal Anantroy Bhatt of Anant Bhatt LLP as administrator, effective July 6, 2026, giving him full control of the hotel’s assets and daily operations.
The move follows a reported default on loans exceeding Sh8 billion. Court filings referenced in the ongoing dispute put the figure at Sh8.267 billion, while a bank commissioned valuation places the property’s open market worth near Sh9.5 billion.
Under the administration order, the directors of Glee Hotel Limited lose their authority to deal with or transact company assets. They must submit a Statement of Affairs to Bhatt within twelve days. Anyone with a claim against the company has thirty days to file it in writing, supported by documentation, addressed to the administrator’s Mombasa office.
A Debt Fight Years in the Making
Glee Hotel is owned by businesswoman Mary Wambui Mungai, who has spent months resisting Equity Bank’s push to recover the outstanding balance. In January 2026, the Nairobi High Court granted a stay order blocking a planned auction of the property, pausing a sale that had been scheduled for February 5.
Wambui argued the bank should pursue guarantor firms such as Purma Holdings, Charma Holdings, and Albatross Aviation before targeting the hotel itself. She also told the court she was negotiating with KCB Bank to take over the loans, warning that a forced sale could derail those talks along with partnerships tied to tour operators and foreign investors.
Equity Bank held its ground. The lender maintains it can choose which secured property to enforce against, telling the court it is entitled to elect the security it intends to realise regardless of the borrower’s preference. With that stay order now overtaken by the administration notice, the bank has moved from litigation to direct control of the asset.
The case sits inside a wider pattern. Equity Bank and other lenders have taken over several Nairobi hotels in the past year, including Eastland Hotel in Kilimani and, through National Bank of Kenya, Nairobi Upperhill Hotel. Rising non performing loans in the hospitality sector have pushed banks toward faster enforcement action.
Inside Glee Hotel
Glee sits on eight acres along the Northern Bypass in Runda, close to Nairobi’s diplomatic and business district. The property opened in late 2023 as a 211 room independent luxury development, built to serve corporate travel, diplomatic visitors, and the city’s growing conference market.
The hotel operates nine meeting rooms, an outdoor events garden, six restaurants and bars, a night club, a heated pool, a spa, and a rooftop skywalk. Recreational spaces for children and adults round out the offering, positioning Glee as a resort within city limits rather than a standard business hotel.
Design and Positioning
Kristina Zanic Interiors, a Dubai based design firm with international award recognition, handled the hotel’s interior concept. The brief aimed to set Glee apart in Nairobi’s crowded hospitality market through personalised service and a distinct sense of place rather than generic five star trappings.
Mission and Vision
Glee’s stated mission centres on building experiences through design, genuine connection, and service that exceeds stakeholder expectations. Its vision looks beyond Kenya, aiming to establish the brand as an independent leader in luxury hospitality across Eastern Africa.
That ambition now faces its sternest test. With an administrator in place and creditors circling, the coming months will decide whether Glee continues under new management, changes hands entirely, or becomes another entry in Kenya’s growing list of debt driven hotel takeovers.
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