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AWIO-MELEU Mrema may be one of the wealthiest men in Arusha but has somehow managed to keep low profile for years; in fact, despite being famous, only few people here know how this tycoon looks like.
However, everybody in town knows that the legendary Impala Hotel is owned by one Mrema. So popular is the property that it spawned the 'Impala Group of Hotels,' a company which has 'Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge,' and 'Naura Springs Hotel,' under its portfolio.
Like their owner, the three properties, despite their fame, have succeeded in staying out of the media limelight, with the exception of the 2008 incident in which Ugandan pop star Jose Chameleon fell from the third floor room at Impala hotel and broke his limbs.
Opened in 2003, the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, located within the former Ngurdoto Forest Coffee farm in Meru District, is arguably the biggest hotel in Tanzania with over 3,000 rooms, many being detached luxury 'huts' and while the property has been hosting many international symposiums and meetings, it hasn't made any headlines in over a decade of its existence.
Then comes the 'Naura Springs Hotel' situated at the Sanawari junction along Moshi-Arusha road, which went into operation in 2007...