Imane Khelif‘s story is of resilience and inspiration, which continues to evoke a sense of motivation among her people. Her Paris Olympics exploits have made her a household name; after all, she wore the Algerian flag with pride and brought home the gold. So, it’s no surprise that various entities and institutions want to express their gratitude for how the welterweight boxer put the nation on the world map. Such was the case when she visited the Holiday Inn Algiers-Cheraga Tower.

The 25-year-old found herself on the receiving end of warm hospitality when she visited the in Chéraga, Algiers. Notably, the Holiday Inn is under InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which has a market cap of more than $15 billion as of September 2024, according to Yahoo Finance. Interestingly, the Holiday Inn is the only skyscraper hotel in the city, that offers personalized services to its customers, and for Khelif, that included a heartfelt message and a gift.

The Holiday Inn’s Instagram handle posted the pictures of the visit, and the caption read, “We had the honor and privilege to host the Olympic Champion Imane KHELIF at the Holiday Inn Algiers – Cheraga Tower. Her strength and energy infused our hotel with a unique atmosphere. Thank you for trusting us.”

In the first of the pictures shared, Khelif could be seen with the hotel’s high-ranking official. What’s more, the hotel also gifted her a portrait with the Algerian flag wrapped around her and the Olympic medal around her shoulder, extending their tribute for her exploits at the Paris Olympics. Then the fans could notice her humbleness and her connection with people, as she poses with the hotel’s staff, with the portrait in the center of the frame. Lastly, she posed with the portrait in what appeared to be a dining hall, with the glass windows behind her and with the majestic view of the Algiers skyline.

Khelif is enjoying her time off after a grueling Olympics campaign, where controversy about her gender took the world by storm. While she won the gold and proved her critics wrong, she initiated legal proceedings against the likes of Elon Musk for spreading the negative campaign against her. The Tiaret native even blasted the Tesla CEO in a recent interview.

Imane Khelif slams Elon Musk for his ‘cruel’ remarks

Expressing her hardships to the French TV show CLIQUE about how the controversy affected her and her family, Khelif said, “I would say, you hate me. But you don’t even know me. I don’t even know why you led this attack. You have been cruel to me, cruel to my family, to my mother. At that time, my mother was going to the hospital every day.”

Khelif is now focusing on her amateur career, and it remains to be seen whether she will continue with her amateur career, where IBA had already disqualified her from last year’s world championship, or whether she will turn pro.

What do you make of this gesture by the Holiday Inn for Imane Khelif? Let us know in the comments below.