Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is accelerating its plans to more than double its portfolio in Morocco with the signing of nine hotels across seven of its global brands, including the debut of its iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand in the capital city of Rabat, as well as the introduction of its luxury LXR Hotels & Resorts, lifestyle Curio Collection by Hilton, and value-driven Hampton by Hilton brands to the country.
Radisson Hotel Group (www.RadissonHotels.com) is proud to announce its goal to reach 25 hotels in South Africa by 2030, effectively doubling its current portfolio. This ambitious expansion along with the Group’s recent updates to its South African portfolio underscores its commitment to strengthening its presence and contributing to the growth of the South African hospitality industry.
Radisson Hotel Group has set a goal of expanding its current portfolio of 11 hotels in operation and under development in Morocco to 25 hotels by 2030. As Morocco continues to be a crucial market for development, the Group is accelerating its expansion in the country and has therefore extended the portfolio of Erwan Garnier, Senior Director for Development, to include Morocco.
Marriott International, Inc. today announced that it has signed an agreement with Delaware Investment Limited to open its first JW Marriott luxury safari lodge in the Serengeti, Tanzania. Expected to open in 2026, the lodge will be situated within the Serengeti National Park, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most renowned safari destinations in Africa, home to endless plains, the incredible Great Migration and some of the largest herds on the planet.
Kasada, the leading independent real estate private equity platform dedicated to hospitality in sub-Saharan Africa, announced today that it will build a new dual-branded hotel in Abidjan within the largest retail-led mixed-use development currently being developed by HCCP. The complex, scheduled to open in 2024, will seek to be certified EDGE, the World Bank’s green building certification program, and will boast over 150 hotel keys, a shopping center with over 60 stores, restaurants, a mini entertainment park, offices, a co-working space, and a clinic.
Leading independent hotel management company, Aleph Hospitality, has signed a management agreement to operate Accor’s luxury five-star MGallery hotel, as well as all facilities at the new Century Park Hotel and Residences development in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.
On Monday, 11 October, the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) hosted the Morocco Tourism Investment Day as part of Morocco: Global Investment Hub Week, which took place at the Morocco Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, in partnership with Bench, the organiser of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa.
RIU is reopening its luxury 5-star Riu Palace Boavista hotel today after a closure that lasted more than one year. This is good news for the chain, its employees and the guests, as this means resuming its activity on this paradise destination. On Friday, it will be joined by the Riu Funana hotel, the second establishment to open on Sal Island, together with the Riu Palace Santa María, which opened in March of this year.
Radisson Hotel Group in partnership with Madaëf are proud to announce the signing of seven Moroccan hotels, of which four will open its doors this month, located in renowned tourist areas, Al Hoceima, Saïdia and Taghazout. The new portfolio consisting of resorts and residences will add over 1600 rooms bringing the Group’s Moroccan portfolio to 10 hotels, fast-tracking its strategy to reach 15 hotels in operation and under development in the country by 2025.
Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire are only a few highlights attracting travellers to visit the African country of Tanzania, where more than a third of the landscape is under conservation protection. With its 22 national parks, this year round destination guarantees wilderness seekers a stay in harmony with nature and the world's most diverse safari experiences. Amidst the well-known "Northern Circuit", Kempinski Hotels has now signed management contracts for three outstanding luxurious properties, two elegant lodges and a high-end tented camp, which will be open to wild life lovers and guests as of 2023.
HTI Consulting recently launched a new report on hotel operator selection and management contract negotiation in Africa, providing various invaluable insights into the selection process as well as important analysis on contract contents, trends, benchmarks and negotiation techniques for owners in Africa."
The talk on the hospitality street is what Level 1 is going to do for the industry - how has lockdown affected the hotel landscape and its offering, will it recover, and what does the future hold? Local tourism is likely to drive this recovery until our international borders re-open, but what is this post-Covid guest looking for in terms of accommodation?
The RIU Hotels & Resorts chain has announced the purchase of a 25-hectare site in the Pointe Sarène area on Senegal's west coast, a paradise destination that is in the midst of the tourist development process. With it, the chain strengthens its commitment to the continent of Africa, where it already owns six hotels (five in Cape Verde and one in Tanzania) and runs a further five hotels in Morocco.
Radisson Hotel Group is entering its 32nd African market and second Indian Ocean territory, Madagascar, with the signing of a portfolio deal of three hotels and a total of 254 rooms. The agreement was signed with Groupe Talys. Radisson Hotel Group today, has 89 hotels and 17,000+ rooms in operation and under development in Africa. The Group remains firmly on track to reach 130 hotels and 23,000+ rooms across the continent by 2022. The agreement consists of two hotel conversions and one hotel under construction, with all three hotels scheduled to open in 2020.
We were proud to host one of the biggest events on the African hospitality calendar recently, with the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi Upper Hill team creating the ideal atmosphere for a wonderful event.
Pioneering hospitality management company, Aleph Hospitality, today announced the signing of management agreements for two new hotels in Kenya; the Best Western Plus in the Westlands district of Nairobi and a three-star hotel in the popular coastal resort of Mombasa. The signings, which coincide with the company's third birthday, continue the firm's rapid growth, taking its portfolio to six properties overall, spanning Kenya, Ethiopia, Liberia and Senegal. Upon opening in Spring 2019, the Best Western Plus Nairobi Westlands will feature 100 guest rooms, a dedicated meetings floor and two food and beverage outlets, including a rooftop bar, in-keeping with the area's existing popularity as an upmarket entertainment hub. The as-yet-unbranded Mombasa hotel will offer 106 guest rooms along with extensive events space and leisure facilities, including a pool, in close proximity to both the central business district and the city's famous beaches. Scheduled to open in Spring 2020, Aleph Hospitality has already commenced discussions to secure a suitable brand for the property under franchise agreement. "This is the growing trend in Africa today," explained Bani Haddad, founder and managing director of Aleph Hospitality. "Owners are increasingly looking for the power of an international brand above their door and all of the major brands are looking to franchising as the key vehicle for growing their footprint more rapidly. Through our international brand experience and our in-depth local knowledge, we are uniquely placed to operate in the middle, bringing together both parties for mutual success." The two signings also coincide with the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), taking place in Nairobi from 2-4 October, an event which Aleph Hospitality has chosen to sponsor for the first time in 2018. The conference will see the company unveil its new marketing campaign, 'Hotel management. Tailored to fit.', which seeks to communicate the organisation's unique value proposition as the only company dedicated to Africa and the Middle East able to offer both white-label and third-party management solutions for properties of varying star ratings, sizes and locations. "In the three years since the company's inauguration, not only has our portfolio grown rapidly, we have also broadened our offering to more fully encompass all of the services our owners were seeking. Every property is truly unique in its needs and we are proud to be able to reflect that in the nature of our management agreements. As the leading hotel investment conference in sub-Saharan Africa, AHIF is the perfect place for us to communicate the value that we can add," commented Roz Money, Aleph Hospitality's vice president of marketing and public relations. Delegates attending AHIF can find Aleph Hospitality at Stand 13, within the main exhibition area at the Radisson Blu Upper Hill Nairobi. Both Haddad and Money will also be co-hosting round table sessions during the event, discussing third-party management and best practices in project delivery respectively.
Ethiopia once again heads the league for hotel development in East Africa, according to a regional focus from the influential annual hotel pipeline survey by Lagos-based W Hospitality Group.
"Angola's growth prospects are set to rise as the country continues to make strides towards a more positive economic course," says Wayne Troughton of specialist hospitality and real estate consultancy firm, HTI Consulting. "Higher oil prices and sounder policies under President Joao Lourenco should bring greater stability to Africa's second largest crude exporter, strengthening the country's institutions and attracting foreign investment that will spur economic growth and contribute to the diversification of the econ omy, including sectors such as tourism and hospitality." "The breakneck economic growth that Angola enjoyed following the end to decades of civil conflict in 2002 came to a sudden stop when the price of oil crashed in 2014," says Troughton. "The subsequent vulnerability of the country's economy due to its reliance on oil was strongly evident over recent years, with decreasing oil prices seeing negative GDP growth in 2016 of -0.7%," he explains. "In 2016, hotel room occupancy in Angola fell to just 25%, although the rate in the capital Luanda was higher at 60%. The weakened economic environment, combined with a slow down in the oil sector (a primary driver of hotel room nights), negatively impacted the market, notably in Luanda. A number of new hotel projects, many expected to enter the market in 2015, were put on hold as developers chose to wait out the challenging market conditions," he says."More recently, however, the new go vernment's Macroeconomic Stabilization Program, along with a resurgence in the oil price currently trading above USD 70 a barrel, has brought a renewed energy to Angola," he states. Recent findings by the The International Monetary Fund have also commended the government's efforts to improve the investment climate and revised growth forecasts for 2018 have been moved upwards from 1.6 to 2.2 percent. Comments Troughton, "Whilst the projections are moderate, it is nevertheless an indication the economy is undergoing a mild recovery and that elements to drive further economic growth are being put in place.""Ultimately, a restored economic environment will have a positive impact on the country's tourism and hospitality markets," he continues. "A series of measures are currently expediting the issuance of tourist and business visas, a historically difficult process that has long been a major complaint from international companies and should help to eas e business travel." In addition to this, construction on the New Luanda International Airport, originally scheduled for opening 2015/2016, has commenced anew after several delays, and the new airport, now forecast to open in 2020, is projected to increase Luanda's overall capacity from 3.6 million to 15 million passengers per annum. The Sonangol Hotel (a 377-room, 24-storey hotel in Luanda) project is back on track after a two-year shutdown. According to information by oil company Sonangol, "it will be one of the largest and most impressive hotel units in the country" and "will be able to see works completed this year." Park Inn by Radisson Lagos Apapais is also set to open later this year and, according to local Angolan newspaper Valor Econômico, AccorHotels will return to the country. Alka Winter, Vice President of Global Communications AccorHotels Middle East and Africa, wasn't able to delve into the specifics but did say, "We believe in the long-term potential in the countries that we operate in, and within the context of Angola, we look forward to developing our operations there in the future and providing our management expertise across a range of brands."In August this year the Angolan government announced an investment of $20 million to construct a local hospitality training institute, Luanda Hotel School, in a bid to boost the country's tourism industry. "The $20 million project, which is a both a working hotel and a hospitality school, is expected to open within 12 months and will have a capacity for 500 students will have 50 rooms, 12 classrooms and accommodation for 96 students," said Angola's Minister for Hotels and Tourism, Pedro Mutindi. The new Operational Plan for Tourism 2018/2022 should also help leverage tourism in the economy. According to the minister, it is essential to improve basic services, such as access roads and inspection of tourist sites, in order to safeguard their faciliti es, as well as training human resources to allow Angola to reach world standards in the tourism sector. Angola is focused on reducing its dependence on oil through the diversification of its economy. Currently oil accounts for around 96% of exports, however the projection by BMI that oil production will decrease annually by 4.3% between 2020 and 2027 heightens the urgent requirement for diversification. A Private Investment Law, recently approved by the National Assembly, removes several entry barriers to foreign direct investment. The government has also launched a program for diversifying exports and substituting imports. The country has a significant base of mineral and agricultural wealth. It is the third largest producer of diamonds in Africa and has gold, cobalt, manganese, and copper, as well as natural gas reserves that have yet to be fully developed. "Prospectively the growth of the hotel demand in Angola will continue as new focus areas potentially increase the flow of travellers to the country." says Troughton. "As reforms continue, Angola's attractiveness as an investment destination will grow. Investors with medium to long term views and with previous experience working in Africa are likely best suited for early entry into this market.""The ongoing systematic reforms, coupled with the President's commitment to promote increased commercial activity, warrant that prospective investors consider opportunities now. Multinationals willing to take a long-term view can exploit the window of opportunity that is opening and get ahead of competitors," he concludes.
Bench Events, the organiser of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), which is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, today announced that it is launching a sister event, named the Forum sur l'Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA), to focus more precisely on North and West Africa. Proceedings will be bilingual, with presentations and panel discussions led in French with simultaneous translation to English. The first edition of FIHA will take place in Marrakesh during the first week of February 2019.In Africa, hotel investment is booming. Hotels are core infrastructure because they are essential to attracting tourists and business people who come with foreign currency to spend and invest. As the economic environment in Africa has become increasingly less risky in the past two or three decades and because the number of hotels per head of population is a tiny fraction of what it is in highly-developed western economies, the growth in hotel development across Africa has consistently outstripped general economic growth - which in many African countries is currently higher than much of the rest of the world.Imad Barrakad, CEO, The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT), said: "I am very pleased that Morocco will be the launch venue for FIHA, as I fully expect it will attract the kind of people who have the influence and resources to make a destination successful. At FIHA, we will be engaging with them and making a compelling case for further investment in the hospitality sector here."Morocco makes four strong arguments to attract investors. First, the country has a stable political and economic climate. Second, it is strategically-located, within a three-hour flight of the major European capitals and seven hours from Dubai, Moscow and New York. Third, its laws are investor-friendly, with no restriction on land ownership or repatriation of profits and fourth, it has robust infrastructure, including a major hub airport in Casablanca.Tourism is central to Morocco's economy. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), reports that tourism represented over 21.5% of Morocco's exports in 2017 and forecast it to grow by 4.2% per annum over the coming decade. From an inbound tourism perspective, Morocco in general and Marrakesh in particular, have experienced a strong start to the year, with occupancy and room rates substantially up on the equivalent period in 2017, according to STR, the leading provider of data and analytics for the global hotel industry.
Marriott Golf, the global golf division of Marriott International, Inc., today announced further global expansion, with it's first-ever managed golf resort property in South Africa, the Arabella Golf Club, located in Hermanus, South Africa, near Cape Town. This expansion news comes on the heels of Marriott Golf adding resort golf facilities in Fiji, New Caledonia, Uruguay, Spain, and Portugal in 2017.