From 1st October 2013, the Warwick International Hotels Group (WIH) will join with South African

partner based Recreation Africa Group (RAG), to form a joint venture to expand its international network of hotels throughout sub -Saharan Africa through management contracts under the WIH brand.

The joint-venture company, named Warwick International Hotels Africa Limited, will be based in

Johannesburg, South Africa.

Don Elliot will be the company's initial CEO. Don was born in Kenya and is widely recognized as an

expert on the hotel industry in Africa. He has strong experience in the hospitality industry globally, as he worked for nearly thirty years within the Starwood Group. He has held unit & regional operational and financial senior management positions in areas such as: USA, Australia, the Middle East, India and Africa. He is also a member of the Board of FEDHASA (Federation Hospitality Association of South Africa).

Warwick International Hotels is already present on the African continent with five affiliated hotels in the

collection: the Alhambra Thalasso Hotel in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, Hivernage Hotel & Spa in Marrakech, Morocco, Hotel Jardin Savana Dakar, Senegal, Misty Hills Country Hotel Conference Centre & Spa, Johannesburg and Kedar Country Hotel Conference Centre & Spa in Rustenburg, both in South Africa and owned by RAG. Warwick International Hotels currently consists of 55 hotels and resorts on 5 continents, including the iconic Warwick New York & the Warwick Champs-Elysees.

Mr Richard Chiu, President & Founder of WIH, who is leading this expansion plan globally says "It is

through management contracts that WIH will continue to grow to meet the expectations of its international clientele, eager to find worldwide hotels which guarantee a unique personality, high quality services and prime locations. Now is the right time to expand our portfolio of 4 – 5 star hotels and resorts in Sub Sahara Africa."

Jean- Francois Garnier, Director of Group Development for Warwick International Hotels, declares: "We

are very pleased to form this joint venture with a major tourism player in Africa. Recreation Africa Group has the contacts & knows the issues of doing business on the continent. Together, through Warwick International Hotels Africa Limited, we will build a network of hotels under management contracts to meet a considerably growing demand in terms of high-level hotels in Africa".

Recreation Africa Group was started over 20 years ago by successful entrepreneur & businessman

Robert Forsyth. Today the core businesses of the Group are: hotel building & operations, restaurant operations, farm management, butchery operations, and property ownership & development. The Group owns & operates : the Misty Hills Hotel & Spa, The iconic Carnivore restaurant, in Johannesburg Kedar Country Lodge & Spa & The Carnivore Gourmet game meat Co. near Rustenburg. Recreation Africa offers a proudly "African" experience and has consciously endeavoured to promote African art, culture, cuisine, ecofriendly environment and hospitality at every level.

Robert Forsyth, Chairman of the Recreation Africa Group, who was recently awarded the first ever

"Green Heart Award " for his on-going work on conservation & preservation initiatives, says "we are proud of our 14 year affiliation with WIH & see this joint venture as a strengthening of this relationship for the future".

About Warwick Hotels and Resorts

Warwick Hotels and Resorts (WHR) was launched in 1980 with the purchase of Warwick New York, a hotel originally built by William Randolph Hearst for his Hollywood friends. The WHR now includes more than 55 prestigious Hotels, Resorts & Spas worldwide located in city centers and resort destinations in the United States, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Bali, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Further details can be found at www.warwickhotels.com

Elsa Mélique
+33 (0)1 44 95 89 60
WIH

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