Hyatt Plans to Open 9 Hotels in Africa by 2020

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. expects to open nine Hyatt-branded hotels in Africa by the end of 2020, including the first dual-branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels on the continent, the return of the Hyatt brand to Cairo, new Park Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels in Morocco, and Hyatt hotels in three new countries: Algeria, Ethiopia and Senegal.

Africa, and particularly East Africa, remains a focus for Hyatt with an increasingly favorable business climate and heightened tourism spend, encouraged by relaxed visa rules, travel incentives and a growing middle class, according to the company. According to the “UNWTO Tourism Highlights: 2018 Edition,” international tourist arrivals in sub-Saharan Africa have grown by 5.8% from 2005 to 2017, which is well above the global average of 4.2%. Furthermore, the continent saw a sustained growth of 8.6% in international tourist arrivals last year.

Domestic travel is expected to grow due to the Single African Air Travel Market (SAATM) initiative that launched earlier this year. While “UNCTAD’s Economic Development in Africa Report 2017” noted four out of 10 travelers in Africa originate from the region, this number is expected to grow with the SAATM initiative, therefore fueling demand for mid-market options in the continent’s bustling centers and regional hubs, according to the company.

“At last year’s Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), Hyatt set a goal to bring Hyatt-branded hotels to Kenya and we are delighted to announce plans to deliver on that just twelve months later with additional executed hotel developments across the continent,” said Tejas Shah, Hyatt’s regional VP of development for Africa. “There is huge potential for further growth in Africa, and our approach is to grow thoughtfully in markets where our guests are traveling.”

Of Hyatt’s expected nine new hotels, five are market entries:

  • Algeria: Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport (expected to open in Q1 2019)
  • Ethiopia: Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa (expected to open Q4 2018)
  • Kenya: Hyatt Place Nairobi/Westlands and Hyatt House Nairobi/Westlands (expected to open in 2020)
  • Senegal: Hyatt Centric Dakar (expected to open in Q1 2019)

In Africa’s established markets, Hyatt is expanding its brand footprint in the following:

  • Cairo: Hyatt Regency Cairo West (expected to open in 2020) will mark the second Hyatt-branded hotel in Egypt and the return of the Hyatt flag to Egypt’s capital.
  • Morocco: Park Hyatt Marrakech (expected to open in 2020) and Hyatt Regency Taghazout (expected to open in Q3 2019) will represent the third and fourth Hyatt-branded hotels in Morocco.
  • Tanzania: Hyatt Regency Arusha (expected to open in mid-2019) will mark the third Hyatt-branded hotel in the country.

“The number of Hyatt executed franchise and management agreements in the region is a reflection of our flexibility with working with regional developers on projects ranging from new builds to adaptive reuse or even conversions of operating hotels,” continued Shah. “As part of Hyatt’s long-term plan to expand in sub-Saharan Africa, we will continue to look for further opportunities across countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Cameroon, Madagascar, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.”