INTERNATIONAL REPORT—During the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), hotel companies have unveiled deals to bring their brands to Africa.
Radisson Boosts Development in Africa
Radisson Hotel Group has signed 11 new hotels in Africa within the first nine months of 2019, accelerating its expansion across the continent. This brings the group’s African portfolio to nearly 100 hotels and more than 17,000 rooms in operation and under development across 32 African countries and firmly on track to reach 130-plus hotels and 23,000 rooms by 2022.
To date this year, Radisson Hotel Group has opened two hotels in Africa: Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center, Niamey—the first and only five-star international brand hotel in the country—as well as the group’s debut into Algeria with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Algiers Hydra. Radisson Hotel Group is scheduled to open two more hotels before year end, with the opening of its third hotel in Kenya, Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence Nairobi Arboretum in October and Radisson Blu Hotel Casablanca scheduled to open in November, marking the group’s first entry in the city.
In addition to the portfolio of six hotels signed in Egypt earlier this year, the remaining new hotel deals include the following:
- Radisson Red Johannesburg Rosebank, South Africa
- Radisson Hotel La Baie d’Alger Algiers, Algeria
- Radisson Blu Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront, Madagascar
- Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront, Madagascar
- Radisson Serviced Apartments Antananarivo City Center, Madagascar
IHG Signs Deal With Aleph to Expand Across Africa
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a master development agreement (MDA) with Aleph Hospitality to develop 10 franchise hotels across IHG’s portfolio of brands in midscale and upscale segments. The MDA will see IHG expand its presence in Africa across key countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria and Ghana.
The addition of new hotels, as a part of the agreement, will solidify IHG’s position as one of the leading hospitality players in the MEA region and will strengthen IHG’s portfolio in the continent, across six brands including Crowne Plaza, Voco, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, according to the company.
Protea Hotel by Marriott Planned in Kenya
Aleph Hospitality has signed a franchise agreement with global hotelier Marriott International for a new Protea Hotels by Marriott hotel in Kisumu, Kenya.
On behalf of the hotel owner, Bluewater Hotels, Aleph Hospitality will operate the new-build property under the Protea Hotels by Marriott brand.
Protea Hotel by Marriott Kisumu is due to open in January 2022. The hotel marks Aleph Hospitality’s continued expansion in Kenya, following the signing of Best Western Plus Westlands, set to open in Nairobi in Q4, 2019, and two further properties, one in Mombasa and one in Nairobi, which are both under construction.
Novotel Brand Coming to Democratic Republic of Congo
Accor has signed three deals to bring its midscale brand, Novotel, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The group has partnered with Compagnie Hôtelière et Immobilière du Congo (CHIC), owned by leading DRC conglomerates, to open Novotel properties in the capital, Kinshasa, and its two major mining centers in the south, Lubumbashi and Kolwezi, introducing a total of 337 keys to Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest country.
The capital, Kinshasa, is a center for international corporations, institutions, government offices, embassies and NGO headquarters, and the 115-key Novotel Kinshasa, due for completion in December 2020, will be strategically located close to all of them, with a prime address on Avenue Bandundu in the city center.
In Lubumbashi, DRC’s second largest city and its mining capital, the 120-key Novotel Lubumbashi, which has a planned opening date of December 2021, is under construction on the city’s main road by the lake, close to the ‘La Plage’ family leisure, fitness and entertainment development.
Also in the south of DRC and the capital of Lualaba Province, Kolwezi is a major mining center for copper and cobalt. The 102-key Novotel Kolwezi, due for completion in December 2022, will be located on the main road, close to the multitude of international mining companies with headquarters in the city.
