Carlson Rezidor is accelerating its growth strategy in Africa. The group has opened five Radisson Blu hotels in the first six months of 2016 and signed four new hotels. The group is also entering its 28th country in Africa and taking the Park Inn by Radisson brand to the Indian Ocean islands.
In 2016, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group opened five Radisson Blu properties serving the upper-upscale segment: Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper Hill in Kenya (271 rooms); Radisson Blu Hotel, Marrakech Carré Eden in Morocco (198 rooms); Radisson Blu Residence with 187 luxury hotel apartments in Maputo, Mozambique (the group’s first residence concept in the country); Radisson Blu Hotel Abidjan Airport, Ivory Coast (261 rooms) and Radisson Blu Hotel 2 Février in Lomé (320 rooms), recent host to the Africa Hotel Investment Forum.
“Africa is Rezidor’s biggest growth market,” said Wolfgang M. Neumann, president and CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group. “Our group’s total portfolio comprises 69 hotels in 28 countries, with over 15,000 rooms in operation or under development. Radisson Blu leads the way with more hotel rooms under development than any of the other 85+ hotel brands active in Africa today.”
Carlson Rezidor recently announced the signing of its first Quorvus Collection in Africa: the five-star, 244-room luxury Emerald Grand Hotel & Spa in Lagos, Nigeria. The group also signed a new Radisson Blu Hotel Harare in Zimbabwe (245 rooms), a Radisson Blu Hotel in Durban Umhlanga (207 rooms) and a Park Inn by Radisson in Quatre Bornes, the new commercial hub of Mauritius.
“In the last 24 months, we have signed a new hotel deal in Africa every 37 days,” said Elie Younes, Rezidor’s executive VP & Chief Development Officer. “And it’s not just about signing hotels; we are delivering our pipeline. We have opened a hotel in Africa every 60 days. In South Africa alone, we now have 14 hotels. In 2016 and beyond, we aim to [open] four more hotels in the second half of 2016.”
