After wrapping up 2023 on a positive note and signing 22 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments, adding over 3 800 rooms to its regional portfolio in Middle East and Africa, Radisson Hotel Group revealed that it is continuing on its path of expansion in 2024.
According to the hotel group, 2024 promises to be a landmark year for them with 14 new hotel openings slated across various countries in the Middle East and Africa.
The group saw exceptional growth in 2023, adding over 30 000 keys to its international portfolio of 10 leading brands through openings and signings.
It also revealed that it has grown its business by nearly 50% since the launch of its transformation plan in 2018, and celebrated a new company record with the addition of its largest number of keys to its portfolio.
“These openings reflect the ongoing commitment to offering exceptional hospitality experiences while catering to the growing demand for premium accommodation in these regions,” said RHG.
When it comes to its expansion in Africa, the group said it maintained its expansion momentum in 2023 with eight hotel signings, adding over 1 600 rooms to its robust African Portfolio, and makes them well on its way to achieving their objective of reaching 150 hotels in Africa over the next five years, up from its current count of 100 hotels.
Some of its hotel signings included new market entries into Gambia with Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Banjul and Radisson Hotel Benin City in Nigeria.
In addition to the Radisson hotel in Benin City, the signing of Radisson Collection Hotel & Conference Center, Abuja; Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD and Radisson RED Lagos VI further strengthened the Group’s position as the market leaders in Nigeria, with its portfolio now expanding to 12 hotels and over 1 700 rooms.
Commenting on the Group’s priorities in Africa for 2024, Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Business Development for Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, said they have an exciting year ahead with five hotel openings in Africa, reinforcing their market leader stance in their key countries such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa but also maintaining the fastest growth across the continent in tangible openings.
“Building on the momentum of the Radisson Collection Resort, Marsa Alam Port Phoenice signing, introducing the Radisson Collection brand in the country with an exceptional resort, we will also open the first standalone serviced apartments in Egypt with Radisson Residences Cairo Heliopolis within the coming months,” he said.
RHG also revealed that in Morocco, it will further enhance its flourishing portfolio with the highly anticipated opening of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier, the debut of the Radisson brand in Morocco, scheduled for the second quarter (Q2).
“This latest opening adds to much anticipation of the growing potential of the country which the Group has made its priority. In South Africa, Radisson Hotel Group is set to add its 12th hotel with the opening of Radisson Hotel Middelburg later this year, following the successful opening of its first safari hotel in Africa with the recently announced Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit,” said the group.
Rankoussi also revealed that that in addition to these key markets, they are pro-actively pursuing East Africa this year, with Kenya and Tanzania identified as market priorities.
“As resorts continue to play an important role in our global strategic growth plan, we will build on our successful resort expansion in Africa, which has included the recent openings of Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya in Livingstone and our debut in Reunion Island with the opening of Radisson Hotel Saint Denis,” said Rankoussi.
In closing, RHG has emerged as the fastest-growing hotel group in Africa over the past three years with 20 hotel openings across the continent and this impressive feat has set a record for the group in terms of the realization of its pipeline into openings and has translated into a commendable 15 percent annual growth on its African portfolio.