AccorHotels has signed 50 hotels in Africa through an exclusive partnership with Angolan oil insurance and investment company AA Activos Lda.
The 50 hotels, totalling 6200 rooms, will open between 2015 and 2017 and will range from economy to midscale and luxury, encompassing the operator’s Ibis Styles, Mercure and Sofitel brands.
Sebastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels commented: “This historical and unheard of establishment of a hospitality group in Angola, which was made possible through our partnership with AAA ACTIVOS LDA, testifies to AccorHotels’ ambition in Africa, where tourism is rapidly evolving.
“Angola has 25 million inhabitants, 40% of which are of working age. Therefore, 3000 employees will be hired locally in a large selection of hospitality jobs, ranging from restaurant service to executive positions. The Group commits to train these employees, as well as to pass on its values to them.”
The hotels will be opened in Luanda, the capital of Angola, and in the 17 capitals of province.
Six of the hotels are to open this year, 22 will launched next year and the remaining 22 are set to open their doors in 2017.
| Advertisement |
Twenty-seven of the hotels will be operated under the economy ibis Styles brand, 22 under the midscale Mercure brand, and one under the luxury Sofitel brand.
Carlos Manuel de Sao Vicente, chairman of AAA said that the partnership would address a growing international demand in Angola.
“Angola is diversifying the economy in order to reduce the dependence from the mineral economy, namely oil and diamond industry. AAA is already contributing to achieve this strategic role by investing in the building of a national chain of 50 hotels in all capital of provinces and a chain of three logistic centres to supply the hotels,” he said.
“Now we have established a partnership with AccorHotels to manage the hotels, train Angolans and provide hospitality services in all hotels with international quality standards with a French flavour and an Angolan touch.
“We are sure that Angola will become soon a big player in the hospitality and tourism activity in Africa. Angola will become a major tourist destination. Our 50 hotels will help to stimulate the domestic and international tourism.”
AAA is an Angolan corporation known for oil insurance and in investment.
It began as a specialised risk management financial services provider and has been in the co-insurance market in the Angolan oil sector since 2000.
The company also operates in petroleum reinsurance and brokerage in UK and Bermuda.
AccorHotels has been operating in Africa for 40 years and according to the company, it is now Africa’s leading hotel operator in terms of the number of rooms.
The Group’s headquarters for Africa and the Indian Ocean is based in Casablanca.
AccorHotels operates in 18 countries in Africa, with more than 10,000 employees.
It has 94 hotels, from the Maghreb region to Southern Africa.
In 2014, AccorHotels signed 12 new contracts in Africa, totalling nearly 2000 new rooms.
In 2015, AccorHotels is expanding into Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Ivory Coast.
AccorHotels also intends to open more than 30 new hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa before 2020.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
