Protea Hotels has signed agreements for the development of its first hotel in Botswana, the ninth country in Africa in which the brand will have a presence.
First established in South Africa, Protea Hotels has expanded over recent years into Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana. It was acquired by Marriott International in April 2014.
"This latest development reflects our ongoing commitment to doing business in Africa, and to providing the sort of quality accommodation and facilities that the market in Africa is calling for,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa for Marriott International.
Protea’s new property, scheduled to open in early 2018, will be located in the capital, Gaborone, in the new Central Business District of the city.
The hotel will offer 160 rooms of various sizes and types, and will also feature substantial conference, meeting and event facilities. The large ballroom can be converted into four meeting rooms, giving the hotel the ability to host up to eight meetings at any time – four in the ballroom and four in the other meeting rooms that are planned. Other facilities include a business centre, bar, restaurant, fitness centre and outdoor pool.
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“Characterised by prudent economic management and political stability, Botswana is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle income state. With this sort of economic success and the positive outlook for the country, we certainly see strong value in this venture in Botswana," added Kyriakidis.
Marriott International plans to open over 93 hotels – equating to 19,000 additional rooms – in the Middle East & Africa region between now and 2025. This year, 17 new hotels will be opened in the region, adding close to 3,000 new rooms. In Africa, 10 new hotels are scheduled to open during 2016, bringing an additional 1,623 rooms to the market.
Kyriakidis also highlighted the strength of the Protea Hotels brand within the sub-Saharan region, and said: "Protea Hotels enjoys a strong reputation as a leader in the hotel industry, and we are very confident that this new development will create a positive impact. The hotel represents a significant investment in the local economy and, in addition to offering new hospitality facilities, it will be appreciated because of the new employment opportunities to be created for local citizens."
Guests staying at this Protea Hotel, as well as at all Protea Hotels throughout Africa, are able to earn Marriott Rewards points that can be redeemed at Marriott International properties around the world.
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