Marriott International expands across Africa
Marriott International has signed new properties in Cape Town, Nairobi, Cairo and Mauritius.
Marriott’s recent acquisition of Starwood has increased Marriott’s distribution in Africa, a press statement said.
Marriott International president and MD, Middle East and Africa Alex Kyriakidis said: “We officially opened the Kigali Marriott Hotel yesterday (October 4), under the patronage of His Excellency, The Honourable Prime Minister Murekezi, and today we announce six new deals across Africa, which when open, are expected to bring our total African property and room count to 205 and 37,000 respectively.”
These new signings comprise more than 1,100 rooms, and include AC by Marriott’s brand entry into Africa.
The Cape Town deals are in partnership with the Amdec Group, Marriott’s long-term partner and owners of the new Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, announced last year and currently under development.
The AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront will be located at the Cape Town waterfront, while Harbour Arch will be the site of the 200-room Cape Town Marriott Hotel Foreshore and the 150-room Residence Inn by Marriott Cape Town Foreshore.
The first deal to be signed since Marriott’s completed acquisition - the Sheraton brand - will make a debut in Mauritius with Sheraton Mauritius St Felix Resort and The Residences at Sheraton Mauritius St Felix Resort.
The first Element Hotels property signed in Egypt will be the largest Element Hotel in the Middle East and Africa.
Situated in Cairo’s upscale Heliopolis district and scheduled to open in 2019, Element Cairo is developed by Abraj Misr Urban Development and owned by Middle East Real Estate for Development (MERED).
A part of the new smart and ecofriendly development, The Gate Project, the largest housing, administrative, commercial, project in Egypt and the Middle East, Element Cairo will feature 344 rooms.
Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi, Hurlingham, is the brand’s second hotel in the city, located in the upmarket suburb close to the city centre and within easy access from the surrounding business areas of Westlands, Kilimani and Nairobi Central.
Owned by Kamcan Properties Ltd, the 96-room hotel is a conversion from an existing hotel, will be operated under a franchise arrangement, and is expected to open in 2017.
“These news deals are testament to our combined development efforts going forward, as there are significant growth synergies between the brands and our newly combined company, with a focus on expending brands across the region, and looking for opportunities in new markets,” concluded Kyriakidis.