Carlson Rezidor accelerates Africa growth strategy
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has accelerated its growth in Africa with six hotel openings and the addition of three hotels representing 530 new rooms to its portfolio this year.
The new addition brings the group’s African portfolio to a tally of 80 hotels and over 17,200 rooms in operation and under development. With an accelerated growth strategy to deliver on its development pipeline, the African portfolio will feature 125 hotels by establishing critical mass in key countries within the next five years.
Six Hotel Openings in 2017
In 2017, Carlson Rezidor has opened six hotels across the continent including Polokwane, Nairobi and Kigali’s first Park Inn by Radisson; Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence in Cape Town; its first entry into Chad with Radisson Blu Hotel N’Djamena and Africa’s first Radisson RED in Cape Town.
Carlson Rezidor’s lifestyle brand that appeals to tech-savvy guests with a millennial mind-set, Radisson RED features a bold, inspirational design and philosophy. Radisson RED Cape Town is the first new build hotel to receive a five-star Green Star SA rating on the continent.
“Carlson Rezidor has recognised the evolution of the modern travellers' needs and wants and has therefore created a bespoke brand which directly caters to them,” said Mark Willis, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group senior area vice president for Middle East, Turkey and Africa. “These guests are not defined by a certain age – they are united by an appreciation for savvy design, energetic social spaces, technology that makes their lives easier, and customisable, unique experiences that connect them to their location. As our first Radisson RED in Africa, we are confident that Cape Town is the perfect stage to showcase this unique hotel brand concept and will spearhead a snowball expansion for this brand in key territories within this dynamic continent.”
530 Rooms Added to African Pipeline
“The three new hotel signings in Africa include two in Ethiopia, a Radisson Blu in Bishoftu and the first Park Inn by Radisson in the capital city, Addis Ababa and a luxury hotel in Abuja,” said Andrew McLachlan, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group senior vice president, business development, Africa and Indian Ocean. “We are growing in Africa with our two core brands, and expanding our luxury presence through bespoke opportunities, fundamental to our accelerated growth strategy to deliver on our pipeline. We are thankful to our partners for their trust in our brands and people – and look forward to long-standing relationships with them.”
Radisson Blu Hotel, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
Bishoftu, a MICE and leisure destination within Ethiopia, is located 35km southeast of the country’s capital city, Addis Ababa. It is also within access of the country’s first international five-lane highway, leading from Addis Ababa to Djibouti. The hotel will be located on Lake Babogaya, which forms part of the region’s five crater lakes.
“Radisson Blu Hotel, Bishoftu is a great addition to our Ethiopian portfolio as we expand outside of the capital city,” said McLachlan. “The hotel will be the first internationally branded hotel with the largest meeting and events centre in Ethiopia, outside of Addis Ababa.”
The 152-room Radisson Blu hotel will have a restaurant and terrace, a speciality restaurant and a pool bar on the terrace, offering lake views. The 1,045 sqm meeting and events spaces will include a ballroom and six meeting rooms. Radisson Blu Hotel, Bishoftu will also offer a spa and gym.
Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa
The hotel is located on a main road linking the airport, just 2.7km away, to the CBD of Africa’s capital city. Addis Ababa is referred to as "the political capital of Africa", due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. It is where the African Union hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and houses the third largest concentration of embassies in the world.
“We are delighted to bring our colorful mid-scale hotel brand to Ethiopia. The country has prepared a five-year strategic plan with a vision to become one of the top five African tourist destination countries in the coming years. With the addition of the Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa and our aggressive growth in this country, we will most certainly be positively contributing to achieving this goal,” said Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group executive vice president & chief development officer Europe, Middle East & Africa Elie Younes.
The 160-room Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa will offer a mixture of standard rooms and suites. It will also feature Park Inn by Radisson’s signature all-day dining restaurant and lobby bar. The 'Smart Meetings and Events' area will comprise of six meeting rooms. The hotel will also feature a gym and spa.
The Aso Towers Hotel & Residence Abuja
The luxury hotel is part of a mixed-use development known as “The Heart of the City” in the Central Business District of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. It will consist of a hotel, offices, hospital, residential and retail complexes and a national park. The hotel has access into and out of the rest of the city with Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, only 30 minutes away.
The Aso Towers Hotel & Residence Abuja, will feature a 29-storey luxury hotel tower, consisting of 218 rooms, made up of standard, deluxe, executive and presidential rooms. In addition, the 18-storey residence tower will consist of 24 studios, 48 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments.
“With an impressive location and a progressive mix of rooms, apartments and impressive food and drink outlets to complement the hotel and its immediate surroundings, this hotel will reflect the presence of the political and social elite in one of the greatest cities of Africa. Nigeria is an important market in our Africa growth strategy and Abuja a key market for a strong presence. We are thrilled to add another African jewel to our global luxury hotel portfolio,” added McLachlan.
The luxury hotel will feature eight outlets, including three restaurants (an all-day dining, speciality and a destination restaurant); three bars (the lobby bar, pool bar and sky bar) as well as business class and residence lounges. In addition, the hotel will feature a wellness spa, gym, pool terrace and a kid’s pool and playground. The hotel’s meeting & events area will include a ballroom along with a ballroom pre-function area as well as a conference room, a meeting room, four boardrooms and a business centre.