Hyatt Hotels & Resorts set plans to develop six new hotels in Africa, expected to open in 2020. Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Senegal are slated to receive their first Hyatt hotels, while current Hyatt locations Morocco and Tanzania will open new hotels. These new hotel projects will generate roughly 2,100 new jobs.
Hyatt has taken on East Africa as its new focus for investment opportunities and expansion, with the region's new hotels set to double the company's presence in the continent. Meanwhile, Hyatt has also been eyeing Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Ghana and Ivory Coast for further expansion.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, Sub-Saharan African tourism has grown by 11 percent this past year as East Africa saw even more growth by 14 percent year over year in 2017's first half.
In March 31, 2017, Hyatt's 13-brand portfolio totaled 708 properties in 56 countries across its Park Hyatt, Miraval, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Residence Club brands.
As of Jan. 1, 2017, Hyatt's portfolio had more than 350 Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels operating in more than 200 cities worldwide, and added 19 new hotels to its system by June 7. These include the company's first properties under the Hyatt Place brand in Australia with the Hyatt Place Melbourne, Essendon Fields and its second Hyatt Place property in Canada with the Hyatt Place Edmonton-West. Meanwhile, Hyatt debuted in Alaska with the Hyatt House Anchorage, New York got its first Hyatt House hotel with the Hyatt House New York/Chelsea and Hyatt House Virginia Beach/Oceanfront opened as Hyatt's first oceanfront Hyatt House hotel. Hyatt has 50 more Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels planned to open this year.