Own

AccorHotels sets expansion in Africa

At the African Hotel Investment Forum held this week in Nairobi, Kenya, AccorHotels announced a record year of development in Africa. 

The year started with the 50-percent stake in the Mantis Group, followed by the announcement in late July of a dedicated investment fund with a targeted reach of $1 billion for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. In September, the company acquired Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts (adding more than 50 hotels to the group’s Middle East and Africa portfolio), and most recently, hospitality stalwart Mark Willis was named CEO for AccorHotels Middle East and Africa.

AccorHotels is a major operator in Africa with more than 150 hotels and close to 27,000 rooms across 23 countries. The investment fund, in partnership with Katara Hospitality, will provide a platform for a combined network of organic and acquisition reach of 250 hotels by 2025.  

Speaking at the Regional Leaders panel at AHIF, Willis outlined the group’s vision for Africa based on organic growth and development, and a renewed focus on rebalancing AccorHotel’s presence in Africa with an emphasis on key cities and destinations in East and Southern Africa. He stressed the need for collaboration with local partners and to mobilize their expertise, intuitive knowledge and passion for community outreach.    

Over the course of the year, the group also opened flagship properties and signed key projects, including the first Fairmont flag in Morocco with the opening of the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and the conversion of the Ibis Styles Nairobi. Key signings included the combined Novotel and Adagio residences in Abidjan, Novotel Algiers, and two strategic projects in Lagos with the MGallery Ikoyi and Pullman Ikoyi. The group also announced the first Pullman brand in Ghana to open in 2021. The Pullman Accra Airport City will be a mixed-use complex with Pullman Living, an extended-stay property.