No doubt, the Radisson Hotel Group has continued in its ambitious African growth strategy. This is evident in the first half of 2022 where the Group confirmed more than eight hotel openings and market entries with over 1,000 rooms across the region.
At the start of 2022, the Group set out plans to add more than a dozen hotels across the continent and is on track to meet this goal, having delivered two thirds of the planned growth to date. The new openings and signings underline Africa’s importance to the Group’s overall growth strategy and are aligned with its objective of having more than 150 properties across Africa by 2025.
Since opening its first hotel in Nigeria in 2011, the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos Victoria Island. The portfolio for the Radisson Hotel Group in Nigeria has grown to nine properties open and under development in the country, five which are operating in Lagos and Abeokuta and spread across the award-winning upper upscale brand, Radisson Blu, the upscale Radisson brand and the upper midscale brand, Park Inn by Radisson.
Four properties are currently under development in Abuja and Lagos: Radisson Collection Hotel Ikoyi Lagos, Radisson Collection Hotel Emerald Grand Hotel & Spa, Radisson Blu Hotel Abuja City Centre and Radisson Hotel Abuja Gudu, all scheduled to open by 2025.
Speaking on Nigeria’s portfolio growth, Bert Fol, regional director for Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, says, “As the largest economy of the African continent, Nigeria remains a key market for Radisson Hotel Group as we expand our reach across West Africa”.
“RHG’s objective in Nigeria is to increase our portfolio by at least 50 percent, by 2025. The prime focus of expansion is the capital city of Abuja, followed by Lagos and Port Harcourt.
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“We foresee developing each of our six brands in Nigeria which includes our newest Radisson Individuals brand to support potential conversions. Today, we have 25 hotels in West Africa; we aim to reach 50 hotels by 2025, which means 5 hotels a year in the next three years”.
“These ambitious expansion plans and the success of our hotels in Nigeria, even through difficult periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where our operational hotels in Nigeria continued to be leaders in the market, not only in the country, but in the continent, is only possible because of our wonderful partners and our passionate teams”.
The first half of 2022 saw Radisson Hotel Group enter several key new African markets along with other significant milestone signings and openings. The Group expanded its presence in Madagascar with a portfolio of three hotels, becoming the largest international operator on the island. The first Radisson branded hotel in East Africa, Radisson Hotel Addis Ababa Bole Airport was signed in 2022, and the Radisson Individuals brand was introduced to the continent with the opening of two new properties, Number One Oxford Street Hotel & Suites, a member of Radisson Individuals in Ghana, and Marina Resort Port Ghalib, a member of Radisson Individuals in Marsa Allam, Egypt.
Radisson Hotel Group has also announced the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Juba, South Sudan’s first internationally branded 5-star hotel, and continues its resort growth strategy with the signing of Radisson Resort Dakar Saly in Senegal. The Group also reinforced its presence in Tunisia with the recent opening of Radisson Sfax and the rebranding of La Maison Blanche Tunis as a Radisson Individuals property. In South Africa, the Group expanded its portfolio to more than 14 properties with the opening of its latest addition, Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga.
Tim Cordon, area senior vice president, Middle East & Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, says, “2022 has been historic for Radisson Hotel Group to date. While we’ve long seen Africa as a key growth region, it’s been incredibly exciting to enter new markets for the first time. In doing so, we’ve cemented our position as one of the leading operators on the African continent, with the most diverse portfolio across the 30-plus countries.”
Toeing the same line, Ramsay Rankoussi, vice president, development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, explains that, “Radisson Hotel Group’s growth in existing markets and entry into new markets in Africa forms a critical part of our global expansion strategy. Having built a strong base with our portfolio of city hotels, we’re proud to be increasing the diversity of our brand offerings in Africa. The acceleration of our openings during the last 12-18 months highlights the relevance of our brands in today’s market, the trust and confidence our partners have in the Group, and the quality of our pipeline as a market leader. The first half of 2022 saw openings surpass signings, which shows a positive trend in materialization of our pipeline and a successful execution of our conversion strategy”.
