Radisson crosses 100 hotels in Africa, scales footprint with 2,500+ room signings

Milestone underscores growth momentum with new signings, conversions, and market entries.

The Radisson brand is seeing the fastest growth, supported by conversions and a strong pipeline translating into openings. Over the past 12 months, the Group has signed more than 15 hotels and around 2,500 rooms, including entries into the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. Radisson Hotel Group is also attending FHS Africa in Nairobi, underscoring its focus on expansion and partnerships across the continent.

Brand performance and growth markets

Over the past five years, Radisson and Radisson Blu have been among the most signed brands in Africa, with a strong share of openings. In the last 12 months, the Group signed over 2,500 rooms and entered new markets, with focus on Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria.

Leadership perspective

Ramsay Rankoussi, Regional Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, commented: “We’ve crossed the 100-hotel mark in Africa by staying true to our plan, focusing on where we can lead, moving fast on quality conversions, and partnering with owners who share our ambition. The next phase is about depth in Morocco and Nigeria, a smarter footprint in South Africa, and a stronger resort offering that matches where travelers want to go. Our pipeline is built to open, not just to announce. That is why our conversion share is high, our time to market is short, and our brands are gaining ground in the cities and resort destinations that matter most.”

Focus shifts to key cities and leisure corridors across Africa

Nigeria shows the model’s resilience, with 13 hotels in operation and pipeline, while Abuja has three projects totaling 458 keys. South Africa’s strategy focuses on Cape Town, expansion into cities like Durban and Pretoria, and leisure corridors such as Kruger National Park, Sun City, and the Garden Route, alongside planned entry into Zanzibar and opportunities across Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia.

Conversion strategy

Conversions remain a core lever for scale and speed. In the last five years, more than 15 hotels, equal to almost 3,000 rooms, joined the portfolio through conversion. This helped the Group lead openings across the continent while keeping brand standards high and owners in mind.

Hyatt Centric Brand to Debut in Africa with Plans for Hyatt Centric Cairo West

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced that affiliates of Hyatt and ALDAU Development have entered into a franchise agreement to bring the full-service lifestyle brand, Hyatt Centric, to Egypt, with Hyatt Centric Cairo West.

The 283-key lifestyle hotel will become the second Hyatt-branded hotel in Cairo’s well-established Pyramids Heights Business Park, following the opening of Hyatt Regency Cairo West in 2021, further demonstrating Hyatt’s intentional brand growth in the Europe, Africa and Middle East region.

“We are proud to work with ALDAU Development to bring the Hyatt Centric brand to Egypt,“ said Ludwig Bouldoukian, regional vice president of development, Middle East and Africa, at Hyatt. “This signing is an exciting milestone as the hotel will mark the Hyatt Centric brand debut in Africa, showcasing our commitment to enhancing our lifestyle portfolio, and growing our brand presence in markets that matter most to our guests and World of Hyatt members.”

With a prime location at Cairo’s western end, by the city’s major business hubs and key tourist attractions, Hyatt Centric Cairo West will offer travellers a new way to stay in the Egyptian capital and provide a perfect launchpad to explore the surrounding neighbourhood.

Creating an art journey for the guest from the moment they arrive, the urban hotel’s design will blend cultural elements through the lens of local contemporary artists, incorporating décor that refers to Egyptian crafts, pharaonic heritage and the country’s pop culture. The property will also feature landscaped gardens, a heated outdoor pool, an art wall and inspiring indoor social spaces.

Eng. Bassel Sami Saad, Chairman of ALDAU Development, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Hyatt to deliver our second distinctive hotel experience in this prime location. With the city’s key attractions easily accessible, including the Grand Egyptian Museum and Giza Pyramids, the lifestyle property will be the perfect fit for the cosmopolitan-minded business and leisure travellers looking for accommodation in this increasingly popular neighbourhood.”

Once open, Hyatt Centric Cairo West will be the second Hyatt branded hotel in Egypt, joining Hyatt Regency Cairo West, and is expected to join more than 50 hotels in the Hyatt Centric brand portfolio globally.

Brand overview: Pullman to grow portfolio by 40 hotels with strong APAC focus

Growth in the coming years

According to the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database, Pullman Hotels & Resorts has 15 hotels in its pipeline for 2020, which will bring the company 4,410 new rooms

9 properties are planned for 2021 and things pick up again in 2022 with 12 scheduled openings. 4 more hotels are on the books for 2023 with more likely to be added by then.

Pullman’s main regional focus

Of Pullman’s 40 new hotels, 31 will launch in the APAC region, adding 8,732 rooms to this area. Africa comes in a very distant second place with 4 projects and 1,074 rooms followed by the Middle East with 3 openings. South America and Europe will each see one hotel launch.

China leads the pack with 17 projects and 4,833 new rooms. Despite the coronavirus wreaking havoc in the local hotel industry, investors are still keen on new projects there since they expect everything to go back to normal in the near future.

Vietnam and Indonesia share second place with 3 hotels each, followed by New Zealand and Australia which will get two new hotels each.

Noteworthy Pullman hotel projects around the world

The largest project currently in Pullman’s pipeline is the Pullman Doha Bridge Towers (West Bay) with 468 rooms. The hotel will open in late 2020 and offer guests easy access to Doha’s West Bay business district.

Visitors to Thailand’s serene islands will look forward to the late 2020 opening of the Pullman Khao Lak Resort. The 251-room property set on a stretch of gently sloping beach is the ideal family getaway thanks to its large kids’ club and family-friendly facilities. Couples can avail of the private villas to have their peace and quiet or go for a dip in the adult-only infinity pool overlooking the sparkling Andaman Sea.

Set within Accra’s Airport City enclave, the Pullman Accra Airport City will become a hub for business travellers visiting the city. Slated to open in early 2021, the 214-room property is anticipated to become a major venue for conferences and events thanks to its seven meeting rooms and banqueting facilities as well as its convenient location just a few minutes from Kotoka International Airport.