Radisson to open its first hotels in Tanzania as part of African expansion
25th June 2024
By:
Schalk Burger
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor
Radisson Hotel Group will add seven new hotels, with more than 1 200 rooms, to its African portfolio and will open two hotels in Dar es Salaam and in Mwanza, in Tanzania, in 2025.
The new hotels have expanded the group’s footprint in
Africa to nearly 100 hotels in operation and development in 30 countries, placing it well on track to reach its goal of 150 hotels within the next five years.
Tanzania has been identified as a key market in the group’s proactive expansion strategy, the company says.
“The seven new hotels align with our expansion strategy, demonstrating significant growth in key African markets such as Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia as well as our highly anticipated debut in Tanzania.
“These hotels also highlight our conversion strategy and our commitment to diversifying our portfolio by introducing new brands and cementing our presence in these important markets,” says Radisson Hotel Group
Africa and Turkey development VP
Ramsay Rankoussi.
The 138-room Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments hotel in Dar es Salaam is set to open in 2025 and will have 94 guestrooms and 44 three-bedroom apartments. It will occupy the top 14 floors of a 33-floor tower as part of a mixed-use development in Dar es Salaam's central
business district.
It will be within walking distance of the ferry terminal to Zanzibar Island and will offer dining, outdoor facilities, a salon, gym, meeting rooms and children's playrooms, Radisson says.
Further, the 196-room Radisson Hotel Mwanza will debut the Radisson brand in Tanzania in 2025. It will offer dining and recreation facilities, outdoor facilities and meeting and event spaces, a ballroom,
business centre, gym, spa and child playground.
The group has also enhanced its 11-hotel Moroccan portfolio with a Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments and a Radisson RED in Casa Anfa, in Casablanca Finance City, which will add 381 rooms and which are set to open in late 2027.
In addition to the five meeting rooms at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments Casablanca Finance City, there will be a 1 100 m2 conference centre for meetings and events, comprising an auditorium, ballroom and three meeting rooms.
Casablanca represents a strategic hub among multiple continents and the new hotels solidify the group’s ambitions to reach more than 25 hotels by 2030 across the country, Radisson says.
Meanwhile, the 305-room Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Centre will soon debut the Radisson Blu brand in Tunis, complementing the group’s footprint in Tunisia as its seventh hotel in the country and fourth in Tunis.
The new hotel is close to the airport and will feature dining facilities, a convention centre,
business centre, meeting rooms and boardrooms.
The group will open a 105-room Radisson RED Abuja in Wuse, in Abuja, in 2028, which will be its thirteenth property in Nigeria and the second Radisson RED in the country.
The new-build hotel will be surrounded by corporate offices, estates, shopping malls and nightlife venues. It will have dining facilities, a fitness facility, and 238 m2 of meeting space, including three meeting rooms and a pre-function area.
The new signing of the Radisson RED Hotel Abuja has further bolstered the group’s presence in the city, bringing the total number of hotels under development in Abuja to four, the company says.
Additionally, the group is scheduled to open the 120-room Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa in 2025, which will be its third hotel in Ethiopia and introduce the Park Inn by Radisson brand to the country.
The hotel will have dining facilities, a conference room, meeting, co-working and events spaces, a
business centre, gyms, a spa, sport facilities, retail and a children's entertainment area.
“With a strong first half of the year, we plan to continue the momentum in the second half by focusing on expanding our presence in key markets such as Morocco and South
Africa, where we have recently announced our ambition to reach 25 hotels by 2030, and doubling the portfolio in both countries,” says Rankoussi.
Since 2022, the group has opened 14 new hotels. This has set a record in terms of openings and translates to 15% annual net operating growth in its African portfolio.
It also diversified its portfolio with its first safari hotel in
Africa, namely the Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit, in South
Africa, its first resort in Livingstone, namely the Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya, and its debut in Reunion Island with Radisson Hotel Saint Denis, it says.
Radisson Hotel Group bolsters African presence with 7 additional hotels and over 1,200 new rooms including a landmark entry in Tanzania
Windhoek - 25 June 2024
Radisson Hotel Group is delighted to announce the addition of seven new hotels, adding over 1,200 hotel rooms to its African portfolio and its debut in Tanzania within the first half of 2024. With those additions, the Group’s footprint in Africa has grown to nearly 100 hotels in operation and development, placing the Group well on track to reach its goal of 150 hotels within the next five years.
Tanzania has been identified as a key market in the Group’s proactive expansion strategy, making its debut in the country with two hotel signings. This addition enhances the Group’s diverse African portfolio, spanning across 30 countries, further establishing it as the hotel company with the largest market presence in Africa.
In
Nigeria, Radisson Hotel Group continues to hold a leading position with a portfolio of 13 hotels in operation and under development, including five new hotels signed in 2023. The new signing of the
Radisson RED Hotel Abuja has further bolstered the Group’s presence in the city, bringing the total number of hotels under development in Abuja to four.
In
Morocco, the Group has pursued the same efforts with a clear transformation plan, growing its presence from 1 hotel in 2020 to over 9 hotels in operation and 4 hotels in development today. Casablanca represents a strategic hub among multiple continents and the new signing of
Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments Casablanca Finance City and Radisson RED Hotel Casablanca Finance City solidifies the Group’s ambitions to reach over 25 hotels by 2030 across the country.
Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer at Radisson Hotel Group, said,
“The seven new hotels align with our expansion strategy, demonstrating significant growth in key African markets such as Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and Ethiopia as well as our highly anticipated debut in Tanzania. These hotels also highlight our conversion strategy and our commitment to diversifying our portfolio by introducing new brands and cementing our presence in these important markets.”
The six hotel signings include:
Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
Marking Radisson Hotel Group’s debut in Tanzania, this 138-room hotel, featuring 94 guestrooms and 44 three-bedroom apartments, is set to open in 2025 as part of a mixed-use development in Dar es Salaam's CBD. The hotel will occupy the top 14 floors of a 33-floor tower, one of the tallest buildings in the area, and is within walking distance of the ferry terminal to Zanzibar Island.
The hotel will offer a diverse array of dining facilities, including a lobby café, business class lounge, all-day dining restaurant, specialty restaurant, outdoor pool, and pool restaurant. Additional amenities include retail stores, a ladies' salon, indoor parking, a gym, steam room and sauna, kids' playroom, and eight meeting rooms.
Radisson Hotel Mwanza (Tanzania)
Supporting a strong market entry, this 196-room hotel, currently under construction, will debut the Radisson brand in Tanzania in 2025. Mwanza, Tanzania’s second-largest city, is renowned for corporate meetings and events and is the ideal starting point for tours to the Serengeti National Park. As the only branded hotel in Mwanza, it will feature a lobby café and bar, all-day dining restaurant, sports bar, outdoor pool bar, executive lounge, and two specialty restaurants, Balaustine, a 'casual-fine dining' experience inspired by the Barbary coast and the Levant and
Filini, offering a delectable dining experience of fresh, simple, and delicious Italian-style cuisine.
The meetings and events space includes a triple-height ballroom, business center, boardrooms, and a conference room. The extensive wellness facilities will include a gym, spa, outdoor pool, and kids' playground.
Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments, Casablanca Finance City and Radisson RED Casablanca Finance City (Morocco)
Enhancing the Group's Moroccan portfolio, which currently includes 11 hotels in operation and under development, is the addition of new two dual-branded hotels and a serviced apartment. These new builds, including the first Radisson RED hotel in North Africa will feature a total of 381 rooms, are set to open in late 2027. They will be located in Casa Anfa, at the heart of Casablanca Finance City, the city's new financial hub, recognized as Africa's leading financial center, on par with London and La Défense in Paris.
Providing guests with an array of dining and wellness facilities for an ideal stay, the Radisson Blu will offer guests an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty rooftop restaurant, and a rooftop bar. Meanwhile, the Radisson RED hotel, will feature a restaurant and a pool bar. The Radisson Blu's wellness facilities will include a spa, a fitness center, and an outdoor rooftop swimming pool. The Radisson RED will also provide a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and an outdoor rooftop swimming pool.
For meetings and events, in addition to the five meeting rooms at the Radisson Blu, there will be a 1,100-square-meter conference center comprising an auditorium, large ballroom and three meeting rooms, making the complex the future meeting destination.
Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center, Tunis (Tunisia)
This 305-room hotel, a conversion of an existing property, will soon debut the Radisson Blu brand in Tunis, complementing the Group’s footprint in Tunisia as its seventh hotel in the country and fourth in Tunis. Located just 10 minutes from the airport, the hotel will feature dining outlets such as a lobby bar, shisha bar, all-day dining restaurant, and three specialty restaurants.
The expansive convention center will include multiple meeting rooms, boardrooms, a VIP room, an executive lounge, a business center, and a 1,400 sqm ballroom, making it the largest conference center in the city.
Radisson RED Abuja (Nigeria)
The new-build 105-room hotel, set to open in 2028, will be Radisson Hotel Group’s 13th property in Nigeria and the second Radisson RED in the country, introducing the upper upscale brand to Abuja. Located in Wuse, Abuja’s main commercial and social district, the hotel will be surrounded by corporate offices, popular estates, shopping malls, and nightlife venues. The hotel will feature a bar and terrace, an all-day dining restaurant, and a pool bar and grill. It will also offer 238 square meters of meeting space, including three meeting rooms and a pre-function area, as well as a fitness facility.
Park Inn by Radisson Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Scheduled to open in 2025, this 120-room hotel will be the Group’s third hotel in Ethiopia, all located in Addis Ababa and introduce the Park Inn by Radisson brand to the country. Dining options will include a breakfast hall, restaurant hall, coffee shop, and four soft drink bars. The meeting and events space will consist of a large and medium conference room and four meeting rooms. Guests can also enjoy two gyms, a spa, business center, sport facilities, kids' entertainment area, retail space, and co-working space.
Since 2022, the Group has opened 14 hotels, including the debut of the Radisson brand in Morocco and Tunis with
Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle and
Radisson Hotel Tunis City Center, solidifying its position as the largest hotel operator in Tunisia. The openings have diversified the Group’s portfolio with the first safari hotel in Africa,
Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit, the first resort in Livingstone,
Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya, and the debut in Reunion Island with
Radisson Hotel Saint Denis. This achievement has set a record for the Group in terms of realizing its pipeline into openings, translating into a commendable 15 percent annual net operating growth in its African portfolio.
“With a strong first half of the year, we plan to continue the momentum in the second half by focusing on expanding our presence in key markets such as Morocco and South Africa, where we’ve recently announced our ambition to reach 25 hotels by 2030, doubling the portfolio in both countries. We thank each of our partners for their valued trust in us and our brands,” concluded Younes.
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