An ambitious five-star hotel project with 218 keys, the forthcoming MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa exemplifies Accor’s strategy of building up its presence across Africa.

French hotel giant Accor appears to be banking on the strength of East Africa’s luxury travel market with the development of MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa. We find out more about this eye-catching property.

MGallery to land in Addis Ababa

Way back in 2017, Accor signed a deal with Tsemex Hotels and Business for the management of a hotel in the Ethiopian capital that would fall under the group’s Sofitel brand. Originally slated to open in 2018, the hotel will now not welcome guests until the beginning of 2021.

Appealing to both business and leisure travellers, MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa will boast a number of premium features, namely two restaurants, a swimming pool, a fitness centre and a state-of-the-art spa, as well as ample meeting, conference and events facilities. The newbuild will operate under the MGallery banner – a collection of properties that are unique to their destination and ooze with local character, creativity and craft.

Accor doubles down in Africa

Africa has long been one of the world’s most promising hotel markets, and global players are increasingly catching onto the fact that this multifaceted region is ripe for development. Accor, for example, already has a strong presence in North and West Africa, but is now expanding rapidly into other areas.

In a June 2019 press release, Accor signalled that it was on track to open 35 hotels in Africa by 2020, and had set a target of signing between 15 and 20 additional projects per year up until 2025. Of course, Covid19 has undoubtedly affected its ability to realise certain projects, and several high-profile schemes are still on the drawing board, but the overall direction of travel remains clear.

Speaking at the time, Mark Willis, CEO of Middle East & Africa for Accor, said: “Our brand offering, combined with our unparalleled market expertise, puts us in a strong position to meet our key development goals, namely consolidating our leadership position in North Africa and accelerating development in East and Sub-Saharan Africa. This will be achieved by maximising opportunities for recent brand additions, including lifestyle concepts; identifying markets for branded residences and extended-stay projects – a segment in its relative infancy in Africa; and capitalising on the success of existing brands such as ibis, Novotel, Pullman, Sofitel and Fairmont, to name a few.”

The MGallery by Sofitel Addis Ababa development is already turning lots of heads in East Africa, but it seems certain that plenty more eye-catching Accor schemes will follow in the coming months and years.