Radisson Hotel Group has set a target of growing its portfolio of hotels in west and central Africa by 50%. Currently the group has 29 hotels with more than 5,000 rooms in operation, or signed into its development pipeline.
The last year has seen five new signings, including two new market entries, the Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa in Banjul, Gambia and Radisson Hotel Benin City in Nigeria. The Banjul property will have 462 rooms and is already under construction, with an expected opening date of early 2025.
Also coming to Nigeria are the Radisson Collection Hotel & Conference Center, and a Radisson Blu Hotel in Abuja, and a Radisson Red hotel for Lagos. The additions mean Radisson now has a presence of 12 hotels in Nigeria. The Radisson Collection property is a 249 room new build, with extensive conference and meeting rooms; while the 104 room Radisson Blu is expected to open in early 2025.
“We are focusing our efforts on large-scale expansion in eight proactive cities in West and Central Africa,” said Erwan Garnier, senior director, development, Africa at Radisson Hotel Group. “These destinations are Abuja, Lagos, Accra, Abidjan, Dakar, Yaoundé, Douala, and Kinshasa. Our development strategy for West and Central Africa focuses on business hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, and mixed-use projects.”
Across the continent as a whole, Radisson is looking to grow its portfolio to 150 hotels in Africa, over the next five years, up from a current count of 100 hotels. The company lays claim to being the fastest growing hotel group in Africa, delivering 15% annual growth.
Elsewhere on the continent, in February 2024 Radisson opened its first safari hotel and its eleventh hotel in South Africa. Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit has 138 rooms with a contemporary Scandinavian design, and a restaurant with a thatched roof. The hotel is set between two renowned nature reserves, Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon. And in Algiers, the group is planning to open its second hotel in Algeria. The 148 room Radisson La Baie d’Alger is under construction and will be launching in mid 2026, close to the city centre and port of Algiers with the international airport a 15km drive away.
