Africa Has 190 Planned Hotel Projects in Planning and Development

The hotel sector reflects this exciting trend with established and international brands and developers entering the marketplace and developing their opportunities with long term growth prospects, including: Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and The Rezidor Hotel Group. Recent construction pipelines indicate that there are over 190 planned hotel projects in planning and development, with combined guest-rooms totally over 37,000, the most popular locations are Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

The continent’s real GDP rose by an average of nearly 5% per annum over the last decade and with the collective GDP of $1.6. Trillion (in 2008) is now roughly equal to Brazil or Russia, reflecting the flourishing growth in sectors including: telecoms, banking, retail and construction with impressive increasing foreign investment.

Examples of recent planned hotel developments and openings include:
- Hotel operator Monte-Carlo SBM has teamed up with developer Aerium Atlas Management (part of the Aerium Group) to develop a 34.5 acre site in the Menara district of Marrakech: the £120m Jawhar Resort, Spa and Private Residences.

- Rocco Forte Collection is launching a new five-star 90 all suite room hotel, golf and spa resort – the Assoufid Resort in Marrakesh, with the North Africa Holding Company. Rocco Forte will also be managing the 275-room Shepheard Hotel in Cairo with The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH) to launch in 2013.

- Jumeirah Group is developing the Jumeirah Gamsha Bay Resort in Egypt, a luxury 250 room hotel on the mixed-use development of Palm Gamsha.

- Sofitel Luxuy Hotels will open its second location in Equatorial Guinea, on Bioko Island in Africa, the Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf – featuring 200 luxurious rooms.