In 2023, Radisson Hotel Group strengthened its position in the Middle East and Africa by adding 22 new properties to its regional portfolio, representing more than 3,800 rooms. For 2024, Radisson Hotel Group plans to open 14 new hotels in various countries in the Middle East and Africa to meet the growing demand for upscale accommodation in these regions.
The group recorded remarkable growth, adding more than 30,000 rooms to its global portfolio of 10 brands through openings and signings.
Focus on the Middle East
“Our ambitions remain strong as we continue our robust expansion efforts in the region, focusing particularly on resorts as well as serviced apartments. We continue to penetrate new markets as we have seen in Erbil and Amman while we strengthen our position with strategic owners in established cities such as Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Makkah and Muscat, to name a few. Our value proposition to our existing and new owners continues to improve with a comprehensive brand offering and a pragmatic conversions approach to drive openings.” - Elie Milky, Vice President Business Development, Middle East, Greece, Cyprus, and Pakistan at Radisson Hotel Group
In the Middle East, the Group has opened over 1,000 rooms in the last 12 months and aims to open a further 2,000 by 2024. Its long-term goal is to have 150 properties operational or under development in the region by 2030.
In the last quarter of 2023, Radisson Hotel Group opened new properties in Oman, including Muscat Levatio Suites and Radisson Hotel Muscat Panorama, as well as Vivid Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The group has also signed agreements for Park Inn by Radisson Resort Bimmah and Radisson Serviced Apartments Salalah. In Jordan, Radisson Blu Hotel, Amman Galleria Mall, opened its doors, while in Iraqi Kurdistan, Radisson Hotel & Residences Erbil came into being.
For 2024, the group is planning further openings in Mecca with Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thaker West and Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher East. It will also introduce the Park Inn by Radisson brand in Kuwait with Park Inn by Radisson Hotel & Apartments Kuwait, while opening Radisson Hotel Jeddah Tahlia Street.
Continued expansion in Africa
In Africa, Radisson Hotel Group continued its expansion in 2023 with eight new hotel signings, adding more than 1,600 rooms to its portfolio. The long-term goal is to reach 150 hotels in Africa over the next five years, up from the current 100.
These new signings include entries into new markets such as The Gambia with Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Banjul, and Nigeria with Radisson Hotel Benin City. In addition, properties such as Radisson Collection Hotel & Conference Center, Abuja, Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD and Radisson RED Lagos VI have strengthened the group's position in Nigeria, taking its portfolio to 12 hotels and over 1,700 rooms.
“We have an exciting year ahead with five hotel openings in Africa, reinforcing our market leader stance in our key countries such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa but also maintaining the fastest growth across the continent in tangible openings. Building on the momentum of the Radisson Collection Resort, Marsa Alam Port Phoenice signing, introducing the Radisson Collection brand in the country with an exceptional resort, we will also open the first standalone serviced apartments in Egypt with Radisson Residences Cairo Heliopolis within the coming months.
In Morocco, we further enhance our flourishing portfolio with the highly anticipated opening of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier, the debut of the Radisson brand in Morocco, scheduled for Q2. This latest opening adds to much anticipation of the growing potential of the country which we have made our priority, In South Africa, we are set to add our 12th hotel with the opening of Radisson Hotel Middelburg later this year, following the successful opening of our first safari hotel in Africa with the recently announced Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit.
In addition to these key markets, we are proactively pursuing East Africa this year, with Kenya and Tanzania identified as market priorities. As resorts continue to play an important role in our global strategic growth plan, we will build on our successful resort expansion in Africa, which has included the recent openings of Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya in Livingstone and our debut in Reunion Island with the opening of Radisson Hotel Saint Denis.” - Highlighting the Group’s priorities in Africa for 2024, Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Business Development for Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group
Over the past three years, Radisson Hotel Group has become the fastest growing hotel group in Africa, with 20 hotel openings across the continent. This success has resulted in an impressive 15% annual growth in its African portfolio.
The group was also recognised for its commitment to responsible tourism and its website and app, also won awards for innovative immersive content.