Pictured: Radisson Blu Hotel Casablanca – Lobby
Radisson Hotel Group has set a record in its North African expansion, with the signing of nine hotels to date this year.
This has boosted the Group’s North Africa portfolio, comprising of of the Maghreb countries along with Libya and Egypt, to over 30 hotels in operation and under development, placing them firmly on track to reach over 50 hotels by 2025.
“We are delighted to be leading the market in North African hotel expansion, setting a record for ourselves and the industry,” says Alban Mabille de Poncheville, Director, Development, North Africa at Radisson Hotel Group. “Our flagship brand, Radisson Blu, has been one of the leading brands in the region and as we continue to grow and diversify across North Africa, we look forward to capitalising on our brand name and introducing new brands in the area such as Radisson, in the upscale segment and Radisson Collection, our entry level luxury brand.
“The market has shown a great potential in various segments but also in different product types, from resorts to city hotels but also serviced apartments and boutique hotel offerings. We aim to further accelerate our presence across all North African countries and key cities and also expand in new touristic areas as recently announced with the launch of our resort offerings across Morocco.”
In response to the need for independent hotel owners to gain further brand exposure and consumer confidence, the group launched a new brand, Radisson Individuals, aimed at individual hotels with strong service scores and existing hotel identities who wish to remain independent or may be considering overtime transitioning to one of the group’s core brands.
The results of the pandemic have shown two major trends: the resilience of serviced apartments across the industry and the rapid growth of leisure and domestic demand. The group’s recent signings respond to those trends but also cement its future in benefiting of the post-covid recovery with a balance and adequate presence covering all segments and capitalising on market priorities.
“We see the emergence of new destinations such as Al Hoceima, Saïdia and Taghazout, each showcasing a strong potential to complement our existing footprint”
As part of the Group’s new African development strategy, the African regions have been subdivided based on priorities, focus and potential scale. Egypt and Morocco have been identified as the Group’s focus countries for North Africa due to the opportunity to leverage further synergies and operational support through a clear development plan in these markets.
Morocco
As Africa’s number one tourism destination, driven by the constant growth in corporate and leisure segments, Morocco has been identified as a priority to support Radisson Hotel Group’s growth journey and deliver these operational efficiencies.
Elaborating on the Group’s Moroccan expansion strategy, Mabille de Poncheville says, “Our development approach in Morocco is based on two pillars: Firstly, proactively establishing a presence and growing our portfolio in each of the key cities, namely Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. We are confident that our multiple brands and different operating models such as hotels and serviced apartments will have a positive performance in these markets.
“Secondly, the diversification of the countries unlock further opportunities for city breaks, beach resorts and cultural tours. In addition to these already established cities, we see the emergence of new destinations such as Al Hoceima, Saïdia and Taghazout, each showcasing a strong potential to complement our existing footprint.”
“To date this year, Radisson Hotel Group has secured a record growth in Morocco with an additional nine hotels, all aligned with this development strategy, some of which include the debut of our Radisson brand in Casablanca with the signing of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle as well as the recent partnership established with Madaëf, the leading Moroccan investment company, which translated to seven additional hotels across key leisure destinations in the country.
“Egypt
In Egypt, Radisson Hotel Group is proactively looking at its capital city, Cairo, for both hotels and serviced apartments.
“There is evident potential for our core brands, Radisson Blu and Radisson, through greenfield projects in newly developed areas in particular, the new administrative area as well as conversion opportunities in established parts of the city, covering both corporate and leisure demand,” says Mabille de Poncheville. “We have also identified the potential for our lifestyle select brand, Radisson RED, filling a gap in the market for a hotel of this kind, in select locations.”
Further expanding on the Group’s leisure offerings and the growth of domestic tourism, they have identified growth opportunities along the Red Sea, with a priority to re-enter Sharm el Sheikh to reinforce and complement their resorts portfolio in the country and across North Africa.
The group has also defined a clear strategy for countries like Algeria and Tunisia where they have established world class hotels and resorts and are now capitalizing on its success, expanding within the capital cities such as Tunis and Algiers. The ambitions in these markets are driven by creating critical mass and also ensuring market proximity.
