Marriott International grows its African footprint with three new deals

Marriott International has expanded its presence in the African hotel market - with three new deals across North and West Africa, reinforcing its commitment on the continent.

Hotel group Marriott International has expanded its presence in the African hotel market — with three new deals across North and West Africa, reinforcing its commitment on the continent.

The new agreements — announced on the sidelines of the Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain in Marrakech, Morocco,and aimed at driving investment into tourism in the region — highlight the company’s growth in Morocco and Ghana, while marking its debut in Liberia.

Marriott International chief development officer for Middle East & Africa Jerome Briet said: “New and established markets across North and West Africa continue to present us with immense opportunities to further enhance and diversify our portfolio in the continent.

“The new deal signings further strengthen our robust development pipeline, which is a result of our long-established presence in Africa and the trust owners have in Marriott International and our compelling portfolio of diverse brands.”

Marriott International is on track to expand its footprint in Africa to 200 hotels by the end of 2023 and the North and West Africa regions play a pivotal role in its overall growth strategy for the continent.

In North Africa, the company currently has 30 hotels and over 10,000 rooms in its portfolio and, with a robust pipeline in place, expects to grow its portfolio by 60% by the end of 2023.

In West Africa, Marriott expects to grow its current footprint by 75% with the addition of nine new hotels and more than 1,800 rooms by the end of 2023. It currently operates 12 properties across Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and Guinea and plans to enter Benin and Ivory Coast as a part of its development pipeline.

Marriott is on track in 2019 to open its ninth property in Nigeria and the Protea Hotel by Marriott Accra Kotoka Airport in Ghana.