Carlson Rezidor expands in Gabon, Guinea

The Carlson Rezidor group has just entered its 68th and 69th territories with new hotels in the Republic of Guinea and Gabon.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Addis Ababa that opened in January in Ethiopia, the Radisson Blu Conakry in Guinea, and the Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson in Libreville, Gabon, are the latest additions to Carlson Rezidor’s growing African portfolio. The Libreville property was previously the Okoume Palace Hotel (picture above) and is being renovated to reopen in18 months.
Andrew McLachlan, Rezidor’s vice-president of business development for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, said: “We are proud to arrive in the Republic of Guinea and Gabon, the 68th and 69th countries in which Rezidor is present, and we look forward to strengthening our presence in both regions.
The Rezidor Hotel Group and Wali Hotels & Resorts are co-operating in the Gabonese hotel market after Rezidor president & CEO Kurt Ritter and his Wali Hotels & Resorts counterpart, Brice Laccruche Alihanga, signed an agreement in Libreville on 15 March.
Rezidor will operate the Okoume Palace Hotel in Libreville as an unbranded hotel while it is renovated. In September 2013, the hotel will be dual-branded – offering guests a 330-room Radisson Blu hotel and a 140-room Park Inn by Radisson in a separate hotel tower. In addition, the complex will have five restaurants and bars, extensive meeting facilities, a business class lounge, a crew lounge, a gym, and an outdoor swimming pool.
The Radisson Blu Conakry – featuring 249 rooms – is scheduled to open in 2014.
Guinea is rich in minerals and other natural resources, and its mining sector and refinery industry are the driving forces behind the country’s economic growth. The port and capital city of Conakry is the country’s trade hub and first stop for most international visitors.
Part of a mixed-use development with cliff-top views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Radisson Blu Conakry is next to the US embassy in an up-market business and residential precinct of the city that has international company and government administration offices.
A new football stadium which will host the African Cup of Nations in 2014, will be located two kilometres from the site.
In addition to its 249 rooms, the Radisson Blu Conakry will feature several restaurants and bars, including an outdoor terrace and rooftop food and beverage outlet. The hotel will also offer about 1 580m2 of conference and meeting facilities, an outdoor swimming pool and a spa.
Future plans for the site include serviced apartments to be managed by the hotel, and a casino to be operated by a third party.
“Growth in the emerging markets of Africa has been a major focus for Rezidor in recent years. The signing of this property is in line with the group’s asset-smart strategy to develop Radisson Blu hotels in leading African capital cities. We now have 45 hotels and almost over 11 000 rooms in operation or under development across 19 countries in Africa,” McLachlan said.
The African continent is a key development region for the group. Carlson Rezidor’s African portfolio comprises 19 hotels with 4 800 rooms in operation and 26 hotels with 5 500 rooms under development – the largest pipeline of any international hotel operator in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group – born in early 2012 – manages more than 1 300 hotels in 80 countries. Its brands include Radisson Blu, Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn by Radisson, Hotel Missoni and Park Plaza.
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, USA, and Brussels, Belgium.