Hilton Hotels reveals African plans

Hilton Hotels Corporation has introduced the Doubletree by Hilton brand in Africa, with the signing of two franchise agreements in Tanzania with the owners of the Opulent Hotel Group.

The Doubletree by Hilton Dar Es Salaam, Oyster Bay and the Doubletree by Hilton Resort Zanzibar, Nungwi are scheduled to open in October.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice-president, development, for Hilton Hotels, Europe & Africa, said Tanzania had seen an increase in international tourist arrivals. “Our belief is that guests and investors should be able to choose between a multitude of brands each offering a range of services relevant to their travel needs, whether travelling on business or for pleasure.

“Tanzania as a whole has seen an increase in international tourist arrivals, as well as domestic and intra-regional travel, leading to high demand for quality hotel accommodation. Hence we are delighted to further the growth of the Hilton Family with the first Doubletree by Hilton agreements on the African continent.

“We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Opulent Hotel Group as more opportunities arise in East Africa.”

With a network that spans more than 200 locations around the world, Doubletree by Hilton will introduce business and leisure travellers in Africa to the brand’s distinctively designed hotels that reflect the destination and surrounding area.

Doubletree by Hilton hotels give the brand’s chocolate chip cookie to every guest at check-in, offer the rewards of the Hilton HHonors loyalty programme and are committed to the communities in which they operate.

Doubletree brand global head Rob Palleschi said: “Doubletree offers a wide variety of distinctively designed upscale hotels and resorts in some of the most sought-after business and leisure destinations around the world. There are numerous opportunities to build the Doubletree by Hilton brand further in Africa and it is exciting to begin this journey by introducing such outstanding locations like Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar later this year.”

The new-build Doubletree by Hilton Dar Es Salaam, Oyster Bay is located on the sea at Masaki, a suburb of Tanzania’s capital, and 20km east of the international airport. The hotel will have 158 bedrooms, meeting rooms, a business centre, an all-day restaurant, a caf and outdoor swimming pool with pool bars. The Slipway shopping and dining district is nearby.

The Doubletree by Hilton Resort Zanzibar, Nungwi on the north coast of Zanzibar Island, will have 101 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, gym, spa and health club facilities, all of which have been refurbished.

Nungwi is an established resort destination, also renowned for its fishing village and dhow-making centre. The hotel is about an hour’s drive from the airport.

Alkarim Nathoo, an associate director of the Opulent Hotel Group, said: “We are delighted to work with such a respected brand and look forward to introducing the Doubletree by Hilton experience to Africa.

“With its heritage of warm hospitality and attention to detail, Doubletree by Hilton will lend a rounded, individual touch to the hospitality offerings here, and will help further position Tanzania as an international tourist destination, as well as ensuring these two hotels integrate fully into the Tanzanian community.”

The Opulent Hotel Group, a subsidiary of the Splendid Hotel Group, was formed in 2007 to create and realise value through the acquisition, development and management of internationally branded urban and resort hotel assets within Africa.

The Splendid Hotel Group is one of the UK’s largest multi-brand franchise hotel developers. It owns and operates about 18 hotels, primarily in London, and has a development pipeline of a further 1 000 rooms over the next three years.

In addition to the two Doubletree by Hilton projects, the Opulent Hotel Group has a development pipeline of a further 500 rooms in Africa over the next three years, including further projects in Tanzania, Kenya and Zanzibar. The company’s directors are Bashir Nathoo and Ayazali Jivraj.

Hilton Hotels has 42 hotels across 13 countries in the Middle East and Africa. There are nine Hilton branded hotels in Africa, with another five in the pipeline.

Its parent corporation has more than 3 300 hotels and 550 000 rooms in 77 countries. The company owns, manages or franchises hotel brands including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria and the Waldorf Astoria Collection, as well as the recently launched Home2 Suites by Hilton. The company also manages Hilton HHonors, its guest rewards programme

The company currently operates 42 hotels in the Middle East and Africa, including 16 in Egypt, nine in the UAE, six in Saudi Arabia and two in South Africa.

Hilton Hotels has a signed development pipeline of an additional 20 properties across Middle East and Africa in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde.