Protea Hotels expands with first hotel in Botswana

Alex Kyriakidis

“This latest development reflects our ongoing commitment to doing business in Africa, and to providing the sort of quality accommodation and facilities that the market in Africa is calling for,” says Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa for Marriott International.

Marriott International, the parent company of Protea Hotels, plans to open over 93 hotels – equating to 19,000 additional rooms - in the Middle East and Africa region between now and 2025. This year alone, 17 new hotels will be opened in the region, adding close to 3,000 new rooms. As regards Africa more specifically, 10 new hotels are scheduled to open during 2016, bringing an additional 1,623 rooms to the market.

“Characterised by prudent economic management and political stability, Botswana is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle income state. With this sort of economic success and the positive outlook for the country, we certainly see strong value in this venture in Botswana.”

The new property

Protea’s new property, scheduled to open in early 2018, will be located in the capital, Gaborone. It is strategically positioned in the new Central Business District of the city where there are a number of recently-developed corporate head offices, government offices and various retail facilities. The hotel’s site was carefully selected for its visibility and accessibility; a prominent location near two of the city’s main roads.

The hotel will offer 160 rooms of various sizes and types, and will also feature substantial conference, meeting and event facilities. The large ballroom, designed for versatile use, can be converted into four meeting rooms, giving the hotel the ability to host up to eight meetings at any time – four in the ballroom and four in the other meeting rooms that are planned. Other facilities include a business centre, bar, restaurant, fitness centre and outdoor pool.

“The Hotel represents a significant investment in the local economy and, in addition to offering new hospitality facilities, it will be appreciated because of the new employment opportunities to be created for local citizens,” says Kyriakidis.