Radisson expands across Africa, including Tanzania debut

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Tanzania has been identified as a key market in the Group’s proactive expansion strategy, making its debut in the country with two hotel signings. This addition enhances the Group’s diverse African portfolio, spanning across 30 countries, further establishing it as the hotel company with the largest market presence in Africa.

In Nigeria, the hotel group continues to hold a leading position with a portfolio of 13 hotels in operation and under development, including five new hotels signed in 2023. The new signing of the Radisson RED Hotel Abuja has further bolstered the Group’s presence in the city, bringing the total number of hotels under development in Abuja to four.

In Morocco, the Group has pursued the same efforts with a clear transformation plan, growing its presence from 1 hotel in 2020 to over 9 hotels in operation and four hotels in development today. Casablanca represents a strategic hub among multiple continents and the new signing of Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments Casablanca Finance City and Radisson RED Hotel Casablanca Finance City solidifies the Group’s ambitions to reach over 25 hotels by 2030 across the country.

Ramsay Rankoussi, vice president, development, Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, says: "The seven new hotels align with our expansion strategy, demonstrating significant growth in key African markets such as Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and Ethiopia as well as our highly anticipated debut in Tanzania.

"These hotels also highlight our conversion strategy and our commitment to diversifying our portfolio by introducing new brands and cementing our presence in these important markets."

Tanzanian expansion

Marking the hotel group's debut in Tanzania, the 138-room Radisson Blu Hotel & Apartments, Dar es Salaam, features 94 guestrooms and 44 three-bedroom apartments and is set to open in 2025 as part of a mixed-use development in Dar es Salaam's CBD.

The hotel will occupy the top 14 floors of a 33-floor tower, one of the tallest buildings in the area, and is within walking distance of the ferry terminal to Zanzibar Island.

The hotel will offer a diverse array of dining facilities, including a lobby café, business class lounge, all-day dining restaurant, speciality restaurant, outdoor pool, and pool restaurant. Additional amenities include retail stores, a ladies' salon, indoor parking, a gym, a steam room and sauna, a kids' playroom, and eight meeting rooms.

Supporting a strong market entry, this 196-room Radisson Hotel Mwanza, currently under construction, will debut the Radisson brand in Tanzania in 2025. Mwanza, Tanzania’s second-largest city, is renowned for corporate meetings and events and is the ideal starting point for tours to the Serengeti National Park.

As the only branded hotel in Mwanza, it will feature a lobby café and bar, an all-day dining restaurant, sports bar, outdoor pool bar, executive lounge, and two speciality restaurants, Balaustine, a 'casual-fine dining' experience inspired by the Barbary coast and the Levant and Filini, offering a delectable dining experience of fresh, simple, and delicious Italian-style cuisine.

The meetings and events space includes a triple-height ballroom, business centre, boardrooms, and a conference room. The extensive wellness facilities will include a gym, spa, outdoor pool, and kids' playground.

“With a strong first half of the year, we plan to continue the momentum in the second half by focusing on expanding our presence in key markets such as Morocco and South Africa, where we’ve recently announced our ambition to reach 25 hotels by 2030, doubling the portfolio in both countries. We thank each of our partners for their valued trust in us and our brands,” concludes Rankoussi.