Hotelier Hilton says it now has 100 hotels open or under development in Africa, coinciding with the firm’s centenary.
Its hundredth property on the continent will be in Sandton, the financial capital of South Africa located in Johannesburg Municipality.
Called the Hilton Sandton Grayston, the hotel will be a mid-market property close to Hilton’s flagship upscale Hilton Sandton in a district referred to as "Africa’s richest Square Mile", the company said in a press statement sent to GCR.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2020 and it is due to open in mid-2021.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, Hilton’s senior vice president of development in Europe, Middle East & Africa, said: "With this being our 100th year, reaching the milestone of 100 hotels allows us to reflect on our rich legacy of pioneering tourism on the African continent but also to look to the future.
"We continue to step up the pace of our growth, especially in the mid-market segment which presents a tremendous opportunity as evidenced by the rapid expansion of Hilton Garden Inn on the continent since its debut in 2016."
Africa has experienced a hotel-building boom in recent years. Analysis by W Hospitality Group estimated that around 64,000 rooms would be built in Africa in 2016, an increase of almost 30% on the previous year. In sub-Saharan Africa the increase was higher, at around 42%.
Image: Senzo Tsabedze, Afrirent Holdings chief executive (left) and Mike Devereux, Hilton’s senior director of development in Sub-Saharan Africa (right) confirm the signing of Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston (HIlton)
