
Africa Hotel Market Reaches New Heights: 12 New Entrants
Hotel development on the African continent is shattering records, and these 12 new properties will expand the possibilities for meeting and incentive groups.
Hotel development in Africa has reached a new level. In the works are 577 hotel projects, totaling about 105,000 rooms. That marks a 13.3% increase from last year, according to a report from W Hospitality Group, a Nigeria-based advisory firm. That's a record, according to the consultancy.
On Skift Meetings' list of 12 new properties for the meetings and incentives market, featured in our just-released What's New in Meetings and Incentive Travel 2025 report, are ultra-luxurious nature-focused resorts aimed at high-end guests seeking restorative experiences in exclusive natural settings. African properties such as the &Beyond Suyian Lodge, Few & Far Luvhondo, Gorilla Forest Lodge, JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp, and the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara and Turaco Ngorongoro Valley, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel offer a blend of opulence, nature immersion, and truly unique, boutique experiences.
1. &Beyond Suyian Lodge
Laikipia, Kenya
Suyian Lodge is a 14-suite property located in Kenya's 44,000- acre Suyian Conservancy in Laikipia. Each suite includes a private plunge pool and outdoor shower. Activities include game drives, bush walks, camel and horseback safaris, helicopter tours, and community visits. The lodge offers day and night safaris with chances to see rare species like melanistic leopards. Incentive groups benefit from high privacy, unique design, and access to a wide range of adventure and cultural experiences. Accessible via scheduled or private flights.
2. Few & Far Luvhondo
Limpopo, South Africa
Few & Far Luvhondo is a luxury lodge in South Africa's Soutpansberg mountains, offering six hilltop Cliff suites as the ideal base for an exclusive safari experience. On offer are hiking, stargazing, and conservation-focused experiences. It is carbon negative and accessible via private charter, Rovos Rail, or commercial flights to Polokwane. With rates starting at $1,800 per person per night, it caters to high-end incentive groups seeking remote, naturebased experiences with sustainable impact
3. Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr
Rabat, Morocco
Situated in Rabat's historic Quartier l'Océan, the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr opened in October 2024 offering 200 guest rooms. The hotel is a blend of newly constructed and restored historic buildings. It offers more than 29,000 square feet of event space including two ballrooms, the largest of which has its own private lounge, and eight meeting rooms. Guests can enjoy the property's expansive gardens, seven dining options, a spa, a barber shop, and a beauty salon.
4. Gorilla Forest Lodge
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Gorilla Forest Lodge is located inside Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to over half the world's remaining mountain gorillas. The lodge has 10 newly renovated villas and serves as a base for guided gorilla treks, birding, forest walks, and community visits. Activities include cultural engagement with the Batwa people and Sanctuary's philanthropic projects. Gorilla trekking is physically demanding, but sedan chairs are available for less mobile guests. Ideal for small, high-end incentive groups seeking rare wildlife experiences.
5. Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi
Cairo, Egypt
The recently opened Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi is situated in the urban Maadi district of Cairo, overlooking the River Nile. The hotel features 255 guest rooms, four dining options, an executive lounge, and the first eforea Spa in Egypt. There are several versatile venues including a multi-function room with city and Nile views. The hotel overlooks Maadi Island, Cairo's 'green oasis.'
6. Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands
Nairobi, Kenya
The Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands opened in January 2025, marking the brand's debut in Kenya. The hotel features 219 guest rooms and more than 21,000 square feet of event space, including a flexible ballroom with a capacity of 600 in theater style. Amenities include three dining options, a club lounge, a pool, a fitness center and a 24/7 business center.
7. JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp
Solio Game Reserve, Kenya
JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp is expected to open in 2026 featuring 20 tented accommodations with private plunge pools. The property will provide an immersive wildlife experience within the 45,000-acre game reserve, and 19,000-acre Solio Ranch Conservancy, known for its rhino breeding program. Guests will have access to a spa, a pool, a fitness centre, a horse barn, and an animal viewing hide. Four dining options will be offered, including a sky deck restaurant.
8. La Fiermontina Ocean
Larache, Morocco
La Fiermontina Ocean is an eco-retreat located in the Dune of Khemis Sahel Regional Park. The property extends into a nearby village where guests can stay at four traditional houses fully immersed in the local community. The main building offers 13 suites among rock-carved gardens with a family pool, a restaurant, and one meeting room for up to 80. A nearby private beach can be accessed through a footpath or shuttle service
9. Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center, Tunis
Tunis, Tunisia
The Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center, Tunis, is the brand's debut property in Tunisia's capital, located between Tunis' City of Culture and the Convention Palace. The 305-room hotel offers more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space including a large ballroom for up to 1,100 guests seated in theater style, with a total of 16 event spaces on offer. The property offers six dining options, an indoor pool, a spa, an executive business lounge, and parking for up to 400 vehicles.
10. Speke Resort Convention Centre Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Speke Resort Convention Centre Uganda is located on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. It offers four ballrooms — the largest of which can host up to 4,200 guests — 34 meeting rooms, exhibition space, and nine outdoor venues. The adjacent hotel offers 476 guest rooms. The resort incorporates various sustainability initiatives including water and energy conservation programs, waste reduction, and sourcing local, organic foods.
11. The Ritz-Carlton, Masai Mara Safari Camp
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Located on a secluded island in the Masai Mara National Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton, Masai Mara Safari Camp will offer 20 tented suites set among the trees, giving guests a front-row seat to the area's wildlife. Expected to open in August 2025, each suite will have a separate living area, private sunken lounge, infinity plunge pool, and indoor and outdoor showers. Other highlights include a stargazing deck, a discovery hub and map room, a photography studio, and four culinary options.
12. Turaco Ngorongoro Valley, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Karatu, Tanzania
The newly opened Turaco Ngorongoro Valley, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is located near the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The lodge offers 37 Maasai-inspired suites and emphasizes communal spaces that include a restaurant, two bars, a pool and a spa. Activities offered include wildlife safaris, forest walks, and visiting the nearby Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. Guests are encouraged to engage with the local Maasai culture through storytelling sessions, traditional dances, and village visits.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
This Boston apartment building is using VR goggles to show homes to prospective buyers
VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building Virtual reality is a popular way to play video games, but now a Boston apartment building is using the technology for something a bit different: selling homes. The Ritz-Carlton Residences at the South Station Tower is using the goggles to show fully furnished homes that don't exist yet. Real estate agents for the tower can guide prospective buyers from anywhere in the world. The agents use a tablet to view everything that the VR goggles display, which allows them to virtually jump the user from room to room. "My favorite part is witnessing people experience it," says Manuel Davis. "I haven't not seen anyone say 'wow,' this is incredible.'" The mask is also equipped with safety features, including a red grid that alerts buyers when they may be approaching a real-life object. VR touring apartments The idea stems from a collaboration between the Ritz-Carlton, Williams Papadopoulous Designs and rndr, a VSN company. "I realized people couldn't really view 2D renderings and floor plans, and they needed to be able to see what they were going to buy without necessarily having to go there," the founder and CEO of VSN, Nate Robert-Eze, said. The condos are virtually furnished with high-end pieces, which Mark Williams, the founder of Williams Papadopoulous Designs, helps curate. "That's what's so important about this VR technology," says Williams. "In the virtual reality space, you really do feel it so much more than if you're looking at a two-dimensional rendering." Robert-Eze believes that VR is the future of real estate, allowing house hunters to view a space anywhere in the world. And the technology is constantly evolving. "We've built a software called Path," Robert-Eze told WBZ-TV. "That takes that immersive 3D environment and actually adds an AI component to it. The space becomes intelligent and you can start asking questions about the space, about the area." For more information about the Ritz-Carlton South Station Tower Residences and their VR technology, click here.


Bloomberg
21 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Kenya Protests Over Taxes
Kenyan lawmakers turned down Treasury's proposals to scrap tax breaks on a range of goods and services, citing concerns over inflation and dwindling investor confidence. Lawmakers are wary about tax changes after the government's push last year for more revenue sparked deadly protests that left at least 60 people dead. Bloomberg's Jennifer Zabasajja reports from Johannesburg. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Under shadow of Trump warning, Africa pioneers non-dollar payments systems
By Duncan Miriri NAIROBI (Reuters) -Africa's push for local currency payments systems - once little more than an aspiration - is finally making concrete gains, bringing the promise of less costly trade to a continent long hobbled by resource-sapping dollar transactions. But efforts to move away from the dollar face strong opposition and the threat of retaliation from U.S. President Donald Trump, who is determined to preserve it as the dominant currency for global trade. The move by Africa to create payments systems that do not rely on the greenback mirrors a push by China to develop financial systems independent of Western institutions. Countries like Russia, which face economic sanctions, are also keen for an alternative to the dollar. But while that movement has gained a sense of urgency due to shifting trade patterns and geopolitical realignments following President Trump's return to the White House, African advocates for payment alternatives are making their case based on costs. "Our goal, contrary to what people might think, is not de-dollarisation," said Mike Ogbalu, chief executive of the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System, which allows parties to transact directly in local currencies, bypassing the dollar. "If you look at African economies, you'll find that they struggle with availability for third-party global currencies to settle transactions," he said. Africa's commercial banks typically rely on overseas counterparts, through so-called correspondent banking relationships, to facilitate settlements of international payments. That includes payments between African neighbours. That adds significantly to transaction costs that, along with other factors like poor transport infrastructure, have made trade in Africa 50% more expensive than the global average, according to the UN Trade and Development agency. It is also among the reasons so much of Africa's trade - 84%, according to a report by Mauritius-based MCB Group - is with external partners rather than between African nations. "The existing financial network that is largely dollar-based has essentially become less effective for Africa, and costlier," said Daniel McDowell, a professor at Syracuse University in New York specialising in international finance. HOMEGROWN SYSTEMS According to data compiled by PAPSS, under the existing system of correspondent banks, a $200 million trade between two parties in different African countries is estimated to cost 10% to 30% of the value of the deal. The shift to homegrown payments systems could cut the cost of that transaction to just 1%. Systems like PAPSS allow a business in one country, Zambia for example, to pay for goods from another like Kenya, with both buyer and seller receiving payment in their respective currencies rather than converting them into dollars to complete the transaction. Using currencies like the Nigerian naira, Ghanaian cedi or South Africa's rand for intra-Africa trade payments could save the continent $5 billion a year in hard currency, Ogbalu told Reuters. Launched in January 2022 with just 10 participating commercial banks, PAPSS is today operational in 15 countries including Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Tunisia, and now has 150 commercial banks in its network. "We have also seen very significant growth in our transactions," Ogbalu said, without providing usage data. The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's private sector lending arm, has, meanwhile, started issuing loans to African businesses in local currencies. It views the switch as imperative for their growth, relieving them from the currency risks of borrowing in dollars, said Ethiopis Tafara, IFC's vice-president for Africa. "If they are not generating hard currency, a hard-currency loan imposes a burden that makes it difficult for them to succeed," he said. GEOPOLITICS AND THE TRUMP FACTOR Africa's campaign to boost regional payments systems has found a platform at the Group of 20 major economies, with South Africa leading the charge as holder of the G20's rotating presidency. It held at least one session on boosting regional payments systems when South Africa hosted a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. And South Africa wants it to follow up the talk with concrete actions. The next meeting of G20 finance officials is scheduled for mid-July. "Some of the most expensive corridors for cross-border payments are actually found on the African continent," Lesetja Kganyago, South Africa's central bank governor, told Reuters during a G20 meeting in Cape Town in February. "For us to function as a continent, it's important that we start trading and settling in our own currencies." Talk of moving away from the dollar - either for trade or as a reserve currency - has drawn aggressive reactions from President Trump, however. After BRICS - a grouping of nations including Russia, China, India and Brazil along with Africans like South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia - weighed reducing dollar dependence and creating a common currency, Trump responded with threats of 100% tariffs. "There is no chance that BRICS will replace the U.S. Dollar in International Trade, or anywhere else, and any Country that tries should say hello to Tariffs, and goodbye to America!," he wrote on Truth Social in January. In the months since, Trump has demonstrated his willingness to use tariffs to pressure and punish allies and foes alike, a strategy that has upended global trade and geopolitics. No matter its intentions in moving to more local currency transactions, Syracuse University's McDowell said Africa will struggle to distance itself from more politically motivated de-dollarisation efforts, like those led by China and Russia. "The perception is likely to be that this is about geopolitics," he said. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data