Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the opening of Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit, its first Safari hotel in Africa and 11th hotel in South Africa. Tucked between two renowned nature reserves, Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon, the hotel is located 2km outside of Hoedspruit in the heart of the grasslands in the Limpopo province and just 20 minutes from Eastgate Airport.
Boasting majestic views of the Drakensberg mountains, the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit is surrounded by endless destination-immersing activities. Guests can take part in bucket-list safari adventures to spot local wildlife such as lions, rhinoceros, and elephants, go trekking on horseback, or take in the sprawling landscape from a hot air balloon.
Tim Cordon, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Africa and SEAP, Radisson Hotel Group
Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit offers a range of room types from standard rooms with garden and mountain views to Premium Suites featuring their own private pools and relaxing outdoor seating areas to take in the natural landscape. With a contemporary Scandinavian design, the hotels 138 rooms and suites provide a calming setting with natural materials, wooden details and rich, earthy colors that pay homage to its African surroundings.
At the thatched roof restaurant, Mirage, guests can enjoy South African and Lebanese-inspired cuisine on the restaurant’s wrap-around deck, with convenient access to a sunbathing area and pool in the summer, as well as an outdoor fireplace on cooler evenings. Pegasus restaurant offers fresh and wholesome Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican, and American-inspired dishes as well as gourmet ice cream and frozen cocktails, served alongside the adults-only swimming pool. At the hotel’s third restaurant, Boma, guests can indulge in some of Africa’s most popular delicacies such as the local sausage, Boerewors; Bobotie; and selection of game meat, while listening to the soothing crackling of the fire and stargazing in the clear night’s sky.
“We are thrilled to open the doors of our first safari-inspired hotel in South Africa. The opening of Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit marks our 11th hotel opening in South Africa and completes our own Golden Triangle Safari offering with exquisite properties in Cape Town and the recently opened Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya in Livingstone,” said Tim Cordon, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Africa and SEAP, Radisson Hotel Group.
“My team and I are thrilled to introduce the world to the perfect combination of hospitality with Radisson’s renowned Yes I Can! Service philosophy and our unmatched safari-inspired setting. Our extensive offering will ensure guests have an unforgettable experience whether they are enjoying a family holiday, a serene couples escape, or a meeting and event in a unique backdrop,” said Charles McCarthy, General Manager of Radisson Hotel Safari Hoedspruit.
Featuring a planter roof and inspiring views of the surrounding grasslands, Radisson Hotel Safari Hoedspruit will offer a tranquil and rejuvenating escape at its Amani Spa. Guests can indulge in a variety of pampering treatments in the spa’s five treatment rooms including a private couple’s suite. The spa also features a health bar, hair and nail salon and a soothing steam room. A 24-hour fitness center is also accessible to guests looking to stay active during their stay and offers the latest modern cardio and strength training equipment.
The hotel’s versatile meetings and events spaces consist of five different meeting venues, including comfortable boardrooms, meeting rooms, and a main banquet hall that can accommodate up to 200 guests.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
For the past 75 years, Radisson Hotel Group has built up a reputation of excellence in the accommodation and hospitality sectors and has become one of the biggest hotel groups in the world. This has been done by creating customer trust in the Group’s offerings, and through carefully considered expansions into key markets across the world supported by the right choice of partners.
With over 1,700 hotels across the world currently, and more builds and signings planned, Radisson Hotel Group has a presence in some of the most popular countries and cities in the world. The Group is opening up opportunities for travellers to explore new places through the new phase in the Group’s development strategy, which is underpinned by a business model and clear brand architecture that will continue to drive the growth momentum.
Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President Development, Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group
The Group currently has 600 hotels in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). And Radisson is eyeing expansion into more cities worldwide.
Feeding into the Group’s greater vision of becoming the company of choice for guests, owners, and talent, Radisson is harnessing the reputation that it has fostered and seeding hotels into more destinations.
In Europe, the Group has opened new hotels in the UK, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Spain and more. These varied destinations highlight the Group’s focus on attracting customers who are eager to explore beyond their destination-comfort-zones.
“Global destinations represent not only a growth priority but also a source market to various regions. Europe is a key market to Africa including Egypt and having transformed our operating network in key gateway European cities, we are witnessing more and more brand recognition and loyalty from travellers when choosing to stay at our hotels,” says Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President Development, Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group.
“When travellers make the decision to experience a new country or city from a trusted ‘home base’ – having different options from which to choose can be the deciding factor in converting consideration to action,” he continues. “Which is why we have focused so much of our attention on creating a diverse portfolio of accommodation offerings across the African continent from city hotels to resorts. We have spent the last few years reinforcing our brand image by establishing best in class hotels in various locations but also by becoming market leader in terms of performance and guest satisfaction.
The Radisson Difference
The Radisson Hotel Group has positioned itself as a leading global accommodation and hospitality service provider. This year, on the African continent, the Group has surpassed its half-year growth target with exciting new openings and market entries across both business and leisure destinations.
“In the last 24 months, we have signed over 25 hotels and around 4,800 rooms in Africa only but we also opened more than 16 hotels and 2,500 rooms across the continent. This is a testimony to the confidence investors have in our brand but also demonstrates the quality of our pipeline and the relevance of our offerings. We will continue to look at new business opportunities in the region especially as witness more room for growth into resort offerings.” Rankoussi says. “We also recognize that each region is different and we, therefore, plan our hotels around what makes each destination unique.”
“And Radisson Hotel Group isn’t just a set of standard hotels – it’s a carefully-curated portfolio of different hotel brands that caters to different guest experience expectations,” continues Rankoussi.
Each of the brands has its own identity, but with a common focus on delivering memorable moments to the guests who are drawn to the specific look and feel of each collection.
Radisson Collection
The Radisson Collection is the most iconic of all the hotel types. It draws from the core of the luxury-meets-local lifestyle, offering a full spectrum of guest experiences from dining and wellness, to fitness and sustainability.
Radisson Blu
The collection of Blus delivers stylish experiences to guests, with attention paid to small details.
Radisson
Our Radisson hotels draw on the concept of natural, relaxing spaces, with details carved out thoughtfully, and a goal to surprise and delight guests unexpectedly.
Radisson Red
These more playful hotels are threaded through with more “informal” but authentic service, and hotel experiences that step away from the conventional.
Radisson Individuals
This collection of hotels is about individuality, and catering to guests who are looking for a more personalised, one-on-one style of service.
Park Plaza
Deeply inspired by the local culture, community and experiences, the Park Plaza hotels are more contemporary in design and embed the respective vibrant local culture into all aspects of the hotel.
Park Inn by Radisson
Carrying a more upbeat vibe that embraces the local social scene, these hotels are aimed at lifting guests’ spirits and making them feel happy in the hotels’ spaces. Colour is used intuitively and with purpose, paired with contemporary design, personalised service, and surprising feel-good extras.
Prizeotel
The most eclectic of all the Radisson Group’s collection of hotels, Prizeotel brings the designer lifestyle to an affordable level. A more informal service structure invites guests to live, work and play in the spaces.
In addition to being founded on people-centric principles, the Radisson Hotel Group is passionate about making a difference in each of its hotels’ communities and environments.
“Every hotel in the Group goes to great lengths to provide learning support and employment for its local communities, conducting business in an ethical manner and operating responsibly towards its locals and environment – from opportunity creation, to eco-sustainable practices,” says Rankoussi.
“It’s about living up to the ‘Yes I Can!’ mantra threaded into every aspect of the Radisson Hotel Group’s make-up – from saying ‘yes I can’ grow earth sustainability support, to ‘yes I can’ create the most unforgettable experiences for each and every guest, to ‘yes I can expand the business and create a hotel group that is as diverse as the communities in which we operate’,” says Rankoussi.
At Radisson Hotel Group we provide an insightful, responsive and relevant approach to our owners and create meaningful, delightful and inspiring experiences for our guests. We are a people company – with passionate colleagues delivering genuine service to our guests and owners.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
As part of the expansion strategy, the Radisson Hotel Group has put forward growth priorities across Africa with special focus on key markets such as Morocco, Egypt and South Africa. The Group has announced a hotel expansion record in Africa with 13 signings to date, translating to a new hotel signed every 20 days.
This expansion drive, adding 2,500 rooms to its African portfolio, includes the announcement of nine hotels in Morocco, the Group’s debut in Djibouti and the introduction of the Radisson Individuals brand in Africa. Adding to this expansion milestone, the Group has also opened five hotels to date this year, including Africa’s second Radisson RED in South Africa and four Radisson Blu resort offerings in Morocco.
Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group
With additional hotel signings and a further three openings in Africa expected before year end, Radisson Hotel Group remains prudently optimistic regarding the business recovery within the last quarter of 2021. The Group’s aggressive expansion places them firmly on track to boost the current African portfolio of almost 100 hotels currently in operation and under development to its ambition of 150 hotels by 2025. As part of the expansion strategy, the Group has put forward growth priorities across key markets such as Morocco, Egypt and South Africa.
From a single hotel in Africa 20 years ago, Radisson Hotel Group’s current African portfolio of almost 100 hotels in operation and under development is located in more than 30 countries across the continent, cementing the Group’s leading position as the hotel company with the largest active presence in the most countries across Africa.
The 13 signings, reinforcing the Group’s expansion strategy, have secured a record growth in Morocco with an additional nine hotels, comprising of two hotels in Casablanca, including the debut of the Radisson brand with the Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle and the recent partnership established with Madaëf which translates to seven additional hotels across key leisure destinations in the country. The group has also announced the launch of their first project, the Earl Heights Suite Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals in Accra, Ghana joining their new affiliation brand; their market entry in Victory Falls with the introduction of Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-Oa-Tunya Livingstone as well as another new entry with Radisson Hotel Djibouti. The most recent announcement was the Radisson Hotel Middleburg which further complements the Group’s presence across South Africa.
These hotel signings equate to almost 2,500 rooms, most of which are in the Group’s core focus countries, especially across Morocco, with the remainder reinforcing their presence in cluster markets or entering into new territories.
Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, said: “For the remainder of the year, we will continue to build on the success and momentum we’ve had thus far, with a continued focus on our identified key markets, specifically Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. We aim to further accelerate our presence across the continent through both new build and conversions, especially post-pandemic, as there is less liquidity for newer developments. We therefore seek to form wider partnerships and strategic ventures with local or regional chains and forge ahead with our city scale and critical mass strategy. The execution of our strategy with clear priorities will equally support in achieving positive economic efficiencies and synergies operationally across all our existing and future hotels, further unlocking value to our owners. We have also demonstrated the relevant flexibility in addressing the current investment climate by providing not only tailored solutions to every project but also rationalizing our relationships with our investors to assess the best timings in terms of openings and the right budget allocation in terms of segment, space program and development cost.
“Africa is mainly led by business hotels, but with the recent signings, we have expanded our leisure offerings and serviced apartments which has not only proven resilient during COVID-19 but is also fueling a faster recovery. Our ambitions are driven by creating critical mass in each of our identified focus markets but also ensuring market proximity. These regions are subdivided based on priorities, focus and potential scale.”
“Despite the current situation and supporting our robust expansion strategy, our teams are working tirelessly to realize the pipeline, with eight hotel openings in Africa this year. We have already opened five hotels, consisting of four of the seven hotels we’ve just announced in Morocco, which consist of resorts and residences as well as the opening of Africa’s second Radisson RED hotel in Rosebank. The remaining three hotels, all due to open before year-end, represent our debut in Madagascar with a portfolio of three hotels.”
Building on the success of the Group’s five-year expansion and transformation plan, Radisson Hotel Group is ready for the rebound of travel and remains firmly committed to becoming the brand of choice for owners, partners, and guests.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has set a record in its North African expansion, with the signing of nine hotels, to date this year. This has boosted the Group’s North Africa portfolio, comprising of the Maghreb countries along with Libya and Egypt, to over 30 hotels in operation and under development, placing them firmly on track to reach over 50 hotels by 2025.
Radisson Hotel Group
Alban Mabille de Poncheville, Director, Development, North Africa at Radisson Hotel Group says, “We are delighted to be leading the market in North African hotel expansion, setting a record for ourselves and the industry. Our flagship brand, Radisson Blu, has been one of the leading brands in the region and as we continue to grow and diversify across North Africa, we look forward to capitalizing on our brand name and introducing new brands in the area such as Radisson, in the upscale segment and Radisson Collection, our entry level luxury brand. The market has shown a great potential in various segments but also in different product types, from resorts to city hotels but also serviced apartments and boutique hotel offerings. We aim to further accelerate our presence across all North African countries and key cities and also expand in new touristic areas as recently announced with the launch of our resort offerings across Morocco.”
In response to the need for independent hotel owners to gain further brand exposure and consumer confidence, the group launched a new brand, Radisson Individuals, aimed at individual hotels with strong service scores and existing hotel identities that wish to remain independent or may be considering transitioning to one of the group’s core brands.
Mabille de Poncheville adds, “This initiative further demonstrates the ability for our group to provide solutions that not only supports our partners but also reflects our focus on conversions with a tailored offering which provides all the benefits of our network and scale with limited pre-requisites.”
The results of the pandemic have shown two major trends: the resilience of serviced apartments across the industry and the rapid growth of leisure and domestic demand. The Group’s recent signings respond to those trends but also cement their future in benefiting from the post-covid recovery with a balance and adequate presence covering all segments and capitalizing on market priorities.
“Conversions have and will continue to remain a priority in our expansion strategy, especially post-pandemic, as there is less liquidity for newer developments. We therefore seek to form wider partnerships and strategic ventures with local or regional chains and forge ahead with our city scale and critical mass strategy,” says Mabille de Poncheville.
As part of the Group’s new African development strategy, the African regions have been subdivided based on priorities, focus and potential scale. Egypt and Morocco have been identified as the Group’s focus countries for North Africa due to the opportunity to leverage further synergies and operational support through a clear development plan in these markets.
Morocco: As Africa’s number one tourism destination, driven by the constant growth in corporate and leisure segments, Morocco has been identified as a priority to support Radisson Hotel Group’s growth journey and deliver these operational efficiencies.
Elaborating on the Group’s Moroccan expansion strategy, Mabille de Poncheville says, “Our development approach in Morocco is based on two pillars:
Firstly, proactively establishing a presence and growing our portfolio in each of the key cities, namely Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier. We are confident that our multiple brands and different operating models such as hotels and serviced apartments will have a positive performance in these markets.
Secondly, the diversification of the countries unlocks further opportunities for city breaks, beach resorts and cultural tours. In addition to these already established cities, we see the emergence of new destinations such as Al Hoceima, Saïdia and Taghazout, each showcasing a strong potential to complement our existing footprint.”
To date this year, Radisson Hotel Group has secured a record growth in Morocco with an additional nine hotels, all aligned with this development strategy, some of which include the debut of our Radisson brand in Casablanca with the signing of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier La Citadelle as well as the recent partnership established with Madaëf, the leading Moroccan investment company, which translated to seven additional hotels across key leisure destinations in the country.
“From our 2016 debut in Morocco with the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel Marrakech, Carré Eden (https://bit.ly/3hu656p), our robust development strategy and dedication to contribute to the growth of the country have placed us firmly on track to exceed our ambition to reach 15 hotels in operation and under development in the country by 2025,” says Mabille de Poncheville.
Egypt: In Egypt, Radisson Hotel Group is proactively looking at its capital city, Cairo, for both hotels and serviced apartments.
“There is evident potential for our core brands, Radisson Blu and Radisson, through greenfield projects in newly developed areas in particular, the new administrative area as well as conversion opportunities in established parts of the city, covering both corporate and leisure demand. We have also identified the potential for our lifestyle select brand, Radisson RED, filling a gap in the market for a hotel of this kind, in select locations,” says Mabille de Poncheville.
Further expanding on the Group’s leisure offerings and the growth of domestic tourism, they have identified growth opportunities along the Red Sea, with a priority to re-enter Sharm el Sheikh to reinforce and complement their resorts portfolio in the country and across North Africa.
The group has also defined a clear strategy for countries like Algeria and Tunisia where they have established world class hotels and resorts and are now capitalizing on its success, expanding within the capital cities such as Tunis and Algiers. The ambitions in these markets are driven by creating critical mass and also ensuring market proximity.
Algeria: The Group’s current portfolio in Algeria consists of one hotel in operation, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Algiers Hydra and another under development, also within Algiers. With a strategy to create critical mass in key cities such as Algiers, Constantine and Oran with a multi-brand approach, focusing on the Radisson Blu and Radisson brands and a strong potential identified for Serviced Apartments, Radisson Hotel group aims to add five additional hotels to this portfolio.
“Complementing this strategy in Algeria, we have also identified secondary locations we’d like to add three more hotels to, focusing on the Radisson and Park Inn by Radisson brands. We believe Algeria has the potential to become a top travel destination due the diversity in its landscape, from coastal and mountainous to desert. This also allows the country to position itself as the alternative destination for the Mediterranean, especially with its abundance of national parks and leisure activities,” says Mabille de Poncheville.
Tunisia: Radisson Hotel Group’s initial presence in Tunisia, a country with strong beach, adventure and eco tourism, focused on resort locations such as Djerba and Hammamet where the Group currently operates two resorts.
“Our current expansion strategy in Tunisia takes on a proactive approach in the capital city, Tunis, focusing on the Radisson Blu brand and our serviced apartment offerings. Here we see an opportunity to add three additional hotels to our current portfolio of four hotels in operation and under development,” Mabille de Poncheville concludes.
The group also plans to reinforce its brand presence in resort and MICE locations such as Tunis la Gammarth, Sousse and Hammamet, where they look to add a further two hotels.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
