March 21, 2012 - The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the
fastest growing hotel companies in the world, and the state of Gabon
have announced their close co-operation on the Gabonese hotel market. A
respective agreement was signed by Rezidor’s President & CEO Kurt
Ritter and Brice Laccruche Alihanga, President & CEO of Wali Hotels
& Resorts in Libreville on Thursday.
Rezidor recently took over the management of the Okoume Palace Hotel in
Libreville. “We are delighted to have arrived in Gabon, and look
forward to further strengthening our presence in the region”, said
President & CEO Kurt Ritter. Rezidor will operate the property as
an unbranded hotel for an interim period while the Okoume Palace Hotel
will undergo an extensive 40 MUS$ renovation. In September 2013, the
hotel will be dual branded – offering a 330 rooms Radisson Blu hotel
and a 140 rooms Park Inn by Radisson hotel tower. In addition, the
complex will provide 5 restaurants & bars, extensive meeting
facilities, a business class lounge, a gym, and an outdoor swimming
pool.
“We are very excited to enter into this relationship with Rezidor, and
look forward to bringing this hotel back to its former glory, to
establishing it as a business hub in our emerging country, and to
making it a flagship real estate asset for our group in the region”,
said Brice Laccruche Alihanga, President & CEO of Wali Hotels &
Resorts.
The Rezidor Hotel Group
operates the brands Radisson Blu (upper upscale segment), Park Inn by
Radisson (mid market) and Hotel Missoni (luxury lifestyle), and
currently features a portfolio of more than 425 hotels with 93,000
rooms in operation and under development in 68 countries across Europe,
the Middle East and Africa. The African continent is one of the key
development regions for the group: Rezidor’s African portfolio
comprises 19 hotels with 4,800 rooms in operation and 25 hotels with
5,500 rooms under development – the company has the largest pipeline of
any international hotel operator in sub-Saharan Africa.
The agreement in Libreville could be signed thanks to the support of
BGFI Capital, a bank of BGFI Group. BGFI Capital guides investors
through larger projects in Gabon and Africa, and advises on
acquisitions, restructuring, financial strategies, and private equity.
“Africa is a fascinating and emerging market for us. We see a huge
growth potential for our core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by
Radisson on the continent”, commented Kurt Ritter.
“This strategic partnership is a concrete answer to the wish of the
Gabonese authorities to grow and develop the country as a tourism
destination in Africa”, added Brice Laccruche Alihanga.