AccorHotels has announced a record year of development in Africa during the Africa Hotel Investment Forum.

Beginning with the 50 per cent stake in the Mantis Group in April, followed by the announcement in late July of a dedicated investment fund with a targeted reach of USD$1 billion devoted towards sustainable development in sub-Sahara Africa, the journey continued with the acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in September. 

All this culminated with the very recent announcement of hospitality stalwart Mark Willis, to take the helm of the Middle East and Africa as the group continues to set the pace and grow from strength to strength.

AccorHotels is the largest operator in Africa with a network of over 150 hotels in operation, representing close to 27,000 rooms across 23 countries.

Moving forward the fund, in partnership with Katara Hospitality, will underscore growth and development for the region, providing a platform for a combined network of organic and acquisition reach of 250 hotels by 2025.

Following the acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, which added over 50 hotels to the group’s Middle East and Africa portfolio, including the Mövenpick ambassador Hotel Accra and Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi, c-suite leadership was announced with Mark Willis as the chief executive officer for AccorHotels Middle East & Africa.

With more than three decades of operational experience with leading hospitality groups, Willis spent over 12 years in the Middle East and Africa.

Speaking at the regional leader’s panel at AHIF, Willis outlined the group’s vision for Africa based on organic growth and development and a renewed focus on rebalancing AccorHotel’s presence in Africa with a focus on key cities and destinations in east and southern Africa.

He drew emphasis on the need for collaboration with local partners and to mobilise their expertise, intuitive knowledge and passion for community outreach, citing the Mantis Group as the perfect example of a hospitality leader in South Africa with genuine credentials in eco-tourism combined with wildlife conservation. 

Hand-in-hand with these achievements is a dedicated team of operators located across regional offices in Johannesburg, Dakar, Cairo, Dubai and Casablanca ensuring the success of each opening.

Africa Hotel Investment Forum

AHIF is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting many prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies and their advisers.

It is organised by Bench Events, which has an established record of delivering high-level networking and thought leadership conferences for hospitality investment and aviation in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.