Protea Hotels Signs Agreements for Development of First Protea Hotel in Botswana Opening Early 2018
BOTSWANA, AF. June 9, 2016 - Protea Hotels today announced the signing of agreements for the development of its first hotel in Botswana, the ninth country in Africa in which the brand will have a presence. First established in South Africa, Protea Hotels has expanded over recent years into Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.
“This latest development reflects our ongoing commitment to doing business in Africa, and to providing the sort of quality accommodation and facilities that the market in Africa is calling for,” says Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa for Marriott International. Marriott International, the parent company of Protea Hotels, plans to open over 93 hotels - equating to 19,000 additional rooms - in the Middle East & Africa region between now and 2025. This year alone, 17 new hotels will be opened in the region, adding close to 3,000 new rooms. As regards Africa more specifically, 10 new hotels are scheduled to open during 2016, bringing an additional 1,623 rooms to the market.
“Characterised by prudent economic management and political stability, Botswana is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle income state. With this sort of economic success and the positive outlook for the country, we certainly see strong value in this venture in Botswana.”
Protea's new property, scheduled to open in early 2018, will be located in the capital, Gaborone. It is strategically positioned in the new Central Business District of the city where there are a number of recently-developed corporate head offices, government offices and various retail facilities. The hotel's site was carefully selected for its visibility and accessibility; a prominent location near two of the city's main roads.
The hotel will offer 160 rooms of various sizes and types, and will also feature substantial conference, meeting and event facilities. The large ballroom, designed for versatile use, can be converted into four meeting rooms, giving the hotel the ability to host up to eight meetings at any time - four in the ballroom and four in the other meeting rooms that are planned. Other facilities include a business centre, bar, restaurant, fitness centre and outdoor pool.
Kyriakidis highlights the strength of the Protea Hotels brand within the sub-Saharan region, commenting that: “Protea Hotels enjoys a strong reputation as a leader in the hotel industry, and we are very confident that this new development will create a positive impact. The Hotel represents a significant investment in the local economy and, in addition to offering new hospitality facilities, it will be appreciated because of the new employment opportunities to be created for local citizens.”
Guests staying at this Protea Hotel, as well as at all Protea Hotels throughout Africa, are able to earn Marriott Rewards points that can be redeemed at Marriott International properties around the world. Members can also redeem points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. To enrol in this leading hotel rewards programme, guests should visit MarriottRewards.com.
About Protea Hotels
Protea Hotels is Africa's leading hotel brand and has a footprint of nearly 100 properties throughout South Africa and seven other African countries, including Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Ghana and Uganda amongst others. Each hotel is uniquely different in character and the collection ranges from urban accommodation to country retreats, all in the 3 and 4-star markets. Protea Hotels is the winner of 2 World Travel Awards for Best Hotel Group in Africa, winner of 3 Sunday Times Markinor Top Hotel Brand Awards, the winner of 6 Coolest Hotel Group awards in the Sunday Times Generation Next surveys, the winner of the Ask Africa South African Customer Service Award 2013 and Icon Brand 2015, and the winner of the Hotels category in the Ask Afrika 2015/2016 Youth Brands Survey. The hotel group was bought by Marriott International in April 2014 and forms part of Marriott's global brand portfolio made up of 19 brands that operate more than 4 500 hotels in 87 countries.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with nearly 4,500 properties in 87 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of more than $14 billion in fiscal year 2015. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, Bulgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and Moxy Hotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together comprise more than 56 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.
Note on forward looking statements:
The anticipated growth of Protea Hotels and Marriott International's hotel portfolio in the Middle East and Africa are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, not historical facts, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth; and other risk factors identified in Marriott International, Inc.'s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q; any of which could cause the actual numbers of new hotels to be different. These statements are made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise them or any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
