SPG members to get new options with Starwood's African expansion
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has grand plans for Africa, and Preferred Guest members are in for a big upgrade by 2020. The hotel company announced it will increase the amount of hotels by nearly 50% on the continent within the next few years, while adding properties in eight new countries, to bring the current country tally from 13 to 21.
Want to visit the Pyramids in style or surf the Red Sea at a resort using your points, then Starwood will have your back by 2020. Currently, Starwood operates 34 hotels, but has plans to grow to 50 properties in the coming years. Of its 10 hotel brands, its newest, Tribute Portfolio, will be the lone holdout for now.
Starwood already has several hotels in Africa that are popular for point redemptions, including the Westin Cape Town, Sheraton Hotel and Casino in Cairo, and Le Meridien Fisherman's Cove in the Seychelles.
Starwood grew its presence in 2005 when it integrated the Le Meridien brand, which already had hotels in many French-speaking African countries, into its portfolio. At that time, no other hotel loyalty program offered such a strong African program expansion, which left many people that wanted to explore the continent hanging out to dry.
Hassan Ahdab, Regional Vice President of Africa and Indian Ocean for Starwood, told RWV:
"With globalization trends, there are more mega travelers than ever before going to more places around the world. The opportunity to cultivate what we call ‘loyalty beyond reason’ with the world’s most frequent travelers has never been greater. We enroll tens and thousands of new members daily, building on its over 350% growth in emerging market membership over the last five years."
These days, other hotel companies like Marriott and Hilton are also taking notice of the growth potential in Africa and boosting their affiliated properties. Marriott even purchased the Protea brand, which brought 116 hotel properties in Africa, to its overall portfolio making it the largest hotel brand on the continent.
In a news release, Michael Wale, president for Starwood, Europe, Africa and Middle East, said:
“Africa is a market with huge potential. With economic growth, a rising middle class and rapid urbanization, the demand for travel and quality lodging will continue to grow and provide us with a significant opportunity to grow our brands and play our part in supporting many emerging markets across the continent.”
New hotels planned include a Sheraton in Bamako, Mali; Westin Hotel and Residences in Nigeria's capital Abuja; Four Points by Sheraton at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya; and St. Regis in Cairo, one of many hotels planned for Egypt.