Stefan Breg, Group Strategy Director of KEANE said: “Over the last 70 years, the restaurant market internationally has been built on three factors; growing towns and cities, broad distribution of income and a growing middle class. When you take into account that the anticipated rate of urbanisation, expected across Africa, will outpace India and China in the next 25 years, Africa will become one of the world’s most vibrant dining scenes.”

He explained that Africa’s hotels could follow different routes forward for F&B. First, the European/North American model of 2-3 F&B venues per hotel with F&B playing a secondary role to the marketing of rooms. The alternative was the Middle Eastern/Dubai model of four or more venues, a proportion of which, are operated in association with third parties; a scenario where F&B plays not only a strategic role but also a significant source of income.

Hotel investors are becoming increasingly focussed on the performance of the F&B element of their businesses, ensuring that they cater to both hotel guests and local tastes. In a panel discussion at AHIF about hotel F&B offerings, Emma Banks, VP Food & Beverage Strategy & Development EMEA, Hilton, said: “We look carefully at the market to determine the right number of F&B concepts. If a hotel is considering a third party partner, a good approach could be to trial the concept initially with a pop-up to gauge the market appetite before committing to a larger investment and commitment.”

Chris Abell, Vice President Food & Beverage MEA, Marriott International, expanded on this point: “Marriott International will look wherever possible, to build smaller F&B venues. Gone are the days when we had to build restaurants solely to satisfy one measure; breakfast volume. Now we leave the final decision of the concept until the latest point, in order to align with the changing local market.”

Emma Banks added that some hotel space should also be considered for other uses e.g. co-working, to maximise revenue, rather than potentially over-supplying demand.

Promoting local talent is a high priority for the international hotel chains in their F&B operations. Emma Banks stressed the increasing role of women in Hilton’s African portfolio, pointing to a number of successes and rising stars that represented Hilton’s commitment to diversity. Chris Abell emphasised how Marriott International was leveraging local talent in the kitchen being used to drive locally-inspired concepts.

Sustainable development is another priority. Chris Abell added that Marriott International’s drive to utilise local resources was matched in the supply chain supported by sustainability programs. Emma Banks concluded by highlighting Hiltons’ ‘Big5’ where a $1m investment has been committed to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa.

The post 700 New Hotel Restaurants and Bars will be opened in Africa by 2025 first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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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 Investment 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 (CEO) 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 Leaders 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 mobilize 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.

Over the course of the year, the Group also opened flagship properties and signed key projects, including the first Fairmont flag in Morocco with the opening of the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and the conversion of the ibis Styles Nairobi, complete with energetic design and a vibrant open-air rooftop lounge. Key signings included the combination Novotel and Adagio residences in Abidjan, Novotel Algiers, and two strategic projects in Lagos with the MGallery Ikoyi and Pullman Ikoyi. The Group also announced the first Pullman brand in Ghana to open in 2021 – Pullman Accra Airport City – a mixed use complex with Pullman Living, a compelling extended stay solution in the premium market

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. From Design & Technical Services, Talent and Culture (Human Resources), Operations, Food and Beverage, Sales and Marketing to a fully-fledged pre-opening team and task force, AccorHotels builds confidence with owners by delivering the brand successfully to the market.

The post AccorHotels: A Record Year of Growth and Development in Africa first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post AccorHotels: A Record Year of Growth and Development in Africa appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.