Kempinski Hotels has announced plans to expand its portfolio of luxury hotels in Africa. With two new properties opened in Kenya in 2013, Kempinski looks to add five more hotels to its African portfolio in the next year.
Upcoming openings in Africa in 2014 include the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra, Ghana and the Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski in Cairo, Egypt set to open early in the year, as well as a newly signed hotel and golf resort in the future capital of Equatorial Guinea, Oyala. Additional plans are moving forward to open hotels in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of the year.
At a press conference at the new Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi, President and CEO of Kempinski Hotels, Reto Wittwer told reporters that following the company’s success expanding into the Middle East and China over the past twenty years, Kempinski expects its growing portfolio in key destinations across the African continent to become a major source of revenue for the company, as well as provide new sources for talent and talent development across the company.
Congratulating the team of Villa Rosa Kempinski on the occasion of their recent opening Mr. Wittwer stated “We will continue our development strategy throughout the continent over the next few years, partnering with key players in Africa to secure the best locations for our luxury properties. There is a worldwide fascination with this region and we believe in the strength of places like Kenya as a destination. Our distinct brand of European luxury and operational know-how makes us a key player in all the markets we operate in, and we expect that our new property here in Nairobi will be no different,” explained Wittwer.
Kempinski currently operates hotels in Egypt, Djibouti, Tchad, Seychelles, and Kenya. With five hotels set to open in Africa in the next year, Kempinski will hire more than 1500 people in the next 12 months, nearly doubling its current workforce on the continent, and will draw heavily on local talent in each destination.
“Finding new talent, which will push us further in the future, continues to be our utmost priority,” said Mr. Wittwer. “We are looking for candidates who are interested in different cultures, speak various languages, share our passion for hospitality, and are looking for a bit of an adventure abroad.” He continued, “In addition to our needs in Africa in the next twelve months, our global expansion plans for the next five years will require an additional 12,000 new members of staff, and it is essential to attract and retain talented people who are dedicated to offering our guests the outstanding service that Kempinski is known for.”
Kempinski Hotels currently operates 80 hotels in 31 countries and has 37 hotels under development worldwide.
