Emaar Hospitality inks deal to open debut hotel in West Africa

A management agreement was signed with Togo property owner Kalyan Group

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 22 APRIL 2018 - Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group during the Emaar press conference at the 25th Arabian Travel Market, Dubai. Leslie Pableo for the National for Deena Kamel’s story
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Emaar Hospitality Group, the leisure division of Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties, said on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with West African conglomerate Kalyan Group to open a hotel in Togo, marking Emaar’s entry into sub-Saharan Africa.

The premium hotel in the Togolese capital city of Lomé will operate under Emaar’s Address Hotels and Resorts brand and is scheduled to open later this year.

“Our management agreement to operate Address Hotel 2 Février Lomé Togo is a significant landmark in our expansion to Sub-Saharan Africa,” Olivier Harnisch, chief executive of Emaar Hospitality, said in a statement to media on Wednesday.

“Togo is a fascinating country with strong growth prospects. It is also strengthening its tourism sector with the goal of increasing the [GDP] share of the industry from 2 to 7 per cent by 2020, investing in infrastructure upgrades and boosting the industrial sector,” Mr Harnisch added.

The 30-storey property, first established as Hotel 2 Février in 1980, is located seven kilometres from Lomé-Tokoin International Airport and occupies the tallest building in Togo. It will open its doors to guests following a rebranding and, once complete, will offer 256 rooms and suites, 64 serviced apartments, restaurants, meeting rooms, a ballroom and other facilities.

The management agreement was signed with the building’s owner Kalyan Hospitality Development, the hospitality arm of Kalyan Group, one of Togo’s largest conglomerates.

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Kalyan Group made its name in phosphates but has diversified into other industry sectors including dry bulk shipping, large-scale farming, commodities and hospitality. The hotels division is headed up by chief executive Ashok Gupta.

“Address Hotel 2 Février Lomé Togo is positioned to welcome business and leisure guests, led by its central location and iconic status as the tallest building in Togo,” Mr Harnisch said.

“In addition to boosting the hospitality sector, we will also contribute to the local economy by creating local jobs and extending training on hospitality services.”

Togo is the sixth international destination for the Address Hotels + Resorts brand, which has six hotels in Dubai. There are other, upcoming, Address projects in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain and the Maldives, as well as several planned new openings in the UAE, according to Emaar Hospitality.

The company, which operates 13 hotels in Dubai under its three hospitality brands Address, Vida Hotels and Resorts and Rove Hotels, aims to operate more hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa, one of its key growth markets, it added.