Rezidor, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, announces the Radisson Blu Hotel Cotonou in Benin. The first class property featuring 203 guest rooms is scheduled to open in Q2 2014.
?We are delighted to add the Republic of Benin to our country list. It is the 71st country where we are present, and our 21st country in Africa?, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. The emerging market of Africa is one of Rezidor?s key focus areas for future business development: The group operates 21 hotels across the continent, and has another 27 properties with more than 10,000 rooms under development. Rezidor?s pipeline in Sub-saharan African is the largest of the hospitality industry.
?We have witnessed the growth of Radisson Blu across West Africa, and we are excited to be working with Carlson Rezidor in bringing this first class Radisson Blu hotel to Cotonou?, said Aliou Adamon, President of Akaka Hotel Resort SA, the real estate owner of the mixed use development which will include the Radisson Blu Hotel Cotonou.
Benin is situated on the West African coast of the Gulf of Guinea and is bordered by Nigeria to the East, Togo to the West and Burkina Faso and Niger to the North. The newly build Radisson Blu hotel is located in Cotonou, the largest city and financial hub of Benin, and is designed to be an urban resort due to its location directly on the beach.
All 203 rooms will offer a spectacular view over the Atlantic Ocean and feature Radisson Blu signature services such as free high speed internet access. During the week, the hotel will mainly operate as a business hotel attracting corporate guests and conference delegate whilst over the weekends and holidays it will change into a beach resort attracting West African leisure guests. The hotel will provide seven food and beverage outlets including three restaurants, a cafe and three bars. It will also offer the largest meeting and conferencing facilities in the country, totaling over 1,600sqm, including a ballroom of 1,200sqm and several smaller meeting rooms. Leisure facilities include two outdoor swimming pools, a gym, a wellness centre and beach activities.
The hotel forms part of a larger mixed-use development comprising the largest shopping centre in Benin, a diagnostic centre and residential apartments. These additional facilities are all part of the same estate and expected to attract visitors both locally and regional for shopping, entertainment and medical reasons which will benefit the hotel.
Cotonou houses many government and diplomatic services, making it the de facto capital of Benin, even though the official capital is Porto-Novo (25 km from the hotel). The city is a major port, and home to the only international airport and a railway that links to Parakou. Because of its status as a transport hub, Cotonou has become a crossroads of West African commerce. The city is a so-called ‘market town,’ enabling trade with the countries of the African interior, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In addition to the port, there is a free trade zone in the interior of the city for use by the landlocked Saharan states.
About the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group ? born in early 2012 ? is one of the world?s largest and most dynamic hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels, a global footprint spanning 80 countries, a powerful set of global brands (Radisson Blu, Radisson?, Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM, Park Inn by Radisson, Hotel Missoni and Park Plaza?). In most of the group?s hotels, guests can benefit from the loyalty program Club Carlson, one of the most rewarding loyalty programs in the world. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people.
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, USA, and Brussels, Belgium.
http://www.carlsonrezidor.com; http://www.rezidor.com