easyHotels to expand into North Africa

Economy Posted on 29/07/2011

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easyHotels' new objective is to open 50 hotels in the next 5 years, with the spotlight on North African countries. easyHotel aims to offer rates from $29 a night and plans to open 50 properties over the next five years.

The company has signed a 20-year master franchise agreement (MFA) with Lonrho Budget Hotels Ltd, a subsidiary of Lonrho PLC, to open and operate the network across Africa.

It will focus on African destinations served by easyJet, as well as other large cities across the continent "...which have demonstrated significant domestic and international demand for clean, safe and consistent quality branded hotel accommodation", it said.

Currently, easyJet flies to Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Luxor and Marrakesh.

Sir Stelios said: "We look forward to working closely with Lonrho to establish easyHotel as the pre-eminent pan-African budget hotel chain.

"The economic development of the African market, supported by the significant number of foreign visitors, large scale urbanisation and the growing disposable income of the one billion people in the domestic market, clearly provides significant opportunities for growth."

David Lenigas, executive chairman of Lonrho, added: "The low-cost value hotel market is currently undeveloped on the continent yet is arguably the fastest growing sector of the global and African hotel markets.

"Lonrho is already a significant brand name across Africa. We believe that combining it with the successful and well-known ?easy' brand to create the Lonrho easyHotel chain will satisfy the growing demand from consumers across the continent."

Lonrho plans to open the first easyHotel in Africa in 2012 and expand rapidly to at least 50 hotels by 2016.

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In brief : Economy