Big news for Africa's hotel scene: Marriott International has signed a letter of intent with Protea Hospitality Holdings of Cape Town, South Africa, to acquire Protea Hotels’ brands and its management business that operates or franchises 116 hotels across three brands with 10,184 rooms in South Africa and six other Sub-Saharan African countries.
The transaction would nearly double Marriott’s distribution in Africa to more than 23,000 rooms, and would also provide Marriott with a proven operational platform and leadership team to accelerate Marriott’s expansion plans and solidify its leadership position in the growing African hotel market.
Protea Hotels was founded in 1984. Today, the company manages, franchises and leases 104 hotels across the Protea Hotels brand, which includes the two boutique Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! brand and 10 superior deluxe African Pride Hotels collection. In addition to its 80 hotels in South Africa, Protea Hotels has a significant presence in Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.