So, does anyone know the answer?  Was the FIFA World Cup in South Africa a success, or not? The world, of course, is divided into optimists and pessimists.  The former are either the saviours of the nation, driving forward progress, or naïve and hopelessly foolish Franks.  The latter are either never-happy Harrys, or saviours of […]

Ghana, one of Africa’s smaller countries, ranked 31st in terms of area and 12th in terms of population, is certainly punching above its weight when it comes to investment in the hotel industry.  Unlike many countries, where hotel development is focused almost entirely on the capital city, Ghana is seeing investment in a number of […]

There were several openings of branded hotels in sub-Saharan Africa in 2013, as the previous years’ efforts by the developers, investors and operators to “cover the map” started to come to fruition.  Remember that the opening of a hotel is a joint effort – the international and regional chains very rarely put any money on […]

Hotels are complicated animals, some developers say they are the most complicated type of building they have come across.  And complicated means time and cost, which sometimes mean the same thing.  Add in to the mix the need for quality, and you have a threesome that can be very hard to manage! When we analyse […]

As Africa’s economies grow, the demand for hotel accommodation is also growing apace – in those countries and cities where the main demand is business-related, there is a direct correlation between GDP growth and the increase in demand for hotel rooms.  The more diverse the economy, and the greater the share of the tertiary sector […]

For someone wanting to invest in the hotel industry in Africa, but who wants to mitigate their risk, the emergence of several dedicated funds is worth a close look. Investing in hotels brings with it all sorts of risks.  True, any investment has some risk, even sovereign bonds.  Stock markets can go up or down, […]

How to maximise the returns from your hotel investment Hotels are often seen as a necessary first step to attracting international investment into an under-developed area, as without a decent base to stay International Investors are less likely to come to the country to discuss other business opportunities. In recent years there has been a […]

It is a universal truth that cities ebb and flow, enjoying good times and bad times.  Look at Johannesburg, where the CBD degenerated into a no-go zone, having once been a proud, thriving place.  Look also at Lagos, where the original city, Lagos Island has, behind the frontline of skyscrapers housing mostly banks, become a […]

  An Update on the Lagos Hotel Market Over the years, many observers and players have warned of oversupply in the Lagos hotel market.  Ten years ago there was very little to choose from, but in 2003 there was a surge of interest in developing new hotels, attracted by the high occupancies and room rates […]

As the number of branded hotels in Africa increases, so too does the probability that a hotel asset transaction market will emerge, as investors see the opportunity to purchase well-designed, well managed hotels.  That means that owners will be thinking more about the valuation of their hotels, pursuant to a sale. Sometimes there is nothing […]