Hotel operator pursuing opportunities in Nigeria
The Rezidor Hotel Group, operator of brands such as Radisson Blu and Park Inn, is actively pursuing opportunities in Nigeria.
An artist's impression of the new Radisson Blu in Victoria Island, Lagos
Andrew McLachlan, Rezidor’s vice president of business development for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, told How we made it in Africa in a recent interview that the company currently has six projects under development in Nigeria.
Rezidor plans to open its first Radisson Blu hotel in Lagos’ upmarket Victoria Island during this year.
“We look at Nigeria as almost a continent within a continent,” McLachlan said.
Although Rezidor is currently focused on city hotels in Nigeria, McLachlan says that over time there will be opportunities to build resort hotels. “At the moment a lot of your Nigerian leisure is actually going to Accra in Ghana . . . which is unnecessary. You can do something 45 minutes down the coast from Lagos, for instance, and attract a lot of the expatriate community and the wealthier Nigerian who wants to get out of the hustle and bustle of Lagos.”
He also sees potential in golf resorts. “At the moment there are only three golf courses of quality in Nigeria and there are 150 million people . . . we believe there is space to get into that market.”
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