This week the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group launched its Radisson Blu brand in Brazzaville, the first in the Republic of Congo.
The group is actively targeting emerging cities where there is little competition, but a growing economy. The 178-roomed property is one of eight Radisson Blu hotels scheduled to be opened across the continent before the end of the year in an effort to target Central African business travellers.
According to Andrew McLachlan, Carlson Rezidor’s vice president of business development for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, the opening of the hotel in Brazzaville is part of the group’s Central African strategy.
“Our focus is on creating a sort of regional corporate travel circuit. We know that within an economic community you have similar kinds of travellers going from one city to another and, if we look at our Central African strategy, we currently have a Radisson Blu and a Park Inn in Libreville, Gabon. We are now open in Brazzaville and we are also focusing on Cameroon,” he explained.
“It’s the same type of regional banker or traveller that will be moving from Cameroon, to Republic of Congo, to Gabon. And if we are able to put the same high quality product in each of those financial hubs, we are able to secure good corporate business.”
One of the company’s strategies is to enter an emerging market first with their upscale hotel brand, Radisson Blu. Thereafter, and depending on how mature the market is, the group may open their midscale hotel offering, Park Inn by Radisson.
About 80% of the group’s hotel guests in Africa are travelling on business. This hotel’s success rate and reputation is ideal in pushing for the advancement of the continent’s business and opening it to outside investors.
Even during the Ebola crisis in 2014, the hotel traded at 81% occupancy. The company is also following a similar strategy in other African markets, such as South Sudan where it currently has a Radisson Blu under construction.
