As part of a US$130 million African expansion drive, South African Protea Hospitality Group has announced the construction of its fourth hotel in Uganda
The new 80-room hotel will include six conference facilities with a 300-delegate capacity, two restaurants, a swimming pool, and a health club with gym, sauna, and stream room. Construction will begin in Q3 2012 and is expected to be complete in 24 months.
The hotel is to be situated in Hoima, the Albertine Rift Valley - the centre of Uganda's oil exploration and processing region.
Protea Hotels Uganda managing director Stuart Cook said, “The company’s rapid expansion in Uganda is largely being driven by corporate travel, because there is a lot of economic growth within the country. There are four Protea Hotels now, but I certainly don’t expect this to be the last expansion announcement in the medium term.”
Protea's plan to build or acquire 10 more hotels in Africa will make the company the continent’s biggest hospitality investor this year.
Protea chief executive officer Arthur Gillis said in a statement last week, “This is Africa’s time,” adding, “Never before has the continent offered so much in terms of political stability and economic growth.”
Several other new projects and management acquisitions by the group are also underway in Uganda, Nigeria, and Zambia.
