AccorHotels, one of the world’s leading travel and lifestyle groups, announced that it secured the highest total number of new room signings for the Middle East and Africa. Last year alone, AccorHotels signed 30 new hotels, including seven takeover agreements, adding more than 8,700 rooms to the group’s regional portfolio.

2018 has also begun with a dynamic start with the signing of nine hotels, including landmark agreements for the introduction of SO/ in Uptown Dubai, the expansion of MGallery in the UAE with the MGallery Old Town and the recent acquisition of South African based Mantis Group, a collection of boutique hotels and eco lodges located on all seven continents.

The signings across 2017 and 2018 bring AccorHotels Middle East & Africa committed network (operational and pipeline) to over 300 hotels, representing 80,000 rooms across 30 countries in the region. The milestone follows a major expansion strategy by the Group’s regional operations in recent years.­­­

Olivier Granet, chief executive officer (CEO) AccorHotels Middle East and Africa, said: “2017 was a remarkable year for AccorHotels, defined by our robust expansion strategy. Our success underscores the continued confidence of our most valued partners and guests across the Middle East and Africa and it begins with a fully engaged team providing operational support, expertise in a variety of disciplines and transparent and open dialogue.”

“We are very proud that we entered the region over 40 years ago and are humbled to be part of the very fabric of the destinations in which we operated in,” he continued. “In the UAE alone, we were the first major global hospitality company to introduce economy and midscale brands to the market, fueling a need for affordable accommodation combined with international standards. We continue this momentum by bringing some of our most innovative and disruptive concepts such as Mama Shelter, 25Hours Hotels and SO/, through which we hope to reinvigorate and transform the travel and hospitality experience for all travelers to the region.”

In 2017, key signings included the introduction of two new disruptive lifestyle brands, Mama Shelter and 25hours Hotel to the Middle East to debut in Business Bay and One Central respectively. AccorHotels also announced significant key projects, including the signing of an agreement to expand the Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand with PALM360, a spectacular two-tower development on the Palm Jumeirah, the largest Sofitel brand in the region with Sofitel Wafi in Dubai and the expansion of the Fairmont brand in Egypt with Fairmont Cairo.

The group successfully rebranded, renovated and reintroduced regional projects in 2017 including Le Grand Amman in Jordan, later to become Sofitel Amman, as well as the midscale Mercure Dubai Barsha heights Hotel Suites & Apartments, the largest Mercure property in the world. AccorHotels also announced the first entry of the Swissôtel brand to the UAE market, the first Fairmont property in Morocco with Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and the first ibis Styles brand in Kenya with ibis Styles Nairobi.