Carlson Rezidor adds a new project to its rapidly growing portfolio in Africa: The company enters South Sudan and announces the Radisson Blu Hotel, Juba (158 rooms), scheduled to open in Q2 2017.
Africa is Carlson Rezidor’s most important growth market – the group is present in 24 countries on the continent, and holds the largest pipeline of hotels and rooms under development.
“We are delighted to arrive in South Sudan and to introduce our upper upscale core brand Radisson Blu to the capital city of Juba. South Sudan is a promising emerging country, and we look forward to establishing our presence there together with our partner Blue Diamond Hotel Limited”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor.
“We at Blue Diamond Hotel Limited are pleased to partner with Rezidor to manage our property in Juba. We are proud to be one of the pioneers to invest in and to understand the hospitality sector’s need for internationally branded hotels in South Sudan. I also want to take this opportunity to give honour to the government of South Sudan and their favourable investment policies that have allowed us to contribute to the vibrant economy of the country”, commented Russom Teame, Partner & MD of Blue Diamond Hotel Limited.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Juba is already under construction. The site is located in the Hai Malakal district which overlooks the majestic White Nile River. Juba International Airport is 8km away. Besides 158 guest rooms with Radisson Blu signature services such as free high speed internet access, the hotel will offer 4 food & drink outlets, 750sqm of meeting space and a business centre, an outdoor swimming pool & terrace, 300sqm spa & gym, retail space and a sky bar and restaurant overlooking the city.
South Sudan is the youngest country in Africa, having gained independence from Sudan in July 2011. Formerly based on subsistence agriculture, South Sudan’s economy is now highly oil-dependent, and an estimated 75% of the former Sudan’s oil reserves are in South Sudan. The country with a population of 10.8 million has applied to become part of the East African Community (EAC), and several regional and international businesses have recently established a presence in Juba.
Carlson Rezidor opened their first hotel in Africa in 2000, the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town (South Africa). Since then, the group has built up an impressive network of 58 hotels and 13,000+ rooms in 25 countries in Africa, and has a Regional Office in South Africa. Recent flagship openings of the group include the Radisson Blu Hotel, Maputo (Mozambique), the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka (Zambia) and the Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands (South Africa). Future openings include Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Nairobi (Kenya), Kigali (Rwanda) and Cape Town (South Africa).
“Africa offers excellent opportunities due to its huge natural resources and workforces, improved infrastructure, and a growing middle class. We want to grow further on the continent together with our existing and new partners through transparent and responsible long-term business relationships. We also want to be a leading employer in Africa. By creating new jobs for local talent and by contributing to the communities where we operate in, we can make a huge difference”, said Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer of Rezidor.
