CHOICEHotels International has signed an agreement with Cairo-based hotel management company Windsor Hotels International to develop its presence in Egypt and the Middle East.
The franchise group currently has only three properties in the region – one in Beirut and two in Dubai.
Windsor is an affiliate company of Abercrombie and Kent and has two hotels in Rwanda and Egypt and four luxury cruise ships on the Nile. It also has five hotels under construction in Egypt.
Under the agreement, Windsor’s entire portfolio, including the cruise ships, will join Choice’s franchise network.
Windsor’s hotels will be upgraded and relaunched under Choice’s international five-star Clarion or four-star Quality brand over the next 18 months.
In addition, Windsor will take on the management of six properties being developed in conjunction with local hotel companies. These include two new-build hotels in Cairo, a conversion in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh and new properties in Luxor and Taba.
It is expected that all will open under the Quality brand over the next 18 months.
Roy Murray, vice-president international for Choice International, said the Middle East and Africa would be the main focus of future expansion for the group’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division based in London. “We haven’t really focused on this region before but now that Europe is performing very well under the direction of Friendly Hotels, which holds the master franchise, we are now looking at expanding in the Middle East and the African continent,” he said.
“We have had a lot of enquiries from hotels in the region who are interested in having international branding, particularly from Dubai and the other Emirates.”
Choice’s existing Comfort Hotel in Beirut is operated by Sun Lodging, which is due to open a Quality Hotel in Tripoli this summer in a new convention centre being built on the city’s coastline.
Murray said Sun Lodging was also looking at opportunities in Jordan and Syria while Windsor would concentrate on the Arabian Peninsula.
“Overall, we would hope to open about 15 hotels in the next 18 months,”he said.
Murray added that worldwide, Choice is also concentrating on expansion in South America, where it aims to increase its hotels from 20 to 25 in the next 18 months, with longer term plans for around 50-55 properties.