LE Meridien Hotels and Resorts has signed management contracts for seven properties being developed in Egypt.
The move is the latest step towards the upmarket chain’s target of 200 hotels within the next five years. It currently has just over 100 city-centre and resort properties in over 50 countries.
Managing director Bernard Lambert said Egypt has become a focus of major hotel investment because of the country’s efforts to build up tourism following the Luxor massacre in November 1997.
“The Egyptian government wants to increase tourism from 3m-4m people today to 10m visitors in five to seven years’ time,” he said.
The first hotel will open in September in the Red Sea area around 14 miles from Hurghada airport. Called Le Meridien Makadi Bay, the resort will have 423 rooms, 153 bungalows and 208 chalets.
Le Meridien Ras Sudr will open in 2001 on the Red Sea coast in the Sinai area. An international airport is currently being built nearby and is due to open in 2005.
In the same year, the 250-room Le Meridien Marsa Allam will open, along with the Le Meridien Taaba and a hotel under the chain’s five-star plus luxury brand Royal Meridien, Le Royal Meridien Taaba.
The remaining two management contracts are for hotels in El Ein el Sokhna also in 2001 – Le Meridien El Ein Bay Hotel and Le Meridien El Ein Golf Resort.
Lambert said the group was investigating other properties – just outside Cairo and also in Alexandra and Luxor.
Meanwhile, Le Meridien has signed a management contract for a business hotel, opening in Bethlehem, Palestine in 2001.