Over the next five years, Hilton expects to add approximately 100 hotels, or 20,000 guestrooms, to its multiple African markets, investing $50 million in the expansion. The brands primarily picked for growth include Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and the Curio Collection by Hilton.

“Hilton remains committed to growth in Africa having been present on the continent for more than 50 years. The model of converting existing hotels into Hilton-branded properties has proved highly successful in a variety of markets and we expect to see great opportunities to convert hotels to Hilton brands through this initiative,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton.

“It enables us to rapidly grow our portfolio and delivers returns for owners by increasing exposure of their business to more international, inter-regional and domestic travelers, and specifically to our 65 million-plus Hilton Honors members, who look to stay with us in our suite of industry-leading brands. We see huge potential here in key cities and airports, as well as allowing us to develop our offering in resorts and safari lodges,” he continued.

Some of the first hotels revealed under this new initiative include the DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham and the DoubleTree by Hilton Kigali City Centre. The former is a 109-guestroom property originally opened under another brand in 2016 and currently undergoing renovations. The latter features 134 guestrooms and 19 apartments, and is Hilton’s first property in Rwanda, set to open next year. Hilton expects to announce more upcoming African properties before the end of the year.