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Marriott Expands Into Botswana, Rebrands Protea Hotels

Marriott Expands Into Botswana, Rebrands Protea Hotels

U.S. hotel firm Marriott, which bought South African hotel chain Protea in 2014, wants to reposition Protea from being a strong regional player to a globally recognized brand with international appeal by leveraging the power of its name, the parent company said.

Protea is being rebranded to include the name of parent company Marriott, BuyingBusinessTravel reported.

The Protea brand name may be changing or expanding, but among South African youth, it has been voted the coolest hotel brand in the country six years in a row, BizCommunity reports.

The Sunday Times Generation Next 2016 survey and the 2016-2017 Ask Africa Youth Brands survey by Protea Hotels polled the opinions of 13,000-plus young South Africans to learn which brand experiences young South Africans of all backgrounds and living standards trust with their money.

With the $200 million Protea hotel purchase, Marriott became the largest hotel brand in Africa, TravelWeekly reported. It has 100-plus managed and franchised properties in eight African countries including South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.

Marriott rebrands Protea hotels

In what’s known in the hotel industry as a brand endorsement, Protea Hotels has been renamed Protea Hotels by Marriott. Marriott has also updated Protea’s logo.

Marriott expects to increase its own awareness in Southern Africa through the endorsement of the regional power that Protea hotels represent, TravelPulse reported.

Marriott’s announcement came less than a week after the South Africa-based Protea hotel chain confirmed signing its first hotel in Gaborone, Botswana, according to HospitalityNet.

“Botswana is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and is classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle income state,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president of Marriott International Middle East and Africa. “With this sort of economic success and the positive outlook for the country, we certainly see strong value in this venture in Botswana.”

Marriott said it plans to open 10 new hotels in Africa in 2016 with more than 1,600 rooms in addition to the 10,000 already in its Africa portfolio.