African Pride Hotels Celebrates 10 Years of benchmarking African Hospitality

The Pride of Africa’s luxury hospitality industry, African Pride Hotels, celebrates its first decade of operations this year.
African Pride Hotels is the superior deluxe brand within the Protea Hospitality Group, comprising a selection of 18 luxurious hotels, country houses and lodges in three African countries.

Protea Hospitality Group CEO Arthur Gillis said launching the top-end brand in 2001 was the next logical step in the company’s growth strategy that had over the previous 17 years seen Protea Hotels dominating the hospitality market on the continent.

“At the time we were – and still are – the hospitality brand with the most extensive home-grown expertise in running 3- and 4-star African hotels. Extending our reach into the 5-star market was a good decision at the time and we haven’t had a single moment’s regret if you look at the fantastic performance of the brand in the intervening decade,” Gillis said.

“In the past two years alone African Pride Hotels has acquired or launched four top-notch South African hotels and they are healthy in what has been a difficult economic cycle, especially for the 5-star market due to the global recession which has resulted in decreased demand and put pressure on rates. These hotels have managed to withstand this pressure and perform due to the strength of the African Pride Hotels brand.”

The hotels are African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, African Pride Irene Country Lodge, African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel and the Arabella Hotel & Spa in Kleinmond.
Gillis said African Pride Hotels was established in 2001 with the sole purpose of meeting the demand for the growing global appetite for African luxury travel.
He also congratulated the Protea Hospitality Group STAFF who had over the past decade worked so hard to make African Pride Hotels a success.
“It couldn’t have been done without such a good TEAM and I have no doubt I’ll be offering the same congratulations to them in another 10 years from now,” he said.
 
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