Marriott International just announced the opening of its first Four Points by Sheraton brand in Arusha, Tanzania.

The 106-room hotel re-opened at the end of September, after the renovation and rebranding of The Arusha Hotel – a longstanding city landmark that has hosted high-ranking dignitaries and personalities for more than 120 years.  The hotel is believed to be one of the oldest hotels in East Africa, and is ideally located near major national parks, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Meru.  The Four Points Hotel has has been modernized to appeal to today’s traveler.  It features stylish rooms, a 24-hour gym, four restaurants and bars, a coffee shop, an outdoor swimming pool, three state-of-the-art meeting rooms, and two outdoor venues of 5,500 square feet, catering to up to 400 guests.  The food and beverage outlets offer all-day dining, and the famed Hatari Bar, which was named after John Wayne’s 1962 safari film epic.

In his comments about the entry of this brand into a new market, Alex Kyriakidis, Marriott’s President and Managing Director for Middle East and Africa, highlighted “the strong traction the brand is gaining in the region”.  He also said, “Tanzania has long been on global travelers’ bucket list and the Four Points brand with its blend of stylish comfort and genuine service offers an ideal choice at an honest value.”

The Four Points by Sheraton brand has seen successful growth in Africa.  It is one of the top 10 hotel brands, in terms of number of planned rooms.  There are 12 Four Points, with 2,189 rooms and an average size of 182 rooms, planned to open within the next five years, according to W Hospitality Group’s 2017 Hotel Pipeline Report. This represents an over 20 per cent increase in the pipeline for this brand, from the previous year.  Of the 2017 pipeline for the brand, 30 per cent or 657 rooms are currently under construction.

The Four Points by Sheraton brand is also growing steadily in the East African region, with the recent opening of the Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi, Hurlingham, and two more scheduled to open in the next few months.