As many as 24 international hotel chains have eyeballed Kenya as one of the next markets to invest in, according to a survey conducted by a leading hotel consulting firm.
In W Hospitality's report, it says there are already 2450 rooms in Kenya that are planned or even under construction, with another 700 in the pipeline. With these numbers, representing 25 percent of new hospitality projects across the continent, Kenya will become Africa's leading nation for the number of upscale tourist accommodations, surpassing Egypt and Nigeria.

Global hotel chain Marriott International and Europe's largest hotel group Accor are some of the global brands that will build the newest hotels in Kenya, according to the survey outlining upcoming hospitality investments.

The expansion plans come at a time when hotel chains are increasingly facing pressure from ultra-affordable customers who demand special services.

In March this year Marriott International announced that it had signed an agreement with Baraka Lodges Limited to open its first luxury safari lodge in the Maasai Mara reserve.

The JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge in Kenya is expected to open in 2023 and will be Marriott's first luxury safari lodge in Africa.

Marriott International, after signing an agreement with local chain Sankara, also operates two other hotels in Nairobi, including the 172-room Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport, which opened in October 2017, and the 96-room Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham, which was converted.
Other luxury chains have already announced their expansion in the country: among them the prestigious Carlson Rezidor and Acacia Premier brands.
These are very positive signs that mark a recovery from the pandemic period, a time when at least two dozen hotels across Kenya had closed their doors, including the highly rated Radisson Blu in Nairobi.