Stephen Alden, president and CEO of the Maybourne Hotel Group, London, has his eyes open for iconic properties to join his portfolio. He says his plan is strategic managed growth, and he wants to add one or two hotels a year—selected or built from scratch—to achieve a cluster of up to 15 properties.

Speaking from his London base, Frank Croston, partner, Hamilton Hotel Partners, sees big expansion for Azimut, the Russian brand that belongs to Alexander Klyachin. Based in Moscow, Klyachin has built up a portfolio of eight properties in his native country, and he has another eight projects under way. Klyachin has purchased the Austrian Hotel Co., Vienna. Hamilton Hotel Partners will be managing them on Klyachin’s behalf and, says Croston, some of the Austrian Hotel Co.’s Belmondo, EuroHotel and EuroHotel & Suites properties will be rebranded as Azimut. Now Klyachin is looking for other brands—not individual hotels—to purchase outright. He wants freehold and is looking first for clusters of four to 20 hotels in Germany and adjacent countries.

Speaking from Lagos, the business center of Nigeria, Trevor Ward, managing director of W Hospitality Group, says there is a dire need for hotels. Occupancy of existing properties in Lagos hits the high-80s as it does in the capital, Abuja, and in state capitals. Not only are the oil and gas sectors huge, but non-energy activity, which grew by nearly 10% in 2007, is driving domestic demand. The main opportunity, says Ward, is for mid-market brands.

There is certainly a lot of action on the African continent right now. Dubai World Africa, led by its Cape Town-based CEO James Wilson, has recently announced projects in Rwanda and Tanzania. Kingdom Hotel Investments Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development Tim Hansing says this is the continent that has predominantly occupied him for the last three years (now he has moved on to Asia and is eyeing Latin America).

In the main, however, the center of activity these days is the Gulf, especially the United Arab Emirates. On May 5, Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar, announced his newest brand, The Address. This will have four different brand extensions, namely Resort, Retreat, Urban and Business, and it will launch this year in downtown Burj Dubai and Dubai Marina. Now Alabbar is looking for opportunities in key markets in the Middle East and North Africa region, the Indian subcontinent, Asia, Europe and America within the next 10 years.

Mark Comley, who was helping Kerzner International with development, is now director of the hospitality portfolio for Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate, Dubai. Al-Futtaim Group has announced plans to create Cairo Festival City, a 30 million-sq. ft. (2.8 sq. m) mixed-use development 15 miles (24 km) southeast of the Egyptian capital. The US$9 billion development will include 480 residential villas, 250 high-profile retail outlets, 85 food and beverage outlets and one 400-key luxury-level hotel. Comley says he already has five significant brands seriously interested in the hotel.

mary.gostelow@wowtraveler.net