Luxury hotel development across Africa is expanding, with 105 projects comprising 19,453 rooms either under construction or in the planning pipeline as global hospitality groups grow their presence across key tourism and business markets.
- +Top 10 African cities with the largest luxury hotel pipeline (Q3 2026)
Data provided exclusively to Nairametrics by Trevor Ward, Principal at W Hospitality Group, shows that 57 luxury hotel projects representing 10,227 rooms are under construction, while another 48 projects with 9,226 rooms are in the planning stage.
Data provided exclusively to Nairametrics by Trevor Ward, Principal at W Hospitality Group, shows that 57 luxury hotel projects representing 10,227 rooms are under construction, while another 48 projects with 9,226 rooms are in the planning stage.
The pipeline is expected to add 27 luxury hotels in 2026, 25 in 2027, 24 in 2028, and 14 in 2029, with 15 projects yet to announce opening dates.
The developments involve major hospitality groups including Accor, Marriott International, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski, Banyan Group, Aman, Minor Hotels, and Nobu Hotels.
Their luxury brands, including Sofitel, Raffles, Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, St. Regis, Waldorf Astoria, InterContinental, Six Senses, and Anantara, feature prominently across the pipeline.
Luxury projects were identified using the STR Global Chain Scales, an industry framework that classifies hotel brands by market positioning.
Ward provided Nairametrics with an additional filtering of the W Hospitality Group pipeline data to identify developments that fall within the luxury segment.
Below are the African cities with the largest number of luxury hotel projects as of Q3 2026.
North Coast enters the ranking with two luxury hotel projects comprising 576 rooms, the highest room capacity among destinations with the same number of luxury hotel developments.
The projects have room capacities of 230 and 346, giving the destination a larger luxury pipeline than other two-project markets, including Casablanca (454 rooms) and Kampala (342 rooms).
The inclusion of North Coast highlights the continued expansion of Egypt’s luxury hospitality pipeline beyond its major cities and established Red Sea resorts, with the coastal destination emerging as one of Africa’s largest markets by luxury hotel room capacity among locations with fewer projects.
Serengeti has three luxury hotel projects in the pipeline, comprising 129 rooms, placing it ninth among African destinations ranked by the number of luxury hotel developments.
The projects have room capacities of 25, 29, and 75, making it one of the smallest luxury hotel pipelines by room capacity on the list. Unlike major urban and resort markets with larger hotel developments, Serengeti’s pipeline is concentrated around smaller-scale luxury properties.
The destination’s inclusion reflects the role of safari tourism in Africa’s luxury hospitality market, with high-end developments often taking the form of exclusive lodges and low-capacity properties rather than large hotels.
Tangier has three luxury hotel projects in the pipeline, comprising 415 rooms, placing it ahead of Serengeti among destinations with the same number of luxury hotel developments.
The projects have room capacities of 115, 120, and 180, reflecting a pipeline made up of relatively mid-sized luxury properties compared with larger resort destinations such as Sharm El Sheikh and Zanzibar.
The city’s luxury hotel pipeline adds to Morocco’s growing presence in Africa’s high-end hospitality market, with Tangier joining Marrakesh among Moroccan destinations attracting luxury hotel developments.
Tangier’s three-project pipeline is smaller than Marrakesh’s in room count but highlights the spread of luxury hotel development beyond Morocco’s traditional tourism centres.
Alexandria rounds out the group of African cities with four luxury hotel projects, comprising 641 rooms, just six rooms fewer than Ain Sokhna.
The developments have room capacities of 88, 110, 201, and 242, reflecting a pipeline of mid-sized luxury hotels rather than the larger resort-style projects seen in destinations such as Sharm El Sheikh or New Cairo.
With 641 rooms across four projects, Alexandria’s luxury hotel pipeline is only marginally smaller than Ain Sokhna’s 647 rooms, highlighting the closely matched scale of development between the two Egyptian destinations.
Ain Sokhna has four luxury hotel projects comprising 647 rooms, narrowly ahead of Alexandria by room capacity among African cities with the same number of developments.
The projects have room capacities of 80, 80, 177, and 310, with the largest development accounting for nearly half of the city’s luxury hotel pipeline.
The city’s luxury pipeline forms part of a broader hospitality development market that includes projects by Accor, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, and Kerten Hospitality, according to the wider hotel development pipeline.
Its presence in the ranking further reinforces Egypt’s strong concentration of luxury hotel projects across multiple destinations.
New Cairo has four luxury hotel projects in the pipeline, comprising 1,022 rooms, giving it the largest room capacity among African cities with four luxury hotel developments.
The projects have room capacities of 81, 180, 230, and 531, with the largest development accounting for more than half of the city’s total pipeline. By room capacity, New Cairo outpaces both Ain Sokhna (647 rooms) and Alexandria (641 rooms), despite all three cities having four luxury hotel projects each.
The city’s inclusion in the ranking further highlights Egypt’s dominance in Africa’s luxury hotel development pipeline, with New Cairo joining Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Ain Sokhna, and Alexandria among the continent’s leading locations for luxury hotel projects.
Zanzibar is the highest-ranked destination in Sub-Saharan Africa, with five luxury hotel projects comprising 593 rooms, reflecting sustained investment in the island’s upscale tourism market.
The pipeline includes developments with 22, 65, 90, 93, and 323 rooms, combining boutique luxury properties with larger resort-style developments. The 323-room project is the largest in Zanzibar’s luxury hotel pipeline.
As one of Africa’s best-known beach destinations, Zanzibar continues to attract luxury hotel investment, with developers expanding accommodation to meet demand from international leisure travellers. Its position in the ranking highlights Tanzania’s growing presence in the continent’s luxury hospitality pipeline.
Marrakesh has six luxury hotel projects in the pipeline, comprising 560 rooms. Although it has the same number of projects as Sharm El Sheikh, the developments are considerably smaller in scale, reflecting a focus on lower-capacity luxury properties.
The projects have room capacities of 30, 55, 81, 110, 120, and 164, indicating a pipeline dominated by boutique and mid-sized luxury hotels rather than large integrated resorts.
