Every luxury hotel has a story, and this one is about who gets seen, served, and celebrated. Shockingly, according to a recent hotel development report, Nigeria, the giant of Africa and a top destination for diaspora travellers, has slipped behind Egypt and Morocco.
You can’t ignore this update as an African because it reflects upcoming realities for us all. This isn’t just a shift in rankings, it sets the tone for the default African experiences travellers will encounter, impacting access, representation, and choice.
In this blog post, I’ll explain more about the impact of this shift on Black travel.
The Hotel Boom Across Africa
According to a report by W Hospitality Group, the Africa hotel pipeline 2025 now includes 577 hotels and resorts with 104,444 rooms, representing a 13.3% increase from 2024. This growth rate far exceeds the global average reported by leading international chains, highlighting the rising momentum in African travel trends and hospitality investment.
Egypt’s hotel landscape is gaining strong momentum, particularly in cities where hotels are integrated with complementary components such as branded residences, retail and conference centres. This growth is further propelled by leisure destinations, driven by the coast and well-established resort destinations like Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam—reinforcing Egypt’s position as a key player in the regional hospitality sector. – Maya Ziade, Chief Development Officer: Premium, Midscale & Economy, Accor
Below are key takeaways from the report on hotel development in Africa.
- Egypt leads with 143 pipeline hotels totaling 33,926 rooms. It holds 32.5% of the total room count this year, a 28% increase from last year.
- Morocco ranks second with 8,579 rooms. It displaced Nigeria from second place this year, signing 13 new hotel deals in 2024 alone.
- Ethiopia is fourth, with 33 pipeline hotels and 5,648 rooms.
- Cape Verde ranks fifth with 16 hotels and a total of 5,565 rooms.
Are any of these locations on your travel bucket list? You can contact Travelradio.live for expert guidance and consultation on your itinerary, including the perfect accommodation. Also, check out exciting places to visit in Morocco.
Image Source: Freepik
What’s Happening in Nigeria?
Lagos and Abuja are the two major cities with the largest hotel pipelines in Nigeria. Nigeria ranks third with 48 hotel development projects. Most of these projects are concentrated in Lagos, the commercial capital, while Abuja’s hotel infrastructure lags despite being the administrative capital.
Travel agent and customer representative Celestine Nnamdi, a contributor on Quora, responded to a question about which state has the highest number of hotels in Nigeria. He listed Lagos first, followed by Abuja. This reinforces the belief that Lagos has more hotels than any other city in Nigeria.
Another respondent on Quora, G.U., who lives in Lagos, also noted that Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and international airport that handles most of Nigeria’s air travel, naturally has more hotels than other cities.
Below are key points about Hotel infrastructure in Lagos and Abuja
- Marriott Hotels is leading the development of Nigeria’s hotel sector, particularly in Lagos, which creates more visibility for Lagos Travel 2025. A significant portion of Lagos’ hotel pipeline is driven by Marriott International, which has eight hotels and 1,228 rooms in development. Others include Accor, which has five hotels, Radisson Hotel Group and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, which have three each, and Hilton, which has two hotels.
- In contrast, Abuja, Nigeria’s political and administrative capital, continues to trail behind in terms of international branded hotels. The hotel pipeline in Abuja mainly comprises Marriott International with nine properties and Radisson Hotel Group with three. Of the 14 projects, nine are still in the early pre-planning stage, while those under construction are moving slowly. According to the report, Abuja may not open any new international hotels this year.
Are you coming to Nigeria soon? Let Travelradio.live help you with accommodation recommendations and other travel planning services.
How Nigeria’s Hotel Development Gap Affects Black and African Travellers
Nigeria’s hotel development gap has real implications for the Black travellers African community. The impact spans accessibility and affordability in Nigerian travel hotels.
Image Source: Freepik
Below are key impacts for Black and African Travellers
- Access: With fewer hotel options, affordability and flexibility may be affected.
- Business Travel: Inadequate infrastructure hampers the development of high-end hotels, reducing interest from diaspora travellers and African businesses.
- Culturally Inclusive Hotels: Adopting local cultural values such as traditional foods and art may be sidelined in favour of Western experiences, weakening African identity in hospitality offerings.
Final Thoughts
Once a leader in African hospitality development, Nigeria is now trailing behind Egypt and Morocco. According to the report above, Morocco displaced Nigeria from its second-place position. Despite this shift, Lagos still holds promise for Nigerian travel hotels, especially with ongoing investments from global brands like Marriott.
The progress seen in countries like Egypt and Morocco can be attributed to their preservation of cultural heritage, improved infrastructure, and investor-friendly policies that support hotel development. Nigeria can adopt similar strategies to stay competitive and boost the diaspora travel trend.
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Also read: African Cultural Festivals Spotlight 2025: Top 5 Events You Need To Know
