Worldhotels Enters into Sub-Saharan Africa / The international hotel group announces strategic partnership with the Azalai Hotels Group

Frankfurt (ots) - Worldhotels expands into Africa by joining
forces with the Azalaï Hotels Group - the first African private hotel
chain in West Africa. As part of the agreement, six Azalaï Hotels in
Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali and Guinea-Bissau have joined Worldhotels'
global network of almost 500 hotels worldwide, taking advantage of
the group's 360° solution, which offers everything from technology to
branding. Additional properties in Nouakchott, Abidjan and Dakar are
anticipated to join Worldhotels' portfolio when they open their doors
in 2015 and 2016.

Worldhotels sees great potential in Sub-Saharan Africa - a region
that is marked by substantial economic growth, which has translated
into a rising tourism industry. Both business and leisure travel are
accelerating and local hotel operators are increasingly looking for
international partners to enhance their global exposure, without
having hard standards imposed upon them. The partnership with the
Azalaï Hotels Group marks a first and important step in Worldhotels'
strategic intention to expand into Africa, and the group is looking
for further opportunities within the market.

Worldhotels' distinctive range of business offerings, which are
tailored to meet the needs of private hotel operators whilst allowing
full operational freedom, was the reason why Mossadeck Bally, founder
and CEO of Azalai Hotels, selected the group as the preferred
international partner for his hotels: "Besides offering us their
classic affiliation model, Worldhotels also provided us with a
technology-only solution for some of our hotels, which doesn't
require any dedicated sales or marketing support. For our pipeline
projects we particularly trust in Worldhotels' global exposure and
360° services to help us strengthen our position in the international
market."

"Azalai Hotels stand for authentic African hospitality and we are
genuinely proud to join forces with this locally and internationally
recognised group", comments Kristin Intress, CEO of Worldhotels. "Our
strategic partnership is an important milestone, enabling us to
accelerate our mutual growth and strengthen our brand positioning. We
are particularly glad to expand the Worldhotels network to new
destinations in the aspiring sub-Saharan market, offering our guests
a greater selection of authentic hotels worldwide."

Azalai Hotels that have joined the Worldhotels portfolio are:

- Azalai Hôtel Indépendance | Ouagadougou | Burkina Faso

- Azalai Hôtel De La Plage | Cotonou | Benin

- Azalai Grand Hôtel | Bamako | Mali

- Azalai Hôtel Salam | Bamako | Mali

- Azalai Hôtel Dunia | Bamako | Mali

- Azalai Hôtel 24 de Setembro | Bissau | Guinea-Bissau

Media contact:
Veronika Bahnmann
Worldhotels
+49 (0) 69 660 56 - 259
vbahnmann@worldhotels.com