|
| A deluxe suite at the Olare Mara Kempinski, Masai Mara Tented Camp in the Olare Orok Conservancy Masai Mara. |
REPORT FROM AFRICA—The wide open spaces of the Serengeti are the latest battleground in hotel development.
Kempinski Hotels and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are among the latest companies to put down stakes on safari lodge developments in Africa. Kempinski in January announced the opening of its Olare Mara Kempinski, Masai Mara Tented Camp located in the Olare Orok Conservancy Masai Mara, Kenya. The camp can accommodate two dozen guests at one time.
Meantime, Four Seasons in December opened the 77-room Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania, in the Serengeti National Park.
“They clearly see that this is where their guests want to go and is a vote of confidence in the safari product,” Trevor Ward, managing director of Lagos, Nigeria-based W Hospitality Group, said in an email.
It’s unclear precisely how many of these safari camps are operating or under development in Africa, but Ryan Powell, sales director at &Beyond that operates 32 properties and camps in wilderness locations in Africa and India, said he has noticed an uptick in interest from companies looking to develop on the Serengeti.
“Yes, authentic safari experiences underpinned by exceptional guiding, genuine African hospitality and value for money continue to be popular,” he said in an email.
The company has also gotten in on the action, having reopened its Ngala Tented Camp in August 2012 following renovation. Further renovations are planned at similar properties in Kichwa Tembo, Kenya, and Sandibe, Botswana, Powell said.
Ulrich Eckhardt, Kempinski’s regional president of India, Middle East and Africa, said the African continent shows “immense potential” for hotel companies.
“We already have five properties operating in Africa and economic growth and development on the continent is rising dramatically, with countries like Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Angola making exceptional gains in the past few years,” he said in an email. “Africa’s rich landscape and abundant wildlife are perfect for tourism, and we see great opportunity in the luxury safari market.”
Eckhardt also said there is a strict cap on the number of camps allowed in the Olare Orok Conservancy, which makes it an “ideal location” for development.
“At Kempinski, we understand that, by its very nature, luxury is limited,” he said. “While the safari-lodge business is intriguing to many hotel operators, there are limited opportunities to find and operate spectacular properties like we have in the Masai Mara.”
James Haigh, director of sales and marketing at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, agreed that safari lodge-style products are in demand.
“As vacation time becomes more valuable, our clients are looking to engage and learn from the places they stay,” he said in an email. “Four Seasons prides itself in finding new and emerging experiences and destinations. Tanzania and the Serengeti ticks all these boxes. Every day our guests and staff learn more and more about what it means to be part of an ancient ecosystem.”
Haigh added that Four Seasons is looking at future safari-lodge development. The company will look to build a smaller tented camp in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area near the Serengeti.
Safari challenges
There are unique issues that arise when operating one of these camps, sources said. The No. 1 challenge: logistics.
“At Olare Mara Kempinski, some of the biggest challenges we face, apart from keeping the zebras out of our garden, are ensuring a consistent supply of the water, electricity and the high-end products needed to operate a luxury camp,” Eckhardt said. “Weather, transportation and other supply-chain issues can have an impact on our ability to keep everything well-stocked, which is why we rely on strong relationships with local suppliers and emphasize sustainable infrastructure, including drawing up to 70% of our power from solar energy and maintaining our own large organic garden.”
Haigh said that while the remote location of the Four Seasons property can introduce logistical issues—all supplies have to be brought in either over rough roads or piece by piece on a 12-seater aircraft—it can also be a blessing as well.
“What this does mean, however, is that we enjoy almost uninterrupted peace and quiet, save for the restful sounds of the African bush, of course,” he said.
Haigh said the company is bullish over the long-term potential Africa holds for hoteliers.
“Four Seasons are optimistic about the opportunities presented by a continent whose current sustained growth is predicted to continue over the next four decades,” he said. “By 2050, it is expected that the continent’s (gross domestic product) will equal the combined GDPs of the U.S. and (European Union) at current prices.”