From the Euro-flavored north to the luxe safaris of the continent’s southern half, new hotels, renovations and little-known experiences are waiting for you and your clients in Africa.
Royal Mansour Casablanca
Casablanca’s first luxury hotel has been reborn as the long-awaited Royal Mansour Casablanca. The gleaming new icon—the Royal Mansour Collection’s second property—occupies the site of the former Art Deco landmark, which has been faithfully rebuilt over eight years to capture the original building’s modernist splendor.
Located in the heart of the city near the Old Medina and Art Deco district, the 149-room hotel features the largest suites in town spanning up to 12,800 sf plus private butler service, a two-story spa (the city’s largest), five restaurants and bars, and insider experiences ranging from street art tours to a high-soaring flight above the cityscape. The highly-anticipated opening further elevates the “White City” as an emerging tourism destination in its own right.
The 149 rooms, suites, and private apartments recall Casablanca’s mid-century glamor, with Carrera marble surfaces, inlaid wood paneling, rich fabrics, brass accents, private butler service, and views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Mosque. Accommodations include deluxe rooms at 540 sf and a range of duplex and triplex suites, including the 9,150-sf Suite Princiere, featuring a dedicated elevator and private sky garden.
Some of the original hotel’s most iconic details have been reinterpreted for the modern day: a ground-floor Andalusian-inspired garden evokes the original palace’s Winter Garden. A striking staircase near the bar is a nod to the original spiral staircase where the likes of Mohammad Ali, Charles Aznavour, Umm Kulthum, and Sean Connery were photographed back in the day. Curvilinear shapes, marble and brass surfaces, and rich woods evoke the luxury of a transatlantic liner, while the staff’s impeccably cut uniforms strike a retro-nostalgic aesthetic.
This legendary hotel has also long been the meeting place for the world’s celebrities, connoisseurs, and politicians; more than 4,000 guests gathered at the palace’s inauguration party on February 26, 1953, heralding the inauguration of the largest hotel in North Africa. The Royal Mansour Casablanca will continue to be the city’s cultural and social hub with four restaurants, VIP lounge and two floors of meeting and event spaces. royalmansour.com/casablanca
The Panari Resort Nyahururu
BWH Hotels welcomes the Panari Resort as Africa’s first hotel to join its prestigious BW Signature Collection. Located in Nyahururu, Kenya, the resort’s warm and rustic ambiance provides visitors with a calming oasis among Kenya’s famed natural wonders. The Panari Resort is known for its exclusive collection of unique hotels, all distinguished by their originality and individual personas.
Guests will enjoy the resort’s comfortable cottage-style rooms with ornate stone fireplaces and flat-screen televisions. As a nod to the surrounding natural landscape, the cottage designs showcase botanic wallpaper, wooden motifs, and an earth-tone color palette. Three dining options are available onsite, including the Brown Olive Restaurant, the Silky Oak Bar, and the poolside restaurant. Additional amenities include meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 300 guests, a steam and sauna, a solar heated indoor pool, a fitness center, daily yoga, and salon and spa facilities sure to exceed guest expectations.
The Panari Resort also showcases BWH’s dedication to sustainability. The resort has several on-property sustainability initiatives to help reduce its carbon footprint, including water conservation efforts and solar-powered facilities. Panari Resort also boasts a newly built Elephant Water Hole at Marmanet Forest as part of its ongoing contributions to sustainable tourism development.
Ideally located for nature enthusiasts, Panari Resort boasts picturesque views of Thomson’s Falls gorge, the Ewaso Nyiro River, and the Marmanet Forest. The drive to the resort offers breathtaking scenery of the Great Rift Valley and guests can experience stopovers at the Equator point. For adventure seekers, the resort is close to the Hippo Pools and Lake Ol’ Bolossat, which is home to more than 185 species of birds and wild animals such as hippos. Guests can also enjoy nature walks, hiking, rhino safaris, or play a round of golf at nearby Nyahururu Sports and Golf Club. panarihotels.com/resort-nyahururu; bwh.com
Finch Hattons Luxury Safari Camp, Kenya
Renowned for having some of the most spectacular properties across the globe, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition has announced the addition of the award-winning Finch Hattons Luxury Safari Camp in Kenya to its exquisite collection of unique retreats.
Finch Hattons Luxury Safari Camp, located in the Tsavo National Park of Kenya will become the ninth property within the collection and its fifth footprint in Africa, complementing its other world-class properties across the continent, including Mahali Mzuri, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard, and the famed Kasbah Tamadot. It will also become an integral part of the wider parent company, Virgin Hotels Collection, encompassing Virgin Hotels and Virgin Limited Edition, which was formed last year.
Finch Hattons features 17-luxury tented suites and three decades of safari experience from the Kenyan-based Gehlot family—the owners of Finch Hattons and co-owners of Mahali Mzuri—together with Sir Richard Branson. It will offer future Virgin Limited Edition guests extraordinary experiences within the treasures of Tsavo, not to mention Africa’s only Shetani lava flow and breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Finch Hattons will become part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio in July 2024. Rates start from $796 pp per night, including accommodation, all meals and drinks, as well as all scheduled activities including game drives, excursion to Shetani lava flow, Oldonyo Larami volcano hike, yoga, nature walks and return airstrip transfers. virginlimitededition.com/finch-hattons-coming-soon
Cape Grace, South Africa
Reopened in May 2024 after nine months of renovations, Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, has reopened with a new look inspired by South Africa’s heritage, culture and artistry. Located on the iconic V&A Waterfront, Cape Town’s most treasured hotel has been gracefully redesigned by globally renowned interior and architecture firm, 1508 London who have paid homage to Cape Town’s evolution from a bustling trading port to a cosmopolitan hub. Following this grand transformation, Cape Grace will embark on a new chapter as it joins a collection of 90 distinctive properties worldwide.
Handpicked artwork from local artists will be showcased throughout the new hotel and materials chosen for a contemporary, understated look that harmonizes with Cape Town and its natural surroundings. With unrivaled views of the city, each of the 112 rooms and suites features large French windows or balconies that look out onto either the Marina or the iconic backdrop of Table Mountain. The 2-bedroom Cape Grace Suite boasts an expansive terrace, a stylish lounge and a dining area with a private bar and butler’s pantry.
For its culinary vision, Cape Grace is working with well-known Cape Town Chef, Gregory Czarnecki to offer locals and international guests elevated South African-inspired cuisine at the new restaurant Heirloom. The new dining experiences also include a Pool Bar for relaxed afternoons spent by Cape Grace’s beautiful outdoor pool after a morning exploring the city.
Also encouraging relaxation is the new serene Fairmont Spa at Cape Grace featuring treatments inspired by local natural elements including tailored bath rituals, jet lag recovery, detox massages, a salt room experience, guided meditation and curated packages. capegrace.com
Giraffe Manor, Nairobi
Named a “Best in the World” by Travel & Leisure in 2022, Giraffe Manor blends extraordinary wildlife encounters with exquisite hospitality and a long-term commitment to giraffe conservation. The historic manor house is set in 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi and is one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings, harking back to the 1930s when visitors first flocked to East Africa to enjoy safaris. With its stately façade, elegant interior, verdant green gardens, sunny terraces and delightful courtyards, guests often remark that it’s like walking into the film Out of Africa: indeed, one of its 12 rooms is named after the author, Karen Blixen. Next door is the newer Garden Manor, offering six guestrooms.
One of the most fascinating things about Giraffe Manor is its resident herd of Rothschild’s giraffes who may visit morning and evening, poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat, before retreating to their forest sanctuary. The Rothschild’s species of giraffe was once highly endangered, but Giraffe Manor has long been part of a breeding program which has successfully grown their numbers in the wild. Giraffe Manor can be booked for the night or as part of a complete tailor-made Kenya safari with The Safari Collection. thesafaricollection.com/properties/giraffe-manor
