There’s a certain rhythm to the hotel game cycles of boom, bust, and the occasional moment where someone quietly gets on with the business of building while others are still talking about it.
BWH Hotels, it seems, has chosen the latter.
As the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa 2026 approaches, the global hotel group isn’t arriving with grandstanding or glossy declarations. Instead, it’s turning up with something far more persuasive: signed deals, a swelling pipeline, and a growing sense that Africa long described as “emerging” has finally decided to get on with it.
Confidence, Not Noise
If you listen carefully, there’s a shift in tone across the African investment landscape. Less speculation, more conviction.
Wytze van den Berg, BWH Hotels’ Vice President of International Operations, put it plainly without the usual corporate theatrics.
“Investor confidence comes with predictability. While the world is filled with uncertainties, we are seeing growing trust and confidence across many African countries.”
It’s hardly a headline-grabbing line, but that’s precisely why it matters. In hospitality, the real money rarely follows excitement; it follows stability. And right now, parts of Africa are beginning to offer just enough of it to turn cautious interest into actual deals.
Morocco and Egypt: The Real Movers
Wytze van den Berg, VP International Operations, BWH Hotels
If there’s a pulse worth checking, it’s in North Africa.
Morocco, in particular, has become something of a quiet overachiever. BWH Hotels has signed more than 25 new properties there in the past year alone a figure that doesn’t just suggest momentum, it confirms it.
Egypt, never far from the conversation, is tracking closely behind, with a dozen projects actively underway.
“These two markets are rapidly accelerating and represent major growth engines for our brand family across Africa,” van den Berg said.
No hyperbole. No fluff. Just the sort of measured confidence that tends to age well.
And importantly, BWH isn’t betting on a single lane. The group is spreading its brands WorldHotels™, Best Western® Hotels & Resorts, and SureStay® Hotels across multiple segments, from soft-branded luxury through to dependable midscale. It’s a portfolio play, not a punt.
The Quiet Strength of East Africa
Further east, Ethiopia and Tanzania are doing what they’ve done for years, building steadily, without fuss.
There’s no overnight miracle here. Infrastructure is improving, air access is expanding, and business travel is ticking along nicely. It’s not flashy, but then again, the best markets rarely are.
For hotel groups with patience, and BWH clearly has it, these are the kinds of destinations that reward consistency over bravado.
Nigeria: Big, Bold and Not for the Faint-Hearted
Then there’s Nigeria. Always Nigeria.
A market that can test even the most seasoned operator, yet remains impossible to ignore.
BWH Hotels is leaning in, not backing away, with two new openings that tell you everything about its approach.
In Owerri, the Best Western Premier McDons Skye Hotel arrives with a full-suite rooftop bar, city views, polished rooms, and enough meeting space to keep the corporate crowd happy.
Over in Lagos, the Best Western Plus Ambience Hotel Ikeja plays a slightly different hand. Practical, well-located, and geared towards business travellers who care less about frills and more about efficiency, particularly when they’re ten minutes from Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Two hotels. Two strategies. One clear message: know your market.
FHS Africa: Where Deals Actually Happen
All roads now lead to FHS Africa, running from 31 March to 1 April 2026
👉 https://www.futurehospitality.com/africa.
It’s one of those events that manages to avoid the usual industry echo chamber. People turn up to do business, not just exchange business cards.
For BWH Hotels, it’s a chance to reinforce what it’s already doing, deepening partnerships, sounding out new opportunities, and, crucially, staying close to the markets it’s investing in.
“We are proud to once again participate in FHS Africa,” van den Berg said. “Africa continues to be a priority region for BWH Hotels.”
Again, no theatrics. Just intent.
A Strategy That Feels Familiar for Good Reason
What stands out in all of this isn’t the scale, though it’s significant, but the method.
This is old-school expansion. Identify markets with fundamentals. Build relationships. Grow steadily. Don’t overpromise.
In an industry that occasionally gets carried away with its own narrative, there’s something reassuring about that.
Africa may still have its complexities, but what market doesn’t? But for those willing to take a long view, the opportunity is no longer theoretical.
BWH Hotels is quietly and methodically acting on it.
And if history tells us anything, it’s that the operators who keep their heads while others chase headlines tend to come out ahead.
by Susan Ng – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 4 minutes.
About the Writer.
With the polish of an international hotel professional and the instincts of a born storyteller, Susan Ng learned hospitality where it truly lives behind reception desks, in banquet halls, beside linen carts. She understands that excellence isn’t announced; it’s felt, in the small, quiet gestures that linger long after checkout.
Away from the bustle, her curiosity found a new front desk: the blank page. Her blog, candid and gently wry, drew readers who recognised truth when they saw it. She wrote about grace and imperfection with the steady eye of someone who had lived both.
Today, at Global Travel Media, Susan brings that same warmth and insight to her stories. Expect writing that is polished, generous, and reassuring, like the perfect welcome after a long journey.
