The Most Anticipated Hotel Openings In Africa For 2020

From soaring sand dunes to safari parks teeming with wildlife, Africa abounds with incredible landscapes awaiting you to discover. From a luxury train hotel set atop a bridge to a safari lodge dedicated to showcasing the talents of African artists, here are the most anticipated hotel openings in Africa you need to know

1. Xigera Safari Lodge, Botswana

Above Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

Opening: Summer 2020

Set to be one of Botswana’s most luxurious safari lodges, Xigera is the latest addition to Red Carnation Hotels, which owns The Twelve Apostles and Bushmans Kloof in South Africa, among other exceptional properties around the world.

The concept behind Xigera is a new era of safari lodges, which blends bespoke safari experience with African design and fine art. Each of the 12 individually designed suites will float delicately above the water and showcase handmade crafts and artwork by talented African artists, elevating the guest experience with a “living gallery” in the African bush.

Find out more at xigera.com

2. The St. Regis Almasa, Eygpt

Above Photo: Courtesy of The St. Regis Almasa

Opening: Spring 2020

While all eyes are on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, there’s another up-coming-city that’s worth adding to your bucket list. Just outside of Cairo lies Almasa, the country’s new administrative capital which is set to welcome a St. Regis hotel this year.

Previously occupied by Almasa Royal Place, which boasts a prime location adjacent to a 42,000-square-foot convention centre at the entrance of the city, the St. Regis Almasa is set to be the ideal host to the country’s largest events, conferences and summits.

Find out more at https://st-regis.marriott.com/

3. Kruger Shalati, South Africa

Above Photo: Courtesy of Kruger Shalati

Opening: First quarter of 2020

One of the most exciting new offerings at South Africa’s Kruger National Park, the Kruger Shalati is an Afrocentric luxury train stationed atop the historic Selati Bridge above the Sabie River. Designed to recreate the magic of arriving at the park by train as early explorers did nearly 100 years ago, the hotel pays tribute to this important part of Kruger’s history by transforming the train into 24 en-suite rooms in the carriages and seven in the Bridge House next to the train.

Guests will have access to two game drives per day, fine dining and a pool deck perched on the bridge, offering a swimming experience with unique viewpoints over crocodile, hippos, buffalos and elephants roaming below.

Find out more at krugershalati.com

4. Kwessi Dunes, Namibia

Above Photo: Courtesy of Kwessi Dune

Opening: March 2020

Experience the magic of the Namib Desert at Kwessi Dunes, a luxury camp located deep in Namibia's striking NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast desert wilderness of over 200,000 hectares.

The camp will feature 12 air-conditioned canvas chalets, each with a separate “star gazer” room completely open to the sky as well as indoor and outdoor showers for maximum galaxy-gazing in the comfort of your private chalet. Activities in the reserve include scenic drives, quad biking, day trips to the dunes of Sossusvlei, hot air ballooning and more.

Find out more at naturalselection.travel

5. Royal Gorongosa, Mozambique

Above Photo: Courtesy of Royal Gorongosa

One of Africa’s greatest wildlife conservation projects to restore the ecological diversity of Gorongosa, Royal Gorongosa is the latest addition to The Royal Portfolio, the company behind Royal Malewane in Kruger National Park and The Silo in Cape Town.

An exclusive tented camp situated in the eastern part of Gorongosa National Park, Royal Gorongosa has just six luxury tents and two two-bedroom Royal Suites, each comes with a vast deck with a private plunge pool and a gazebo. Apart from game drives, guests can enjoy activities unique to the region, such as canoeing on the Pungwe River, paying a visit to the coffee plantations on the slopes of Mount Gorongosa, engaging with local community projects and more.

Find out more at theroyalportfolio.com

Topics

africa travel news luxury travel hotel openings luxury traveller safaris