Since opening in January 2012, the new Radisson BLU Addis Ababa, based in the Kazanchis business district, has rapidly become one of the capital city’s most popular destinations for business and diplomatic travelers.

The five-star hotel offers 204 ultra-modern rooms — including 44 business-class rooms, 16 luxury suites and one presidential suite — plus an events center with nine meeting rooms and a luxurious spa and fitness center. The hotel also boasts an upscale French brasserie–style restaurant, contemporary bar and terrace, and a branch of the popular Tomoca coffee shop.

The Ethiopian outpost of the Radisson BLU hotel chain is part of an aggressive African expansion plan being undertaken by the Rezidor Hotel Group to open Radisson BLU hotels in capital cities across the continent.

Another such venture is Gabon's Okoume Palace Hotel in Libreville. Formerly one of the country’s premier hotels, the Okoume Palace Hotel is getting a US$40 million makeover, thanks to its new management by the Rezidor Hotel Group.

The property will stay open as an unbranded hotel while undergoing renovation but will be re-branded in September 2013 as a 330-room Radisson BLU hotel and a 140-room Park Inn tower. The dual-branded complex will together offer five restaurants and bars, meeting facilities, a business-class lounge, gym and outdoor swimming pool.

The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in the world, boasting more than 425 hotels across 68 countries.

Of those hotels, 44 are either in operation or under development in Africa. The relaunched hotel in Libreville will be the company’s first in Gabon.