Africa remains one of the most active hospitality investment frontiers globally, supported by rising tourism demand, expanding urban economies, and a growing pipeline of branded hotel developments across the continent.
At the start of 2026, Africa’s hotel chain development pipeline stood at 675 hotels and 123,846 rooms, an 18.6% increase year-on-year, according to the Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026 report by W Hospitality Group.
The analysis draws on signed development deals submitted in early 2026 by 53 regional and international hotel chains operating across Africa, as well as global groups with multi-country footprints.
For consistency, it excludes purely domestic hotel operators active in only one African market.
The coverage spans all 54 African countries, including North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and key island markets in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, offering a comparable view of where future hotel supply is concentrated across both major cities and resort destinations.
Ain Sokhna, one of Egypt’s prominent Red Sea resort destinations, ranks tenth among Africa’s top cities and resorts for planned hotel rooms in 2026, with 15 hotel projects totaling 3,071 rooms.
While the resort has more planned projects than Marsa Alam, its developments average significantly fewer rooms per property.
Kerten Hospitality leads Ain Sokhna’s pipeline with seven projects accounting for 1,025 rooms, while other developments are spread across major global chains including Accor, H World, IHG, JAZ Hotel Group, Marriott International, and Radisson Hotel Group.
Despite its sizeable hospitality pipeline, several projects were signed as far back as 2018 and 2019, making Ain Sokhna’s development cycle older than many competing resort markets. Only 24% of its planned rooms are scheduled to open in 2026 and 2027
