Kempinski Hotels reveiled plans to open luxury hotels and lodges in key destinations in Africa over the next few years.

Kempinski announced the signing of a management agreement with the Simba Corporation Limited for a 200 key hotel in the heart of Nairobi and a luxury tented camp in the Masai Mara, both set to open under the Kempinski banner this year.

Kempinski added that development of the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra is well underway with an opening set for the end of 2012.

Expansion in the Middle East and Africa region, which saw the opening of three hotels in the region since September 2011, with four more set to open before year end, is part of the overall strategy of Kempinski Hotels to double their portfolio to 121 hotels worldwide by 2015.

"We are now very well positioned in all the major cities in the Middle East, and Africa remains an important area of expansion for Kempinski.

"We will continue our development strategy throughout the continent over the next few years, partnering with key players in Africa to secure the best locations for our luxury properties.

"There is a worldwide fascination with this region and our distinct brand of European luxury and operational know-how makes us a main player in the Middle East and Africa," said Ulrich Eckhardt, Kempinski's President for Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean .

The five-star hotel in Nairobi will set a new standard of luxury as the first truly five-star hotel in the city.

Featuring spacious rooms and suites, upscale restaurant and lounges, a large pillar-less ballroom for events, and state-of-the art meeting and recreation facilities.

The tented camp is located in the Olare Orok Conservancy, and is home to some of the Mara's largest lion prides.

The spacious luxury tents are built on elevated decks with private balconies that offer unhindered views of the Mara Plains and the Ntiakitiak River . 

The Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City will mark Kempinski's entre into West Africa , and is set as the centrepiece of a larger mixed-use development, Gold Coast City, which covers an area of some 35 acres and will include residences, retail space, an exhibition centre, offices, and government buildings.

The hotel will feature 269 rooms and suites, including 2 presidential suites, as well as restaurants and lounges, 6000 sqm of shopping facilities, and a 2000 sqm spa.

Kempinski already maintains a foothold in Africa with a portfolio of five-star properties that spreads from Egypt to Djibouti to Tchad to Namibia and the Seychelles .

With plans to open a third property in Namibia, as well as a managed residence in Nigeria, a hotel in Angola, in addition to the two properties planned for Kenya and one in Ghana, Kempinski will extend its reach even further into Africa, bringing European luxury and much sought after operational expertise to key destinations around the continent.