Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, lands on the African continent with its first establishment in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
January 2024 | Catalonia has acquired, on the paradisiacal northeast coast of Zanzibar, a plot of land of more than 7 hectares with a private beach that will house the Catalonia Grand Zanzibar All Suites & Spa, a 5-star resort with 272 suites.
This will be the second Catalonia Grand resort after the Costa Mujeres in Mexico, establishments that are positioned in the highest segments of the market and offer unique experiences and extraordinary levels of quality. The project aims to position the resort as a benchmark in the destination, with premium facilities and an extensive, innovative and carefully selected gastronomic offer.
Catalonia is committed to a new way of working, diversifying its strategy and aims to make this new resort a benchmark model, both in the area and in other markets. As Federico Holzmann, Catalonia's Global Expansion Director, comments "Without a doubt, our project in Zanzibar will be positioned as one of the best hotels in the destination, which reaffirms our strategy of developing premium products with a clear focus on geographical diversification and exploring growth opportunities in new markets".
A 5* Grand resort
The Catalonia Grand Zanzibar All Suites & Spa is located in the Pwami Mchangani area, a tropical paradise of white sandy beaches and coral reefs, just a few kilometres from the Kichwele Forest Reserve and many other natural sites.
It will consist of 272 rooms suites (2 water villas) and will have all kinds of facilities and amenities for its guests: large 800m2 swimming pool, spectacular Wellness and spa area of 1600m2, gym, extensive gastronomic offer, amphitheatre, Kid's Club, commercial area, etc. It is worth mentioning the Jetty area, a walkway that goes into the sea where guests can enjoy the restaurant, bar, lounge area and a swimming pool that fills up at high tide and allows them to enjoy swimming at low tide.
Understanding gastronomy as one of the basic pillars of Catalonia's offer and, undoubtedly, one of the chain's strong points, the project aims to raise its proposal and become the island's benchmark by providing its customers with the most diverse and extensive gastronomic offer in the area. The resort will have 6 restaurants, an international buffet, a food court with various food stalls and 8 bars. All the proposals will be unique and very diverse. These include an Asian restaurant with Teppanyaki, an African-Mediterranean fusion restaurant and the Bloved restaurant, one of the chain's best-known gastronomic spaces that is already a success in Madrid and the Caribbean.
A sustainable project
Work began last year and will be completed by the end of 2025. The chain is embarking on this project with a long-term vision of the establishment's sustainability and harmony with the environment. It aims to consume resources responsibly, minimise its carbon footprint, reduce waste and make its activity increasingly sustainable.
Specific actions aimed at meeting all these objectives include the creation of a photovoltaic plant to reduce electricity consumption and the construction of a desalination plant, a water treatment plant and a waste treatment plant that will filter and treat all the waste and grey water generated by the hotel. In addition, a native plant nursery will be created to ensure the preservation of the rich local flora.
Catalonia Hotels & Resorts is committed, wherever it has its establishments, to creating strong links with local society. It participates in and promotes cultural, educational and social projects, trying to support the local community. In this sense, during the process of purchasing the land, together with its local partners, Catalonia collaborated in the construction and inauguration of a school with an access road and plans many more actions of collaboration, empowerment and development for the community.
Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, a chain in expansion:
Catalonia has several projects under construction that will see the light of day in the coming years, including a 4-star hotel in Plaza España that will become the chain's eighth establishment in Madrid and a 4-star hotel in the centre of Málaga. It is a chain that has historically focused on the purchase of assets and more than 90% of its establishments are owned, however, as Federico Holzmann comments "we not only contemplate the purchase of hotels, but we are also open to leasing and management contracts, which we understand can be an interesting alternative for many owners who are looking for more flexibility in the fittings, both in the conditions of the management contract and the initial investment, the ease of an agile, direct and personalised treatment given our multinational character, but at the same time family oriented, etc. But above all: that they are oriented towards profitability, given that we have one of the best management ratios in the sector in terms of Ebitda/Revenues. This, in short, is the most important ratio and sums up the good work and excellence of our group".
About Catalonia Hotels & Resorts:
Catalonia Hotels & Resorts is a family-run hotel chain with 40 years of experience. Our establishments stand out for their excellent value for money, premium locations, innovative gastronomic offer and close, personal and customer-focused service. The chain also maintains its commitment to sustainability in its facilities in order to contribute to the conservation of the environment.