Cresta Hospitality, an international hotel group with a presence in southern Africa, Europe, America and Asia, has opened Cresta Royale Accra, its first hotel in West Africa.

Cresta Hospitality has taken a strategic move into uncharted territories in the region.

Currently it is operating 13 hotels in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Malawi.

This is a strategic move meant not only to strengthen the position of Cresta in West Africa but for the convenience of many of Cresta's corporate travellers.

Cresta Royale Accra is a four-star hotel product that has been designed to offer superior service to the discerning business and tourist traveller. The hotel is expected not only to ease the shortage of high quality hotel accommodation in the capital city of Ghana but will also create employment for about 100 individuals.

The Cresta Royale rooms become the largest in Accra boasting 30 square metres of well equipped modern rooms with ensuite Italian finish bathrooms, in-room entertainment features, various business-focused television and radio channels and separate high speed internet connectivity from each room, and a special business work desk designed with the business traveller in mind. The Cresta Hospitality brand has become synonymous with the highest levels of service excellence.

With more than 40 years experience in hotel management, service excellence forms an integral part of the group's core values and competencies and has invested a tremendous amount of resources in people development programmes.

Situated near the city centre in Accra, Cresta Royale is an attractive development built on a 5,5-hectare expanse of land. The hotel will upon completion consist of 100 guest rooms, a swimming pool, a spacious reception and dining area, fully equipped conference facilities and business services. Cresta Hospitality's new development in Malawi is situated in Lilongwe and has been appropriately named Cresta Crossroads Hotel because of its location at the intersection of two main roads. Cresta Crossroads will be launched with a 50-room capacity to be further developed in future.

Sajid Khan, formerly general manager of the Cresta Jameson, will spearhead operations in Ghana with the challenge to maintain the same standards of excellence that are associated with all four-star Cresta hotels and lodges.