The pan-African hotel group Azalaï inaugurated the headquarters of its subsidiary Salam Management Services in Abidjan, dedicated to consulting, hotel services, and third-party management. The inauguration took place on September 15, 2023, in the presence of key figures from the economic and industrial sectors, including Marcel N’Guettia, president of the Tourism Development Fund (FDT), and Jean-Louis Billon from the SIFCA Group. “Salam Management Services brings together 30 years of experience in hotel management.” The subsidiary, 90% owned by the group and 10% by the staff, offers to assist third parties in the management and operation of their hotels. For Azalaï, a new chapter is unfolding.
Founded in 1994 with the purchase of the Grand Hotel in Bamako by businessman Mossadeck Bally, who holds a master’s degree in management and finance from the University of San Francisco (USA), the group now has 10 hotels and more than 1,000 rooms thanks to sound financial management. After inaugurating Hotel Salam in Mali in 1997, Azalaï expands beyond its home country. In 2005, the group acquired the Hotel Indépendance in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Mossadeck Bally’s rigorous management and his team have attracted development institutions. In September 2015, the French Proparco released €16.4 million to finance Azalaï’s expansion in Africa.
A year later, the group joined the World Hotels network and acquired the old Marhaba Hotel in Nouakchott, renovating it under the Azalaï brand for an investment of €8 million. A hotel training school was opened in Mali in 2016 by the group. In July 2017, Azalaï launched the Comedy Club in Abidjan. In January 2017, the AfricInvest investment fund took a stake of €17.3 million in the Azalaï Hotels group. In 2018, the historic Azalaï Hotel Salam closed for renovations. The group’s expansion continues with Azalaï Dakar (Senegal) and the upcoming opening of the first Azalaï in Cameroon.
If the secrets of Azalaï’s success were to be revealed, they may be tied to the humility of the founder, his rigor in management, and his ability to unite talented collaborators (who are today 10% shareholders of SMS) around this founding pan-African group.