Kempinski Hotels is expanding its Central African footprint as the Swiss luxury operator prepares to run a 214-room hotel in Douala, Cameroon, within a $384 million mixed-use development backed by local investors and bank financing.

The Kempinski Shekinah Palace Douala Bonanjo broke ground Sept. 25, marking the start of a project that combines hospitality, offices, serviced apartments, retail and conference facilities across nearly two hectares in Douala’s administrative and business district.

The development is being led by Cameroonian businessman Rodolphe Simo Kam, chief executive of All Luxury Suites Group, rather than Kempinski itself. Kempinski Hotels will operate the hotel under its luxury brand once construction is completed.

$159 million debt package

The financing plan calls for $159.24 million in senior debt, representing 41.5% of the project’s total cost. The Development Bank of the Central African States, Afreximbank and BGFIBank are among the financial institutions involved.

BGFIBank Cameroon is acting as arranger and financing agent, responsible for structuring the bank financing, mobilizing participating financial institutions and coordinating the transaction. Project documents do not disclose the final allocation among lenders or how much of the senior debt has been disbursed.

Shareholders are expected to provide about $178.25 million in equity, equivalent to CFAF 103.32 billion, while another $46.58 million is expected to come mainly from real estate sales and other funding sources.

The overall budget comprises about $304.28 million in capital expenditure, $40.17 million in financing costs and roughly $39 million for development and land.

Hotel anchors wider complex

The 214-room-and-suite Kempinski hotel will occupy only part of the development. The nearly two-hectare complex will also feature 35 serviced apartments, about 17,000 square meters of office space, a 2,000-seat conference hall, retail outlets, five restaurants, five bars, an art gallery and 600 parking spaces.

The mix gives the project multiple revenue sources beyond hotel rooms, spanning offices, residential units, retail, dining and conferences. It also places the Kempinski property within a wider commercial development in Bonanjo, one of Douala’s main administrative and business districts.

Project took seven years to launch

The development has been in preparation since 2019, when initial studies began. Kempinski was selected as the hotel operator in August 2020, the building permit was obtained in December 2022, and ALS Group awarded the construction contract to China Machinery Engineering Corp. in November 2025.

Construction is expected to take 36 months, comprising 31 months of building work and five months for equipment installation.

ALS Group estimates the project will support about 3,000 jobs during construction and 4,000 direct and indirect jobs once operational, although those figures are projections from the developer.

The Douala project expands Kempinski’s presence in Central Africa following its hotel in Brazzaville.

Kempinski will operate the hotel and provide the luxury hospitality brand, while ALS Group and its partners remain responsible for the wider real estate development, investment and financing.