Increased exports of crude oil and minerals from countries such as Nigeria and Angola mean more hotel overnight stays, and global hotel chains are in a race for the best destinations, according to a report in TravelDailyNews.

Africa’s most attractive hotel markets are Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Angola and Botswana, the report said.

More than 270 new hotels are in the Africa pipeline with Starwood Hotels, Hilton and Marriott leading the race for best destinations and locations.

The fast-growing social middle class in Africa’s southern regions are the focus of the large hotel chain companies, according to a report by TopHotelProjects, a global hotel data collector. Young and ambitious people are the main target group for comfort, a little luxury and modern gastronomy, the report said.

In the past year, Marriott increased its presence in Africa by 55 percent. Six new Ritz Carlton hotels are planned for Cairo, Tunis and Marrakech. Seventeen new hotel projects by Ritz Carlton are in the pipeline in other parts of Africa.

Three hotel projects by Kempinski are in the works in Agadir, Morocco; Akkra, Ghana and Cairo, Egypt. In Kenya, Kempinski is preparing to open Villa Rose, a luxury hotel with 200 rooms.