Ronaldo to open hotel in Africa

LISBON - Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is scheduled to open his first Perstana CR7 hotel in Marrakech, Morroco, in Africa in 2019, Chief Development Officer of Pestana Hotel Group Jose Roquette announced here on Wednesday.

The Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels is a joint venture set up by Ronaldo and Portugal's largest hotel chain where CR7 represents Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt number.

"We are delighted to be a part of this project. Marrakech is a successful and increasingly sophisticated destination, the perfect environment for the implementation of Lifestyle and Boutique hotel brands," Roquette said.

"We are very excited about M Avenue's alliance with Cristiano Ronaldo and the Pestana Hotel Group. M Avenue is all about creating unique experiences and discovering new talents, so we are very happy to welcome the amazing talent Cristiano Ronaldo and the Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels to the new destination M Avenue in Marrakech," said Nabil Slitine, CEO of Downtown Hotel Corporation/M Avenue.

The CR7 hotel on M Avenue in the center of Marrakech will have 168 rooms with two restaurants, a business center, a fitness center, a spa and a swimming pool.

Two CR7 hotels, one in Ronaldo's home town of Madeira Islands and another in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, have been in operation and two more will also be opened in Madrid and New York in the near future.