Lonrho and easyGroup open first easyHotel, Africa

20 March 3013

Lonrho Plc

("Lonrho" or the "Company")

Lonrho and easyGroup to open first 'easyHotel by Lonrho' in Africa

Lonrho Plc is delighted to announce that, under its exclusive franchise agreement with Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyGroup, the first easyHotel.com branded hotel will be opened on the 26th of March 2013. 'easyHotel by Lonrho', Johannesburg, De Korte Street will offer 60 great bedrooms across seven floors.

The hotel will be the first trans-continental hotel brand in Africa specifically designed to be accessible to the many, rather than the few. easyHotel's low-cost business model permits the customer to enjoy an international hotel bedroom at a great price. The "easy" brand is one of the world's most recognised value for money brands.

easyHotel Johannesburg CBD, De Korte Street is the latest addition to the Lonrho Hotels portfolio, joining the Hotel Cardoso - Maputo, Leopard Rock Hotel & Championship Golf Course - Mutare, Grand Karavia - Lubumbashi, Grand Hotel Kinshasa and Lansmore Masa Square - Gaborone. Lonrho's arrival in the South African market is significant, for the location of the property and the fact that it comes at the budget end of the market.

Comments Geoffrey White, CEO of Lonrho:

"This new project between Sir Stelios and Lonrho starts the roll-out of easyHotels.com by Lonrho throughout Africa. This will be the first of many hotels specifically designed to provide an international standard hotel room at a budget price. The opening of our first hotel venture with easyGroup at the heart of Johannesburg CBD, demonstrates Lonrho Hotels' corporate objective of operating hotels in Africa's high demand, high growth destinations."

Comments Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Chairman of easyGroup:

"easyHotel is all about simple comfort and great value, so I'm delighted to open our first African hotel in Johannesburg. The city has a wealth of attractions for leisure and business visitors and this new easyHotel will allow them to enjoy the best of Johannesburg, without the expense. I'm confident that easyHotel fans will soon be putting South Africa on their destinations wish list. I look forward to working closely with Lonrho as we bring quality, value-for-money services to Africa."

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Notes to Editors:

About easyHotel

A well-established London-based chain of budget hotels stretching from Glasgow to Dubai, easyHotel delivers high quality, international-standard bedrooms at an affordable price. Typical easyHotel customers seek a modern, comfortable bedroom for the night, placing a higher priority on exceptional value rather than the peripheral services that make traditional hotels more expensive.

A sophisticated booking system allows easyHotel.com customers to access discount room rates, which vary based on how early you book and how much demand there is for a particular date. This pricing approach enables easyHotel.com to provide competitive accommodation rates from as low as US$31 (R290) a night.

About the easyHotel Johannesburg CBD, De Korte Street - a Lonrho Hotel

The City of Johannesburg's regenerated CBD is expanding rapidly and the unique prime location will catapult easyHotels.com to being the leading internationally branded hotels in the City.

Hotel Lamunu was a very well designed and great quality medium size hotel product. Adopting this hotel into the easyHotel.com global network, with the commitment of a long-term Lonrho Hotels lease, will ensure that both the local and global travellers can enjoy this stylish, fun and fresh product at a great price.