Profile

Daniel Trappler

Senior Director, Development, Sub-Sahara Africa
Radisson Hotel Group

Daniel Trappler is the Senior Director, Development, Sub-Sahara Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, where he leads the Group’s expansion across Southern and Eastern Africa. He works with owners, investors, and financial partners to grow a balanced portfolio of hotels through new builds, conversions, and strategic transactions that support both regional tourism and local economies. Daniel’s academic foundation is rooted in economics and finance. He holds an Honours degree in Business Science in the Economics stream and a Master’s degree in Business Science in the Finance and Economics stream, both from the University of Cape Town. He graduated first in his Master’s class, and during that time he also worked as a full-time undergraduate Economics lecturer, combining analytical depth with strong communication skills early in his career. After completing his studies, Daniel joined JP Morgan in London as an analyst in the Real Estate Structured Finance team, following an intensive corporate training programme in New York. He then moved to LaSalle Investment Management, also in London, where he spent three years as a Portfolio Analyst, first in the real estate acquisitions team and later in the Special Situations team, working on mezzanine funding in the post credit crunch UK and European markets. When Jones Lang LaSalle opened its office in Johannesburg, Daniel took the opportunity to return to South Africa and helped establish Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels and Hospitality Africa desk, spearheading notable transactions including the successful sale of one of the Club Med resorts in Mauritius. He then moved back to Cape Town to join HTI Consulting, where he set up and led the Capital Raising and Hotel Brokerage division. During seven years with HTI Consulting , he raised debt funding for around thirteen new hotel projects across South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, Daniel joined Radisson Hotel Group in 2020. In his current role, he has helped the Group enter new African markets, including Tanzania and Zimbabwe, while strengthening its presence in established destinations. He has developed strong expertise in hotel development and deal-making across Southern and Eastern Africa, underpinned by financial due diligence, legal contract negotiations, and detailed financial analysis. His experience covers strategic planning, underwriting, investment analysis, and asset management, and he has structured a broad range of agreements for conversions and new builds, including mostly managements agreements and franchises. He sees himself as a developer for a future-focused travel industry, especially in less developed economies where tourism can play a powerful role in creating employment and supporting growth. His purpose is to help shape thoughtful hospitality projects that offer long-term value for investors, meaningful opportunities for local communities, and exceptional experiences for guests. Honesty and integrity are central to Daniel’s approach. He focuses on maintaining discipline, consistency and a practical, solutions-driven mindset, combined with a healthy sense of humour. He values clear communication and collaboration and focuses on building trust-based relationships with colleagues and partners. Dan is a proud father of two young children and has been married for 7 years – family life is in full swing and when he isn’t working then its 100% family time – his biggest source of inspiration and learning. Looking ahead, Daniel aims to continue growing within Radisson Hotel Group’s Africa business development team, expanding the business in his region and progressing into higher leadership roles as the portfolio matures. Away from work, he spends much of his time outdoors in and around Cape Town. He enjoys hiking, waterskiing and wakeboarding, and camping has become a regular activity for his family, who remain his greatest source of happiness and balance.