Sun International is strengthening its presence in Africa with the development of a $50m resort near Victoria Falls, Livingstone.
The hotel group – which owns the Table Bay hotel in Cape Town and Sun City adjacent to the Pilanesburg Game Reserve – hopes operators will then brochure three-centre packages offering clients a holiday combining some of the most sought-after sights in southern Africa at special rates.
Director of sales and marketing UK, Scandinavia and Spain, Sue Bowen-Jones said a date for the hotel’s completion had not yet been set as it was awaiting government approval.
However, she added: “Once Zambia is up and running, we will have the tools to give tour operators the ability to package three of the most sought-after places – Victoria Falls, Sun City and Cape Town – with direct air services on South African Airlink between each. If we can lock people into our properties we can then be more aggressive on our rates.”
The new property on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls will feature a five-star, 160-room hotel as well as a 200-room three-star hotel.
Philip Georgas, the recently appointed divisional director of resorts for Sun International in Southern Africa, said: “These will be the closest hotels to the Falls and the sheer scale of the combined operations will enable us to offer innovative products including the ultimate triangular circuit in Southen Africa.”
He added that clients could also stay in Sun International’s new five-star Zimbali Lodge, just north of Durban, if they wanted to extend their stay further.
Sun International now operates luxury resort hotels and casinos in the US, Bahamas, Europe, Africa, the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Comores, and more recently the Middle East.
The latest addition includes the 250-room and suite Royal Mirage which opened in Dubai in August and is currently running at 97% occupancy, while there is continued talk of building a five-star resort on the main island of Mahe in the Seychelles opening in 2001.
Bowen-Jones said: “We plan to expand in areas in which we are already operating so we are looking at adding properties in the Middle East and America and are open to options in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.”
The hotel group is primarily a resort company focusing on leisure travel and has recently added new products such as a Givenchy health spa to its newly renovated Le Saint Geran hotel in Mauritius.
“Conference and incentives, honeymoons, children and now spas, health and fitness are becoming more important. We are not likely to go into business hotels,but where it is appropriate we will cater for the business traveller.”
This is certainly true of its property in Cape Town which has hosted the UK Institute of Travel and Tourism conference and more recently became the first hotel to install a high-tech office facility in its rooms.
The Gerber system biz-comm centres are contained in a unit about the size of a fax machine. Users can phone, fax, e-mail, copy, print and store messages all on a private number with each offering ports to connect laptop computers.
Guests can also contact hotel management and review the status of their hotel bill, making direct in-room check outs possible.
Location: Cape Town’s Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, 25mins by car from Cape Town International Airport and 5mins to the city centre. The hotel has direct access to indoor shopping centre.
Star rating: five star.
History: developed at a cost of £25m by Sun International. Has Leading Hotels of the World status.
No. of rooms: 329, including standard twin rooms, king rooms, paraplegic rooms, family rooms, luxury rooms and a range of suites.
Rooms: all rooms are en suite and offer views of the harbour, Robben Island, or Table Mountain. Amenities include fax, satellite TV, answer machine, safe, mini bar and tea-making facilities.
Interior design: impressive lobby with marble floors and high ceilings. Visitors can sit in the lounge and admire superb views of the harbour, take afternoon tea and listen to live jazz.
Restaurants: the Atlantic Grill Room offers a la carte dining and a cellar boasting over 6,000 Cape wines. The restaurant has been refurbished and reopens in October. The Conservatory Restaurant offers light meals.
Health club and spa: facilities include a small gym, steam room, outdoor pool and Jacuzzi. Treatments include a jet-lag spa treatment for £40. New products include a seven-day slimming package for £403.
Business facilities: business centre with secretarial services, travel agency, car-rental facility and bureau de change. Elegant ballroom which seats 300. Also a pavilion which can seat 70 banquet style and 120 cocktail style. Boardroom and catamaran also available.
Service: all staff were extremely friendly and efficient. Free newspapers delivered each morning. Turn-down service included a written weather forecast for the following day. Car-parking service was efficient although I was not told until departure I would be charged for this compulsory service.
Client check: famous guests include French president Jacques Chirac, Prince Albert of Monaco and Jermaine Jackson. The hotel has also hosted conferences such as the UK Institute of Travel and Tourism ITT. Typical clients are both business and leisure, young couples ranging from their late 20s-mid 40s who tend to stay three to five nights. The hotel claims to have 38% market share of the five-star clientele, the highest in the Cape with an occupancy of 75%. Weddings and honeymoons are increasing.
Price check: you cannot borrow an iron and to get a valet to press a pair of trousers costs £4. To get them washed and ironed costs £5.50. Airport shuttle service costs £12.