World Cup time for Cape Town

REVIEWS

Taj

One and Only

Dock House

15 on Orange

The development of Cape Town’s hotel market is intimately tied to South Africa’s socio-political history. During the 46 years of apartheid, the country operated in relative isolation from the rest of the world. Local operators such as Sol Kerzner’s Southern Sun and, later on, Protea Hotels therefore had the chance to expand in what amounted to a competitive vacuum.

This absence of international hospitality brands combined with restricted numbers of both inbound and outbound tourist numbers, meant the progress in hotel hardware and software innovation seen elsewhere in the latter half of the 20th century stalled for several decades in South Africa.

As Kamil Abdul-Karrim of Pam Golding Hospitality Consulting pointed out at the recent Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) held in Johannesburg, even post-apartheid SA has been held back by lingering concerns around political democracy, corruption, crime, the effects of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and the obvious lack of skilled labour.

Thankfully, Capetonian entrepreneurs returning from boutique hotel stays abroad eventually took matters into their own hands; the result is a thriving independent guesthouse scene that offers value for money, personalised service and distinctive design. Alta Bay, O on Kloof and Ellerman House are just three of the finest examples from recent years.
In terms of larger-scale, branded properties however, not until FIFA awarded South Africa host status for the 2010 soccer World Cup did the country see signs of a corresponding leap forward. Once prominently endorsed as a mainstream tourist destination however, local and international brands alike began to take the country far more seriously.
The ensuing flurry of new room stock first started to emerge in 2008, predominantly in the upscale market segment – where Cape Town was historically weak – and will continue through until some time in 2011, according to Abdul-Karrim’s projections.

A total of 19 new hotel developments will have opened in Cape Town and the Western Cape by World Cup kick-off day, ensuring that the city’s hotel market has been well and truly revitalised even before the estimated 360,000 visitors the month-long event will bring to the so-called ‘Mother City’.

Not only are many of these new properties in tune with global trends, some have boldly struck off on their distinct own path with considerable success. ‘Art hotel’ Daddy Long Legs on Long Street for example manages to combine a double-dose of creative flair with budget-friendly room rates, while a few doors down its sister-property the Grand Daddy recently airlifted a set of imported Airstream trailers onto its rooftop and turned them into individually designed suites.

The wealthy suburb of Hout Bay meanwhile looks like an emerging luxury node to watch; it is already home to Tintswalo Atlantic, which extends out over the Atlantic Ocean from within an untouched nature reserve, and Hout Bay Manor, designed by local duo Cécile and Boyd on a prime plot near the town centre.

There are also the first signs of a concerted shift towards sustainable hotel development in Cape Town; the city was acknowledged by the Ethisphere Institute of New York recently as one of ten cities in the world most likely to become centres of sustainability by 2020.
Lianne Burton of Cape Town Tourism points out that “properties like The Vineyard Hotel, with a conference centre run entirely on ‘green’ energy... are leading the way in the hospitality industry” locally. What’s more, “the accommodation sector is now being regulated by new national environmental standards”, helping to provide a backbone to the city’s responsible tourism strategy going forward.

Rapidly expanding Rezidor Hotel Group are also strong on sustainability, having won acknowledgement for adhering to their global CSR policies even in Africa. Indeed the continent looks set to be a strong growth area for Rezidor over the coming years, with new Radisson Blu hotels in Johannesburg and Cape Town (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Maputo (Mozambique) and Lusaka (Zambia). The 157-room Hotel Missoni is also due to come online in late 2010.
Highlights in the latter will include a transparent cantilevered pool hanging from a rooftop terrace and a creative team made up of local agency Design 360, Glasgow-based Graven Images and Rosita Missoni, the brand’s Creative Director. Projections of a ZAR2m spend per key may well prove overly optimistic however, as the Cape has become notorious for its inflated construction costs in the pre-World Cup era (just ask the One&Only team!).

Whereas Hotel Missoni will no doubt be promoting a daily aperitivo hour once open, near neighbour Coral International is already up and running with its ‘no alcohol’ policy. Tucked up against the edge of the Muslim-dominated Bo-Kaap district, this property reflects both the Cape’s historically multi-cultural make-up and an increasing sense of confidence in future visitor numbers from the Middle East.

The real test for Cape Town of course, starts when the last football fan has left in late July. Until then though the city is rightly enjoying its moment in the global media spotlight.