New hotel opens in historic heart of Cape Town

The first hotel in South Africa to be developed by India's Tata Group at a cost of R500 million, the opulent five-star Taj in the heart of Cape Town, is almost fully booked for the soccer World Cup in June and July.

Michael Pownall, the managing director, said the Taj was also taking bookings for the months following the World Cup, in line with expectations that the event will lead to a huge increase in international tourism.

Although there was little demand for five-star hotel accommodation throughout South Africa during the Christmas and New Year holidays, with most holidaymakers looking for bargain prices, Pownall said the hotel was getting an encouraging number of bookings before the World Cup. The hotel will have a "soft opening" on January 25, with a grand opening later.
Tata, a conglomerate with interests ranging from cars to computers and steel, has been in business in South Africa for 30 years. Its Taj chain has 80 hotels in 10 countries, including the US and the UK, but this is the first in South Africa.

Tata, a conglomerate with interests ranging from cars to computers and steel, has been in business in South Africa for 30 years. Its Taj chain has 80 hotels in 10 countries, including the US and the UK, but this is the first in South Africa.

The Taj is a joint venture between Tata and Eurocape, the company that has redeveloped a number of historic buildings and sites in central Cape Town. The hotel includes the original SA Reserve Bank and Board of Executors buildings, in which many of the original features have been retained, with the addition of a 17-storey tower block with panoramic views of the city and mountains beyond.

Pownall said the site was an alternative to the sought-after Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The hotel was between "old Cape Town", and the modern city and within easy walking distance of places of historic interest such as the Company Gardens, Parliament and the National Arts Gallery.

He expects the clientele to be mainly corporate and the hotel's business centre includes seven meeting rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 110 people, and banqueting facilities.

There are three restaurants, including the Bombay Brasserie for fine dining and an all-day restaurant, the Mint, opening on to the pedestrianised St George's Mall. A seafood and champagne bar, with a separate entrance in Cape Town's main Adderley Street to encourage the general public to enter it, will be open only next month.

Pownall said he hoped the general public would make use of the lobby - where tea and coffee would be served - as a meeting place.

Other amenities include a Jiva spa, identical to those in all other Taj hotels, and a treatment room with a qualified Ayurvedic doctor from India, which will also be available for bookings by non-residents.

The hotel was due to open in last month. Its furniture had been custom-made in Indonesia, but a fire at the factory caused some of it to be destroyed. The opening was delayed while furniture was made to replace what was lost.

Pownall explained that, after seeing the effect on some other hotels that had partial openings before they were fully ready, it was decided to delay the Taj's opening until everything was fully prepared.

Business Report

Posted at 09:12AM Jan 20, 2010 by Editor in Market  |  Comments[2]