Adds to IHG’s growing brand portfolio in South Africa
New Delhi, November 17, 2017: IHG ® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of world’s leading hotel companies, today announced the signing of Holiday Inn Cape Town in partnership with Leisure Hotel Holding (Pty) Ltd. Currently operating as Strand Tower Hotel, the property is expected to be rebranded as Holiday Inn by later this year, marking the brand’s debut in the city. This signing is in line with IHG’s strategy to increase its brand’s visibility and franchise estate in South Africa.
South Africa is emerging as a popular destination for Indian travellers and the coastal city of Cape Town figures prominently on the itinerary. According to South Africa Tourism, India is now the 8th largest long-haul tourism source market and the number of tourists from the country is expected to cross 100,000 by the end of 2017.
South Africa is becoming an increasingly popular destination for tourists from the Middle East, due to its favourable seasons and rich cultural experiences. According to recent research*, the growth in visitors to South Africa from the Middle East is out-performing other source markets with total arrivals in 2016 exceeding 53,000, representing a 36% increase on the previous year.
Located in Cape Town’s Commercial Business District (CBD), where weekday business is driven by corporates and weekend through leisure, Holiday Inn® Cape Town will provide easy access to attractions such as V&A Waterfront, entertainment centres, Government offices, and will offer panoramic views of tourist attractions such as Table Mountain, Lions Head and the city harbour. With 242 rooms, the hotel will serve all day dining with buffet-style meals and a selection of award-winning estate wines from the nearby Cape Winelands. Holiday Inn Cape Town is also equipped with a gym, sauna and steam room. For business groups and travellers, the hotel offers two large conference rooms and four break-away rooms that are ideal for training and discussion groups.
Cape Town is South Africa’s key tourism destination, and the main business driver for the hotel is being the start and end-point of tours visiting Cape Town and the surrounding areas, the Garden route and safari trips. The locality of Holiday Inn® Cape Town makes for easy access for corporate travellers into one of South Africa’s economic hubs. In addition, Cape Town has the second busiest airport in South Africa with direct flights from Paris, London and Dubai and good connections with various airlines. IHG currently owns the Holiday Inn Express® Cape Town City Centre.
Rajit Sukumaran, Chief Development Officer, Asia, Middle East and Africa, IHG, says : “This partnership is aligned with the strategic expansion of the Holiday Inn brand as well as growing IHG’s overall footprint in South Africa. In support of this goal, we are delighted to be working with Leisure Hotel Holding (Pty) Ltd., which has a proven track record in high-quality and strong performance in the hospitality industry.”
He continued, “We pride ourselves on bringing joy to travel by putting guests at ease, being accessible for all and proactively looking for ways to make every guest’s stay more memorable. We will ensure that Holiday Inn Cape Town is known as a place of joy, relaxation and conversation for visitors to this vibrant city, whether they are exploring Cape Town’s diverse beauty, enjoying a family holiday or visiting for business.”
“The Holiday Inn brand has been a success story for IHG, across the globe, so we are excited to be bringing this brand to one of the strongest business and leisure destinations in the country for the first time, to build on the brand’s success.”
Theo De Zeeuw, Managing Director, Leisure Hotel Holding (Pty) Ltd said, “In order to maximize further growth opportunities in South Africa, we are excited to be adding Holiday Inn to our portfolio here in Cape Town. Holiday Inn is one of the world’s most recognized brands strengthened by IHG’s strong, global distribution system, best in class revenue management tools and a clear focus on training and empowering employees to serve guests to the best of their abilities.”
Across the Middle East and Africa there are 32 Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts open and an additional 8 properties due to open within the next three to five years. Globally, there are close to 1,200 Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts open, with a further 262 due to open in the next three to five years.
IHG currently operates 291 hotels across six brands in AMEA, including InterContinental , Crowne Plaza , Holiday Inn , Holiday Inn Express , Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites with a further 148 hotels in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.
