In another display of confidence in the future of tourism on the KZN coast, November will see the opening of the Bon Hotel Margate, a six-storey, 60-room, full-service hotel on the town’s main thoroughfare.
Bon Hotels, has concluded a joint venture agreement with the developer, and will manage and market the hotel. An artist’s impression of the hotel appears above.
Says Guy Stehlik, CEO of Bon Hotels: “Our joint venture agreement with the developer demonstrates our commitment to partner with property developers on hospitality projects where we can confidently add value, to inject capital into our ventures, and to add significant value to partnerships with our hospitality experience”.
Margate is a popular destination for families, students, conference delegates, golf lovers and more budget conscious travellers.
The new hotel, said Stehlik, will be situated on Marine Drive, within a few minutes’ walk of the beach. Margate is 120km from Durban.
In addition to sunshine, beaches and golf, the town offers scuba-diving and deep sea fishing, bungee -jumping and hiking at nearby Oribi Gorge, the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, lakes and lagoons.
Stehlik says that the KZN South Coast needs to re-establish its rightful position as an exciting, value-packed, mid-market destination that caters to all.
Group conferencing, team building, day conferencing and meetings will constitute the hotel’s core business throughout the week, with the various venues accommodating up to 250 delegates, says Stehlik.
Guests will have a choice of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom units, all with balconies and most with sea views. In addition to the regular hotel facilities, the units will also have WiFi and limited self-catering facilities.
The accommodation units will be sold under sectional title at prices ranging from R750 000 upwards and the owners will be obliged to place them into the hotel-operated rental pool.
Stehlik added that Bon Hotels is looking forward to working with domestic wholesalers, conference organisers and the travel trade in projecting the hotel into the domestic markets.
He added that the hotel’s position close to the beach and to Margate village, and its likely ability to appeal to the passing walk-in trade, will preclude it from being too upmarket and exclusive. “Bon Hotel Margate will be positioned in the three-star market, but with four-star facilities and five-star service.”
Stehlik’s news follows on the announcement that the Blue Marlin Hotel in Scottburgh is to be extensively refurbished and that Tsogo sun is investing heavily in its Durban beachfront properties.
