Massive African Footprint Delivers Convention Clout
After South Africa's blaze of international publicity during the Soccer World Cup, the largest hotel group in Africa is taking the continent to the premier international corporate travel trade show in the USA.
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) international convention takes place in Houston, Texas, from August 8 to 11 and brings together some of the biggest global players in conference planning, hospitality and travel. The convention showcases the newest industry tools and latest trends, while allowing some 6 000 corporate travel managers, media and industry leaders to network on the exhibition floor.
Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels will be represented on that floor by Group Sales Director Charmaine Hardwick, who will be meeting the global travel decision-makers and displaying the Protea Hospitality Group's exciting range of hotels at Booth 441.
Protea Hotels and African Pride Hotels are proudly and wholly South African-owned. The Protea Hospitality Group (PHG), that owns both brands, also has a +/- 50% Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment holding. The company was formed in July 1984 with an initial base of only four managed properties and now occupies the most strategic positions for business travellers in all of South Africa's major cities. There are approximately 80 PHG hotels in South Africa, but more than 125 hotels all told in nine countries on the African continent.
AFRICAN PRIDE HOTELS is PHG's superior deluxe hotel group with ultra-luxurious hotels across South Africa, including all the major metropolitan centres. The flagship hotel in South Africa’s financial powerhouse, Johannesburg, is the African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel. Sheer style and individuality is what redefines the travel experience when staying at this 5-Star Hotel Through innovative architecture and outstanding design, the Melrose Arch Hotel has become an international destination in its own right, attracting those discerning guests who take pleasure in modern elegance and sophistication.
In Cape Town, choose to stay in the luxurious and sleekly modern African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel just a heartbeat away from the vibey central business district. Distinctive architecture and décor that defies categorisation and a guest service experience extraordinaire sets 15 on Orange Hotel apart from any other. The elegant experience begins with an engineered stone red carpet reception and takes in pod rooms, fine dining at Savour, the elegant Judges Lounge and the trendy Murano Bar sporting some 20 000 murano crystal links.
If business takes you closer to Cape Town International Airport or the buzzing Century City business and lifestyle hub, African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa is the only place to stay and to conference. Cascading curtains of fibre-optic light and a carpet studded with starlight beckon as you step into the foyer. Rooms sport mood-enhancing lighting, designer decor and original works of art. The world-class conference facilities cater for up to 350 delegates cinema-style, or 220 in a schoolroom layout.
PROTEA HOTELS also has ultra-cool lifestyle hotels in its stable. The Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! concept started in Cape Town, then expanded its winning recipe to Johannesburg earlier this year. Prepare to be blown away with the same force as the iconic Cape South-Easter as you step into the ultra-cool Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town. This contemporary hotel, in the heart of the vibrant Mother City, offers adventure-seekers accommodation with a difference. A retro suspended pod chair welcomes travel weary guests at reception. An extraordinary pool deck with lap pool, a relaxation area, a gym and conference facilities are ready for your enjoyment in an environment that sports ultra-chic lighting, music to suit the mood, trendy decor and coffin seats in the smoking lounge. The Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! in Johannesburg is also located in the trendy Melrose Arch Precinct. Each classily designed room offers flat screen LCD televisions, open plan bathrooms and an urban style that will take you back to the era of old Hollywood glamour. Take full advantage of the innovative 24-hour business centre, to catch up on emails, social networking or perhaps a bit of work. Conference facilities create an energetic 'out-of-office' experience that will definitely heighten the creative senses required in any boardroom or meeting situation.
Durban is South Africa's other major coastal city and if you're conferencing in the warm sub-tropical climate the hotel of choice is Protea Hotel Umhlanga Ridge. The brand new hotel is only 20 minutes from Durban's CBD and only 15 minutes from the new King Shaka International Airport. It offers stunning accommodation along this popular sunshine coastline. Facilities include a roof-level swimming pool. The Protea Hotel Umhlanga Ridge boasts variety of conference rooms with a maximum capacity seating of 370 persons, cinemas style in the largest room.
But the international gateway to South Africa is undoubtedly the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. If you're coming or going, the Protea Hotel OR Tambo is a unique aviation experience. It's a mere 10 minutes from the international airport terminal building which is easily accessible via our complimentary hotel shuttle service or via the Gautrain to the Rhodesfield station. Themed around an aircraft hangar, the industrial ambiance of the hotel is felt in the polished concrete floors, steel finishes,chrome lighting and top-to-bottom windows that overlook the aeroplanes as they dock and take off. With this new hotel, Protea Hotels continued its reputation of offering something fun and unique to guests with the inclusion of a flight simulator in the foyer. The flight simulator was built to replicate the interior of a commercial aircraft cockpit and it is managed by an active commercial aircraft type flight-simulator group.
For more information on these and other fantastic African Pride and Protea Hotels, visit and .
The hotel group became a wholly owned South African company again in April 2009 after a consortium comprising Protea Hotels management, its BEE shareholders and Investec Private Equity bought back the 74 percent stake the hotel group sold to Australian-based Stella Hospitality Group three years ago.
Follow us on @ProteaHotels
The hotel group became a wholly owned South African company again in April 2009 after a consortium comprising Protea Hotels management, its BEE shareholders and Investec Private Equity bought back the 74 percent stake the hotel group sold to Australian-based Stella Hospitality Group three years ago.
Follow us on twitter @ProteaHotels
Charmaine Hardwick
Group Sales Director
+27 11 275 1000
Protea Hotels
