Tourism & Travel News South Africa

Taj Cape Town curates guest experience in line with global trend

The digital disruption of Airbnb and the like has created a global shift, resulting in very different type of hotel customer. Now, guests know they can have interesting and unique experiences wherever they go in the world, so they are looking for accommodation providers who deliver these whenever they travel.

The move away from ‘heads on pillows’ and ‘one-size- fits’ all offerings, towards one-of-a-kind hotels that curate experiences to suit the mood and mindset of their guests is a global trend, according to professional services firm, Deloitte.

Exciting times


It is an incredibly exciting time to be in the hotel business, says Sanjay Sood, general manager at Taj Cape Town. “For decades we saw the big ‘cut-and-paste’ groups dominate."

He feels optimistic that it will be good year ahead. “Despite the recession, we feel buoyed by predictions in PwC’s 7th edition of the Hotels Outlook that revenue in South Africa’s hotel industry will grow by 10.1% during the course of 2017 to around R17.5bn – we are deeply confident that we have the right offering to take advantage of this growth.”

Luxury for the individual

Steeped in history and located at the base of the Company’s Garden, Taj Cape Town is a member of India’s leading hotel group, Taj Hotels. The 176-room property occupies two historic buildings and is within walking distance of Cape Town’s inner city tourist attractions and trendy eateries.
“I think part of our magic is that we are as much a destination for Capetonians as we are for tourists and business guests. We like nothing better than to see a group of local business people sipping cocktails at The Twankey Bar, or the children of a local family squealing with delight at our decadent breakfast buffet,” Sood says.

He continues that Taj Cape Town – and indeed the wider Taj Group as a whole – has long based its ethos on curating ‘luxury for the individual, not luxury for the few’.

“For us luxury is defined by meeting the needs of each one of our clients in their own unique way. So, for one guest it could be an opulent Indian gourmet meal, for another a highly successful business event, for a third an inner city wedding that makes headlines. Whether our guests want walking tours to tourist spots, luxurious Jiva Spa pamper sessions, or simply to spend time admiring the original marble pillars, vaulted ceilings, glass domes and architectural elements of the legendary Temple Chambers and the South African Reserve Bank Building - we endeavour to deliver to everyone who comes through our doors.”

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