The opening represents the group's second hotel in Cape Town, following the takeover of the Radisson Hotel Waterfront two years ago.
The first Park Inn in Africa is the second of a number of planned hotel openings by the group between now and 2012 and marks the start of the company's aggressive expansion plan. As President & CEO of Rezidor SAS, Kurt Ritter explains: "Our target is to reach a portfolio of 700 hotels under all four brands in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. A considerable amount of these openings - predominantly under the Radisson SAS and Park Inn brands - will be in Africa and particularly in South Africa." The group is currently investigating sites in all the major South African business centres. Ritter continues: "Until we have secured both new and existing sites, we are not able to be more specific. However, as the South African market is so important for the group - in terms of tourism and business connections - we are keen to announce the next spate of openings very soon."
Rezidor SAS took over the hotel from Holiday Inn in August 2002. Since then, the hotel has been undergoing a vigorous renovation programme and from now the hotel's name is Park Inn Greenmarket Square.
Over 90 staff are employed by the Park Inn and a special service training programme will be given to all employees. District General Manager, Marko Hytönen adds: "We believe it's important to recruit locally and to train our staff to a high international standard. The Park Inn will represent exactly what you should expect from a three-star city-centre hotel and will appeal equally to business, parliamentary and tourist guests."
Tokyo Sexwale, of Mvelaphanda says: "Rezidor SAS Hospitality is our joint venture partner in South Africa. We're very proud to be launching the first Park Inn hotel on the African continent right here in Cape Town."
Andrew Hubbard of the owning company, Queensgate Greenmarket Square, is enthusiastic about the hotel's role in Cape Town and says: "Our excitement about the hotel's future is matched by our investment and by our faith in Rezidor SAS to manage it for us". Queensgate Holdings in an offshore owned company specialising in investment in the hospitality industry in South Africa. Besides being the owner of the Park Inn Greenmarket Square Hotel, the company is one of the main shareholders of the Radisson Hotel Waterfront and one of the main shareholders of a new lodge in the Kruger National Park.
Sheryl Ozinsky, Manager of Cape Town Tourism welcomes the opening: "It is really quite wonderful that a major international hotel group, with an existing track record in our city, has decided to take over the running of the hotel on Greenmarket Square. I think that the square holds a particularly important place in the heritage and history of Cape Town.
"We're sure it will be a resounding success with the clientele, but I think it is also important - in terms of the milieu of Cape Town - to have an operator on Greenmarket Square that recognises the importance of the community. I would hope, therefore, in addition to the affordable hotel accommodation, that there will be a fair priced restaurant and coffee shop on the ground floor, so that the broader Cape Town community may also enjoy the benefit of a major hotel in the centre of town."
Cape Town Partnership CEO, Michael Farr, also welcomed the hotel group to the central city, saying that the refurbishment of the property and launch of the new hotel would bring benefits to the whole central area. "Increasingly, both business and leisure tourists are demanding top quality, conveniently located accommodation in the CBD and the new Park Inn is ideally positioned for both.
"Investments such as this are central to the rejuvenation of and confidence in Cape Town's CBD. We will be working very closely with Rezidor SAS and the City of Cape Town to ensure that the future of the Greenmarket Square area itself is one where locals and visitors alike can enjoy a vibrant, safe, clean, well-managed and aesthetically pleasing environment.
Farr continues: "I also wish to express the Partnership's appreciation to the Radisson and the Park Inn for their strong support as member companies of the Partnership. This further emphasizes their commitment to our efforts to renew and revitalise our Capital City."
