5 February 2010
Multinational hotel group Rezidor is expanding its empowerment partnership with Mvelaphanda Holdings from the management of the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town to all existing and future Rezidor hotels in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, as well as all four Rezidor brands.
The expanded joint venture with Mvelaphanda will cover the Radisson Blu Hotel at the Waterfront in Cape Town, Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton and the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth.
Hotels under development to be included in the joint venture are the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton, Park Inn Sandton, Radisson Blu Hotel Blaauwberg in Cape Town (all opening in 2010), and the Hotel Missoni Cape Town (opening in 2011).
“Mvelaphanda as a black empowered company and significant player on the South African market is the ideal partner for Rezidor’s operational business and development in the region,” Rezidor president and CEO Kurt Ritter said in a statement this week.
“We recently have inaugurated a new Regional Office in Cape Town under the leadership of Maarten Van Den Nieuwenhuijsen, Regional Director Southern Africa. This office launch and agreements like the one with Mvelaphanda bring us closer to our owners, and further strengthen our leading position in the African market and our future development.”
Focus on Africa
Rezidor’s global long-term strategy includes a strong focus on emerging markets like African, where the group currently has 28 hotels with more than 5 800 rooms in operation and under development across the region, and sees a huge potential for further projects.
Mvelaphanda will be an active role player in the new partnership, with a focus on assisting Rezidor in the identification, development and management of hotel properties.
“Rezidor and Mvelaphanda have built up a strong relationship in the past nine years, which resulted in the formalization of this multinational partnership,” said Mvelaphanda CEO Mark Willcox.
“We are of the opinion that our relationship could unlock potential in the hospitality industry, within the countries that we will be working together.”
SAinfo reporter
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