The Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City in Johannesburg, and the second City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG) property in Waterfall City opened on 1 March 2021.
Andrew Widegger, CEO of CLHG says that the development cost of the Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City was R280m.
“This is a land and building lease, and as such, City Lodge Hotel Group’s cost was only for the operating equipment and fit-out, which was approximately R80m of the total cost. The balance (R200m) was borne by the landlord.”
It is the 63rd CLHG hotel, 56th in South Africa, and sixth in the Courtyard Hotel brand. This brings the number of rooms in the group to 8,070, says Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, chief operating offer at City Lodge Hotel Group.
Another five Courtyard Hotels are located in Rosebank, Sandton and Eastgate in Johannesburg, Arcadia in Pretoria and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
“The Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City received a 4-Star Green Star Custom: Hotel Design v1 certified rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) in February 2021,” says Sangweni-Siddo.
According to Sangweni-Siddo, the 4-star, 168-room property is water and energy efficient. It also features electrical designs that conserve these resources, energy-efficient lights and appliances, intelligent lighting management systems and building monitoring systems.
In addition, it has an automated mechanism for monitoring water consumptions data, which also functions as a leak detection system.
The Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City opened 80 rooms and four suites, and will open the remaining rooms on demand.
Sangweni-Siddo says the hotel has many areas where guests can enjoy the solitude and space, as needed. It offers co-working spaces, a lobby lounge, fitness room and swimming pool.
Additional amenities include: complimentary Wi-Fi throughout; contactless check-in; QR codes for restaurant menus; photocopy services; an app that controls guest room doors, air conditioners and televisions; free underground parking; same-day laundry and a dry-cleaning service; and 24-hour security.
“We believe we will attract business travellers during the week and leisure guests over the weekend, as well as ‘bleisure’ (business and leisure) guests working remotely while taking a little time off.”
It is also open for day visitors who are keen to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, or simply a quiet space to work.
With luxury finishes and an open, airy feel, it should give great safety reassurance to guests amid the pandemic. The Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City has excellent longevity as the tourism industry recovers,” adds Sangweni-Siddo.
Fast facts about the Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City
- 4,095 m³ of concrete used
- 141 tn of reinforcement
- 9,865 m² of post tensioning reinforcement of slabs
- 15,919 m² of brickwork
- 2,400 m² of glazing
- 1,558 m² of ventilated façade
- true-to-life green wall with plants made from recycled plastics behind the hotel’s street level signage
- air conditioning units, televisions and door locks operated via app
- signature, unique double-volume artwork in The Protea restaurant handcrafted by artist, Carl Maritz from Space Alchemy
- space to expand the hotel with an additional 50 rooms, as a separate wing has been planned into the original design.
WIN A HOTEL STAY FOR TWO
The Safrea Chronicle and the City Lodge Hotel Group are giving away two nights for two people sharing, inclusive of bed and breakfast. The winner can choose to stay at any of the group’s 63 hotels in South Africa.
To stand a chance of winning this competition, answer the question: How many green stars (rating) did the Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City receive from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA)?
Email your answer, along with your full name, contact details and location to infoaroundtheblock@gmail.com – by no later than Sunday 27 June.
Edited by Gudrun Kaiser
