Julius Baumann
18 February 2009
Johannesburg — HOTEL supremo Sol Kerzner has never done anything in half measures. The One & Only Cape Town opening in April is no exception.
The aim is to dazzle - from a large chandelier made for the hotel in the Czech Republic set against a spectacular view of Table Mountain, to a three-storey, all-glass wine loft with no fewer than 6000 bottles of wine.
One & Only president Paul Jones said yesterday the hotel would raise the level of service and luxury in Cape Town.
"This hotel is not just one step ahead of the competition but several steps ahead." Every detail is aimed to impress, from rooms no smaller than 60m' to a dedicated butler service.
The resort includes a main 90-room hotel while a spa and a further 40-room complex have been built on two private islands. Between the two islands will be a pool area and restaurant.
Jones said it was meant to seem like an isolated resort. The development drew attention last year when one of its penthouses was sold for more than R100m. Two Michelin-starred chefs will be opening restaurants in the hotel: Gordon Ramsay (maze) and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (Nobu).
Jones said Kerzner brought the opening forward by four months to take advantage of the Easter holiday.
While many thought the hotel was aimed at the international market, the domestic market would be equally important.
"We are keen to attract local visitors and see Johannesburg in particular as an important market for us."
The US was expected to be a strong market for the Cape Town property.
"Many of our US guests are already familiar with our properties in the Bahamas and Mexico and are always looking for new destinations," said Jones.
While the group was planning two resorts in Cacique, Costa Rica, and Muyuni Beach, Zanzibar, Jones said these projects had been put on ice due to the economic slowdown. The focus would be on opening its Cape Town property.
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