Luxury on the Waterfront: Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel to close for R1bn renovation

3 Jul 2024

The V&A Waterfront's flagship hotel, which is set to close next year for a major revamp, will be run as an InterContinental hotel and managed by Sun International.

Cape Town’s luxury Table Bay Hotel is set to undergo a R1-billion revamp, which will entail its rebranding as the InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town.

The refurbished hotel is due to close in February 2025, with a relaunch date anticipated towards the end of the fourth quarter of the year, or early in 2026.

Launched in 1997 by the V&A and opened by Nelson Mandela, the Table Bay was operated under licence by Sun International. Sun International had been granted a 25-year lease, which expired during Covid.

Positioned as one of the city’s most prestigious hotels, over the years it has hosted heads of state, prominent business people, celebrities and other dignitaries.

Sun International will continue to manage the hotel, while the branding will belong to the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Hotels & Resorts, a leading British-headquartered international hotel group. The Waterfront owns the property.

Haitham Mattar, managing director for India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said in a company statement that the development marked a significant chapter for them in the African market.

The group is deemed to be the world’s first luxury hotel brand.

Founded in 1946, the IHG was once a division of Pan American Airways when its first hotel was opened in Brazil. IHG Hotels & Resorts has expanded its portfolio from 11 to 19 brands, with 6,383 hotels and 946,382 guest rooms in more than 100 countries.

It now operates a number of brands such as InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Hotel Indigo.

Big industry player

Today it is the second-largest player in the industry by room and hotel count.

It also has one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes — the IHG One Rewards, with more than 130 million members.

Mattar said it was a privilege to bring one of Cape Town’s beloved properties under the InterContinental brand.

“With its rich history, scenic location, and a legacy of excellence, this iconic property perfectly embodies the essence of the InterContinental brand, and we are excited to work with V&A Waterfront and Sun International on maintaining its legacy.”

V&A Waterfront CEO David Green told Daily Maverick that they had wanted to bring a strong international brand to the Waterfront.

Needed freshening up

Location-wise, it has the finest view of the mountain and sea, but the hotel needed a freshening up. After almost 30 years, the Table Bay’s rooms and spa will be completely revamped, the pool extended, new signature restaurants introduced and the tech refurbished. This will include air-conditioning and fire safety improvements.

He said while Cape Town punched above its weight and ranked in the top five to 10 cities in the world, international visitors expected to benefit from loyalty schemes, which the brand is famous for among business and leisure travellers.

Read more in Daily Maverick: V&A Waterfront: consuming itself, a greedy bite at a time

Sun International’s chief operations officer Graham Wood said they would be managing the hotel for the Waterfront — to maximise profitability and customer experience — because the group has the proven expertise.

The hotel will feature 306 rooms (reduced from 329 to make space for more suites), including 45 new guest suites, a new elevated pool bar and terrace, a signature spa, and an Intercontinental Executive Loyalty Club Floor and Lounge. DM

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Big industry player