Recently, this grand dame of Rosebank was once again been proudly awarded her five-star grading status from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). TGCSA complimented the hotel in its in-depth report as having maintained its five-star levels of success across all hospitality areas offering a luxurious ‘olde-worlde’ product. What impressed them the most was the team’s special charisma, poise, friendliness, professionalism and proud outlook.

TGCSA provides the framework for grading establishments in South Africa, ensuring that a certain standard of quality is achieved across all sectors within the tourism industry and a five star grading from them always means ‘great achievement’.

“Thank you to the entire team at The Grace for their ongoing commitment and dedication to service excellence, making this flag ship within the African Sun Hotel portfolio, one of the best known hotel addresses in Johannesburg. Well done everyone,” says Ewan Cameron, managing director of African Sun Hotels

The Grace in Rosebank, a property within the African Sun Hotels portfolio, never disappoints and continues to present guests with five-star treatment, an award-winning restaurant, private dining venues, direct access via an exclusive sky bridge to the Mall of Rosebank, Garden Terrace with a heated lap pool, a business centre and state-of-the-art conference centre at 54 Bath Avenue.

Imvelo, running for the ninth year, awards tourism businesses that demonstrate sustained responsible practice in their operations in terms of their natural, social and economic environments. 

Organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) in conjunction with Absa, Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation, the National Department of Tourism and the Tourism Empowerment Council of South Africa, Imvelo has become synonymous with responsible tourism in South Africa.

Imvelo – which means ‘nature’ in South Africa’s Nguni languages – encourages industry members to accept voluntary guidelines promoting responsible tourism. The awards are in line with the UN World Tourism Organisation’s code of ethics and are supported by the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.

Entries received are now being judged by a panel of experts – Helen Turnbull of Serendipity Africa, Stewart Lumka of the Department of Finance, Dr Johann Kotzé, tourism consultant; Anita Vernes of Thanda Private Game Reserve, Mohato Mokhobo of Eskom, Pumelelo Mguye of PIKITUP, Zanele Maphumulo of the Department of Water Affairs and Michael Nkosi of the National Department of Tourism. Finalists will be announced in October.

Awards will be made in the categories Best social involvement programme, Best practice – economic impact, Best overall environmental management system, Best single resource management programme – for energy, water and waste, Most empowered tourism business and Investor in people. An overall Imvelo winner will also be selected. 

A Chairman’s Award could be made at the discretion of the FEDHASA chairperson to any Imvelo entrant or any other organisation in the tourism industry that made a significant contribution to responsible tourism over the past year.

Winners will receive their awards at an awards ceremony to be held in Johannesburg on World Responsible Tourism Day, 10 November 2010.

As of 1 September, guests can look forward to a new main entrance, lobby and reception area where all spaces have been re-thought and re-created in true Polana magnificent style. The revamped Polana Bar and Aquarius Restaurant & Bar showcase classic cocktails, cigars and light menu options with spectacular views over the pool and the sea beyond. Four new meeting rooms with only the best, state-of-the-art conference facilities await delegates.

The Veranda Restaurant, an all-day dining restaurant with themed buffets, à la carte menu and French patisseries, will open on 6 September. Understanding the business traveller’s needs and catering to them, a fully equipped state-of-the-art business centre is also available.

Mid-month will see the Ballroom – a grand, majestic and classical venue with high ceilings offering the perfect setting for all special occasions – welcome its first guests after a two-year closure. A comfortable and welcoming residents’ guest lounge is a new offering, where space and luxury are key.

“Still to open is the Delagoa Restaurant, a French fine dining restaurant as well as the Polana Serena Maisha Health Club and Spa, a Serena trademark with internationally renowned Elemis products and French brand Gerrad,” says executive director of Polana Serena Hotel, Karim Merali. “1 October will mark their opening, which completes the entire refurbishment programme.”

The Polana Serena Hotel is beautifully located in one of the most sought-after avenues in the heart of Maputo, and has always boasted having a reputation of being a cool and gracious haven that recalls the elegance and splendour of colonial times.

Exhibiting for the second year in a row, this time in the AdVantage magazine advertising agency village section, Free the Orange used the opportunity to showcase the latest release of its range of marketing videos: UZI Rapid Fire Films.

Visitors attending the exhibition couldn’t miss the Free the Orange stall, which sported a large graphic of a woman kicking a guy in the behind and the slogan “We make marketing videos that kick ass”. Being South Africa’s premier marketing and promotions exhibition, Markex provided Free the Orange with the ideal platform to show off its bold, creative alternatives to ‘the usual corporate video’.

MD of Free the Orange, Steven Hall says, “Our stand was more in your face and edgy than a lot of the others, and that says a lot about who we are as a company. Markex was good exposure for us, and it gave us the opportunity to present a unique offering in the space.”

Markex essentially sells itself as a platform to introduce the latest marketing and communications products and solutions direct to the industry, thus creating an environment for the exhibitors and visitors alike to see exactly who is doing what in the industry and who is making waves.

Free the Orange prides itself on staying ahead of the game and finding the most effective, punchy and powerful way for any company to get its message across. Time and again, through its UZI Rapid Fire Films offerings, the company has shown that video communication is the most creative and effective way to communicate information in a short amount of time, and that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

On the whole, Hall says that Markex was a big success for his company, not only because of the exposure and the opportunity to stand out amongst the exhibitors, but also for the networking opportunities, the future leads that will be followed up, and the positive responses to its bold exhibition stand.

To take advantage of these savings, event planners can visit www.hilton.co.uk/meetingsoffer. Meetings and event bookings can be made up until 23 October, 2010 for events held between 1 September 2010 and 31 December 2011. Participating hotel brands include Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton Hotels.

“The Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands is synonymous with creating and delivering exceptional events of any size and for any occasion,” said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president, global customer marketing, Hilton Worldwide. “We want to reward our valued event planners for trusting in our event expertise, accommodating facilities and award-winning service.”

Event Bonus HHonors Points are specific to event bookings at hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotel brands located outside of the United States and Canada. These points can be redeemed for free nights, car rentals, airline miles, experience rewards or for event credits to host an additional event at a Hilton Worldwide portfolio hotel outside of the United States and Canada.

Please visit www.hilton.co.uk/meetingsoffer for more information and a full list of participating hotels.

Sparkling Waters Hotel & Spa's new conference facilities

The centre boasts four main meeting facilities and seven breakaway/boardroom areas. And there is no extra charge for use of the on-site audio-visual equipment, which includes: data projectors in all of the four main meeting facilities, overhead projectors, a surround sound system and DVD player, a cordless PA system, laser pointers, VHS recorders, a VHS video camera, remote mouse control, and flipcharts, white boards and screens suspended from flexi rails. 

Sparkling Waters unbeatable conference package includes free secluded teambuilding with a facilitator, a Sparkling Health Spa voucher, and conference stationery (please enquire within as conditions do apply).

The venue’s proximity to Gauteng makes Sparkling Waters a leading choice among corporates and organisers alike, while its excellent service, good country cooking and added value make it a ‘must visit’ for those yet to experience the venue and all its fantastic  offerings.

One of the four main meeting facilities

Sparkling Waters also does themed banquets for year-end functions, and for companies looking to treating their staff to an exhilarating adventure, the Magaliesberg Canopy Tours is located alongside the venue. Run by Sparkling Waters’ management, this particular canopy tour is “hailed by the press and clients alike as an eco-friendly adventure activity that is beyond all expectation and without equal”.

At Sparkling Waters' new conference centre all flipcharts, white boards and screens are suspended from flexi rails

The award winning Sparkling Health Spa is the brainchild of the innovative Lina Engels, who had a vision to make the spa world accessible to all without compromising on luxury and comfort. This three star spa is located on site and overlooks the wooded area alongside the Krom River. The spa – which offers over 45 distinct treatments – comprises an indoor heated pool, signature hydro treated room, tropical Jacuzzi garden, a sundeck for after treatment relaxation, steam bath, hydro therapy room, gym, sun bed and salon.

Sparkling Waters is currently running a number of conference specials, to celebrate the launch of its stunning new conference centre. For more info, e-mail conferences@sparklingwaters.co.za.

Kevin Kennedy, managing director of Oasys Innovations, says that the company has all that it takes to delight the creative needs of its clients. “During the past two years we have dug deep in our quest to deliver a balance between design competence and materials that would satisfy the most fashionable and forward looking brands in our stable of clients. It’s much more than out-of-the-box thinking. We have made huge investments in our inventories and human capacities that differentiate our offering. Having been entrusted to design and project manage the South African Pavilion at the 2010 World EXPO in Shanghai, and having been involved with all the infrastructure and overlays for the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, has given us insights to global trends which we are now applying in every part of our operations, especially on the design side.”

Monique Placido, Oasys senior designer says: “We have acknowledged requests from our local and global clients to approach design assignments for their stands, with a strong orientation towards interior design, underscored by a distinct measure of sensitivity towards aesthetics. As they too are mobile in world markets, their observations about trends in design are taken very seriously and we insist on living up to their expectations. Of course, we take account of the character of the brand which we integrate into the final expression of the exhibition stand. Together with the key account managers our, Oasys design teams are ‘in the face of the customer’. This gives us the best opportunity to review every assignment from both a strategic marketing and design point of view. This same interpretation can be viewed at our stand at Markex, which reflects on our business processes and design values.”

Placido was responsible for the design and execution of the South African Pavilion in Shanghai. She will join the marketing and sales teams at the Oasys stand at Markex & World of Events to share ideas with visitors about transformational values in design, yet not overlooking the value of communication messages.

The centralised reception, which opened in May 2010, has been repositioned to provide easier access to the hotel’s 215 rooms and suites which sprawl over the 26 ha of lush countryside property. Designed with group bookings in mind, facilities include a wraparound service desk for express check-ins and a comfortable, spacious waiting area where guests are invited to relax and enjoy refreshments. Two beautiful copper giraffe sculptures and a magnificent steel door frames the entrance way, creating a warm, rustic ambience and welcoming guest in true Misty Hills’ style.

Making way for the new reception area necessitated the relocation of the Gin Box pub, a favourite watering hole of Misty Hill’s patrons. Now firmly established in its new premises, the Gin Box boasts a lively pub atmosphere and both an indoor and outdoor seating area. Serving a wide range of beverages including the hotel’s legendary Dawas, the pub also has large screen televisions for sports enthusiasts. Adjacent to the Gin Box is the coffee shop, a brand new addition to the Misty Hill’s product offering. This is where caffeine addicts can get their fix, choosing from a wide array of specialty Avanti coffees and a selection of light meals available from 11:00 to 18:00.

These new additions compliment the hotel’s existing facilities, which include the Summerhouse restaurant, two swimming pools (including a kiddie’s pool), a well equipped gym, lounge area, games room and magical children's Peregrine Castle. Also situated on the property is the Misty Hills Spa in the Country, whose recently upgraded spa facilities and newly launched Signature Room is a haven of tranquility. Adjacent to Misty Hills is the world-renowned Carnivore Restaurant which offers a selection of succulent charcoal-grilled game and domestic meats, skewered onto Massai swords and cooked to perfection over an open fire.

The hotel also offers twenty two African themed conference and function venues, including an Exhibition Centre, which houses small to medium-sized events.

Misty Hills is located in Muldersdrift, on the threshold of the beautiful Kromdraai Valley – a World Heritage site – and is an affiliate of the Warwick International group of hotels. The establishment is part of the Recreation Africa group, which prides itself on the development of hotels and restaurants with a truly African ambience, offering

services in the field of environmental education, hospitality and recreation.  

The adidas Jo`bulani Central (House of Football) was the largest custom stand Scan has built to date, with a floor space of 1 000 m² (50 m x 20 m) and 5.3 m high walls. Designed by Uniplan, Germany, and realised by Scan, it served as the World Cup headquarters for adidas and included office space, media facilities, an entertainment area for VIP guests, and an exhibition showcase for the Adidas World Cup clothing range.

Other official World Cup sponsors that contracted Scan’s services included Budweiser – to create Man of the Match trophy cases – and Sony – to build VIP hospitality villages at the three main soccer stadiums.

The City of Johannesburg’s World Cup Public Viewing Area (PVA) at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown was another interesting project.  The City awarded the tender for the PVA to Scan Display in partnership with Zanusi Brand Solutions.

Some 240 000 people attended the PVA, which featured an exhibition and retail village, a miniature soccer field, and live entertainment before and after match screenings – such as Brazilian samba bands, the Soweto Opera, a Japanese free style dance crew and popular African artists like Dudu Manhenga (Zimbabwe), Kunle Ayo (Nigeria) and Mandoza (South Africa). All games were screened live, and entrance was free of charge.

Some of the projects involved simultaneous activations at multiple locations throughout South Africa – such as the construction of 10 SABC media centres in nine cities in South Africa. Other projects involved multiple activations in a single city – for example the 13 information kiosks the City of Cape Town requested to provide tourists with accurate information.

Scan Display’s managing director, Justin Hawes, says: “The experience we gained was invaluable as we had the opportunity to showcase our company, our skills and our creativity to a new audience.”
The World Cup may be over but Scan Display is committed to ‘Keep Flying’ the flag. This is a campaign initiated by Draftfcb, which encourages South Africans to keep the spirit of the World Cup alive. Hawes says: “The World Cup was a great event, and we need to ensure we bring about positive, lasting change from it. Scan Display intends to build on its experience from the event.”

The new La Cigale Spa

Non-residing guests are welcome to book for lunch and treatments at the spa, while overnight guests have commented on the fantastic gym, new steam rooms, sauna and Jacuzzi complementing the spa.

The spa incorporates Skin Sphere technological products, recognised globally for utilising science and nature as its model for purity, harmony and balance. Biological ingredients and plant extracts, in its purest form, are the basis of all these formulas so as to maximise skin benefit while minimising reactivity. Spa facials are available in three levels of intensity: basic, comprehensive and indulgent. The professionally trained spa therapists conduct careful assessment of guests’ skin types, selecting products complementing the skin and its individual condition.

Treatment rooms

The elegant new rooms and luxurious refurbishments that have been completed over the past few years resulted in Valley Lodge being the preferred choice of accommodation for the Portuguese team during the World Cup.

Contact the hotel for information on the special conference and teambuilding spa packages on offer, as well as yoga and laughter workshops. Email res@valleylodge.co.za or view its new look website at www.valleylodge.co.za.