Sandton’s new half-billion rand new business resort, The Capital On The Park has officially opened its doors.
Situated on Katherine Street, the new business resort expands the group’s footprint of luxury apartment hotels and it challenges the complacent local property market with a hybrid model that offers great results for investors and hotel guests alike.
Marc Wachsberger, managing director of The Capital Hotels and Apartments comments:
“The Capital On The Park is the first major hotel to be built in Sandton since the rush before the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. Its business resort format responds directly to the needs and expectations of today’s modern business travellers who are looking for business and entertainment options all under one roof. Our version of a resort is for busy executives looking for a hotel where they can be sociable, when they’re not working or sleeping.”
The Sandton district’s first true business resort has broken the mould of staid, city accommodation which blends residential apartments with adaptable hotel suites, apartment and penthouses to meet any guest’s needs, where they are in town overnight on business or seconded to the city on a fixed-term contract.
The hybrid apartment hotel launched with the sale of investment apartments in 2015, all of which were sold out within weeks. Some apartment owners have elected to rent their properties back to The Capital Hotels and Apartments to be included in its hotel inventory, confident that they will get a strong return on investment.
Other owners elected to move into the apartment hotel during March 2018, opting for the myriad benefits offered by apartment-style living with the undeniable appeal of hotel-style services.
The new business resort is home to more than 300 rooms, comprising of hotel suites, one- and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses, as well as a massive conference facility for 500 people and an in-house fitness pod with specialised gym classes.
This 360-degree offering positions the business resort to compete aggressively with existing conference and accommodation venues in the Sandton district, as delegates will find everything they need – from meeting rooms to late night snacks – under one roof, and within easy reach of the Sandton Gautrain station and other business hubs.
Wachsberger adds that The Capital On The Park’s flexible pricing strategy means that its accommodation will always be 25% more cost effective than other accommodation at the same sophisticated level – but its no-frills approach means that guests are not charged, overtly or otherwise, for services they don’t use. Its focus on relationships means that regular guests can negotiate rates, and the hotel will also consider discounts for longer stays.
“Guests at The Capital’s other hotels have told us they don’t want or need turn-downs and too many toiletries – but they do want free, always-on-everywhere high-speed Internet access,” he explains. “They’ve also said they don’t to pay for essentials like parking and laundry, and that corporates are keeping a tight watch on budgets. We listened to them, and we’re giving them what they asked for – and not what we assume they need. That makes us different from other hotel groups.”
Wachsberger is confident of his timing in building the first large scale 300 room hotel in the area since 2010, considering the vast amount of development happening in the Sandton precinct, including new buildings for local and international businesses relocating their South African operations to this pulse point of South African commerce.
With The Capital On The Park now open and construction on The Capital Hotels and Apartments’ property in the Melrose Arch precinct set for completion in early 2019, the group is turning its scopes further afield to fulfil its commitment of opening two hotels each year.