This new hotel is set to open in Umhlanga this month

South Africa’s first Hilton Garden Inn to open at Umhlanga Arch

The first Hilton Garden Inn is set to open later this month in Umhlanga. Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch in Umhlanga, Durban, forms part of Umhlanga Arch, a significant mixed use development, now completed, in Umhlanga’s Ridgeside precinct. This comes after Hilton and UA Hotel signed a management agreement to open the hotel.

Lovet Robinson, general manager of Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, said: “Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is the first focus service hotel for Hilton in South Africa. Hilton Garden Inn offers upscale and affordable accommodation with unexpected amenities for an experience that is “simply on another level.”

He added: “It is a smart technologically advanced hotel. With Hilton’s digital check-in as well as our digital key, our guests can seamlessly navigate through the hotel. With digital key, guests can check-in to the hotel online through our Hilton Honors App, select their preferred room, access the guest lift and unlock their room door.”

This internationally acclaimed hotel is ideally located within the business hub of the bespoke, mixed-use Umhlanga Arch only 20 minutes from King Shaka International Airport. Attracting both local and international travellers that can enjoy sub-tropical weather, incredible blue flag beaches, heritage and history, infinite nature and activities.

Mr Robinson, said: “At Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, you will find an open, inviting atmosphere with a warm, sunny service – from the first hello tao the next.”

He added: “Expect only the best with peaceful rest and work-filled days in one of our 203 guest rooms. The hotel’s facilities include a business center, fitness center, outdoor heated pool and our Together & Co Restaurant and Bar facilities. Enjoy elegant rooms with WiFi access, LCD TVs and many more amenities to make your stay one to remember and more enjoyable.

“Whether you are planning an important business meeting, a conference, or a magnificent event, choose Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch and enjoy our spacious meeting venues, personalised service, and delicious catering options.

“Meeting facilities are an integral part of our business structure and our focus is to cater for the smaller to medium size meetings,” he added. Mr Robinson continued: “My vision for the hotel is to be the best Hilton Garden Inn in our region EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa).”

In conclusion he said: “We are very excited about the future of Hilton in South Africa and we hope to become the first of many HGIs in South Africa.”

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton, said: “Umhlanga is a terrific location in which to launch Hilton Garden Inn in South Africa. A popular, upmarket commercial and leisure destination, Umhlanga is one of South Africa’s fastest-growing economic areas. The relocation of nearby King Shaka International Airport in 2010 and a significant boost in office space is driving considerable growth in corporate traffic, creating demand for what will be our first Hilton Garden Inn in South Africa.”

Africa is home to over 100 Hilton hotels across seven brands, including Hilton Garden Inn. The brand has proven successful across the region with more than 160 hotels across EMEA.

Meeting facilities

We have five meeting rooms, one boardroom, called Lighthouse, and a private dining room. All of our meeting rooms are equipped with the latest smart technology. Our meetings rooms are named after local Umhlanga Beaches.

Hilton EventReady with CleanStay is our new global cleanliness and customer service programme that provides specific guidance and standards around our meetings and events – from industry leading sanitation protocols to creative room sets, elevated food and beverage offerings and thoughtful technology resources. The complete journey is backed by Hilton hospitality from dedicated team members.

About Hilton Garden Inn

The award-winning Hilton Garden Inn brand provides business and leisure guests upscale, affordable accommodations and unexpected amenities for an experience that is ‘Simply on Another Level.’ The Hilton Garden Inn Promise affirms the brand’s goal to make each guest’s stay better and brighter. Guaranteed. Team Members at more than 870 hotels in 49 countries and territories around the world ensure today’s busy travelers have a bright and satisfying experience, starting with the first hello. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits.

Hilton CleanStay™

Hilton has developed a global programme introducing a new standard of hotel cleanliness and disinfection: Hilton CleanStay™.

Hilton CleanStay builds upon Hilton’s already high standards of housekeeping and hygiene, where commercial-grade cleaning products and upgraded protocols are currently in use, to ensure Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay from check-in to check-out.

• Increased cleaning and disinfection frequency of public areas

• Guest-accessible disinfecting wipes at entrances and high traffic areas

• Enhanced cleaning and disinfection for fitness centres

• Enhanced cleaning and operational changes to restaurants, bars, in-room dining and meeting spaces

• Reduced paper amenities (like pads and guest directories) in rooms

• Industry-leading contactless check-in and check-out with Digital Key at more than 4,700 properties globally

Room breakdown

The hotel boasts 203 en-suite bedrooms which includes four onebedroom suites; five accessible rooms, 55 twin bedrooms, 139 king bedroom rooms. Out of the 203 bedrooms, 112 are inter-leading which is ideal for families.

Other facilities:

• Together & Co Restaurant

• The Shop: a 24-hour, self-service retail space offering snacks, locally sourced food and beverages as well as essential personal items

• Outdoor heated swimming pool with ocean views

• Complimentary self service laundry room – open 24 hours

• Fitness centre – open 24 hours

• Complimentary self service business centre – open 24 hours

Who is Lovet Robinson?

Lovet Robinson is general manager of HIlton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch.

Lovet Robinson was born in Cape Town in 1973 and, after completing his military service, he went to the Hotel and Culinary School at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology where he completed a National Diploma in Hospitality Management.

His first workplace was at Villa Belmonte, a five star luxury boutique hotel. From there Mr Robinson moved to Pezula Resort in Knysna as an executive butler at Noetzie Castle. In 2012, Pezula converted to Conrad Pezula where the hotel joined Hilton. In 2017 he was promoted to resort manager at Conrad Pezula. In 2018 he relocated to Durban and joined Hilton Durban as director of operations. In July 2020 he was appointed general manager of HIlton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, his first general manager position. He has been in the hospitality industry for 25 years.

Culinary delights with head chef Sibusiso Nhleko

Sibusiso Nhleko, 35, head chef, has always had a passion for food, and still enjoys playing with different ingredients and flavours.

What kind of cuisine will guests enjoy when dining at HGI?

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is proud to introduce the first Together & Co branded restaurant in South Africa. But what exactly is Together & Co? We bring people together, one meal, coffee and conversation at a time. Delicious, fresh food and drink is just where things get started, what really matters to us is building a local community of people that know how to work together, support each other and have a great time doing it. That’s what Together & Co is all about - people. We’ve created a space that feels comforting, familiar and fun – a place you actually want to spend time in, and while you’re there, enjoy the fresh flavours of our food and drink from a delicious and contemporary menu. Because we want your focus to be on spending time with each other, we’ve made our dining and drinking experience as simple and accessible as possible, with a variety of your favourites on offer and some exciting new flavours to keep things interesting.

What has been your biggest challenge in terms of Covid-19 and food presentation?

The biggest challenge was changing our mindset. With all the new protocols being introduced- to assist in preventing the spread of the virus- we had to be creative in how we prepared and served meals.

What kind of food can delegates expect when attending conferences or events at HGI?

We will be serving delegates fresh and tasty home-away-from-home meals.

What can diners expect from your menus?

Our menu will have a high emphasis on togetherness, boasting sharing dishes and platters both on the food side, as well as the drinks menu. Each section in the menu will have a signature dish worth sharing. This is an ideal experience for a family to connect and indulge. We will enhance the restaurant experience by having experiential events such as wine tastings, family celebration meals, happy hours, sports days, etc. Our menu will focus on simple, well-cooked, flavour some dishes giving preferences to the local tastes of the community. Under certain circumstances, we will offer a buffet. This will be discussed in the general guidelines later on. Room service will have a variation of the restaurant menu, but very limited.

One-on-One with Fanie Meintjes

Fanie Meintjes, 38, head of sales, graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2005 with a BCom Honours degree in Tourism Management. I joined Hilton in September 2011 as a sales executive. With hard work and determination over the last couple of years, I worked my way up within Hilton to my last position as senior sales manager before joining Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch as head of sales.

What is it that makes this Hilton brand hotel different to the other Hilton brands?

We create heartfelt experiences by removing the “random” in random acts of kindness, elevating moments into memories.

What experiences can clients look forward to at Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch?

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is designed to facilitate authentic experiences and touchpoints for the modern traveller, our beautiful new hotel perfectly blends modern design with the warmth of our Brighthearted Hospitality. Every detail has been carefully executed with our guests in mind. Our hotel also takes on the personality and vibe of Umhlanga.

We are ready to serve, smile, learn and brighten your day. Our promise of Brighthearted Hospitality is guaranteed as we continue our commitment to ensure our guests receive a heartfelt experience every stay, from the first ‘hello’ to the cheery ‘goodbye’.

We are also excited to introduce Hilton’s Digital Check-Inn as well as our Digital Key to our guests. Exclusive to the Hilton Honors programme, as a member you can now check-in and select your room from a digital floor plan or list directly from a mobile device, tablet or computer. You can further customise your stay by purchasing a room upgrade (if available) and requesting specific amenities to be delivered to your room before arrival.

Your digital key opens any door you’d normally access with a key card, including your room, elevators, side doors to the fitness center, and even the self-service guest laundry room. Open the app, and when you are within a few feet of a door, simply push the button to unlock. Of course, to use the Digital Key, you have to request access by opting-in through the Hilton Honors app first. Once your room is ready on the day of your arrival, you’ll receive a push notification to your smartphone or tablet that the key has been delivered. It will then be available in your Hilton Honors app until you check out. Just make sure you’ve already used our digital check-in.

How important is the conference and events market to this hotel?

Meeting facilities are an integral part of our business structure and our focus is to cater for the smaller to medium size meetings. The hotel features five meeting rooms and one boardroom, called Lighthouse. Lighthouse and three of the meeting rooms have floor to ceiling windows, allowing natural lighting throughout the venues. Other features include high-definition television (HDTV), built-in sound systems and individual temperature controls.

We are also proud to introduce Hilton EventReady with CleanStay, which is our new global cleanliness and customer service programme that provides specific guidance and standards around our meetings and events – from industry leading sanitation protocols to creative room sets, elevated food and beverage offerings and thoughtful technology resources.