MINT Hotels opens first hotel in Sandton

MINT Hotels, the newest hotel group to open in South Africa, recently opened its first hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. Business Events Africa conducted a one-on-one interview with Adriaan Liebetrau, general manager: hospitality for the group to find out more about this hotel group and its newest hotel, MINT Hotel 84 on Katherine.

Where did you start you career in the hospitality industry?

I have worked in the hospitality industry since secondary school. I have always wanted to be a hotelier, and even pretended to build hotels as a small boy playing with my toys.

I am fortunate to have had exceptional mentors from a young age in my career, and from the very first day I started working in a ‘real’ hotel.

Through the years I made it my personal mission to be exposed to as many different areas of the industry as possible. I first became general manager of a hotel at the age of 22, and quickly realised that there is so much more to it than simply providing accommodation.

From there I gained experience in property development, design, casinos, convention centres, sales, marketing, finance and all other areas of hotel operations.

I wanted to gain a full understanding of the industry and the contributing factors that make it successful, so left the hospitality industry for seven years to gain more experience in travel management – and of course get more experience with Government, and so took on the role of chief executive officer of SAACI.

I gradually made my way back to operating hotels, and today I am very happy that my journey has brought me here at MINT Hotels.

What is MINT Hotels’ main selling point?

We offer a unique hotel experience targeting the traditional budget market. We believe we have a niche offering as a limited service hotel by offering a large stylish room with the best and most modern fittings, finished off with a cool and trendy restaurant such as Pablo.

When did MINT Hotel 84 on Katherine open in Sandton?

We opened our first phase on 1 July with 46 rooms. As the month progressed we were able to add an additional 9 rooms, to bring us to 55 rooms. The second phase was to open the restaurant, and on 3 August we were able to open the

renowned Pablo poolside restaurant after it relocated from Melville, and rebranded from Pablo Eggs-Go-Bar.

During the end of August and beginning of September we opened our third phase – the next block of 42 rooms. We currently stand at 97 completed, renovated rooms. The fourth and final phase is set to open for bookings at the end of October, bringing our total rooms to 148. The final phase will also include an onsite laundry, gym and conference centre.

Did Covid-19 put a pause on some of your plans?

Lockdown delayed the opening by a month, but that didn’t stop us from getting everything ready behind the scenes. Our design and room layouts are far different from a traditional hotel. This has allowed us to take both permanent residents and long-stay guests.

How many hotels are planned for South Africa?

Our second hotel is currently under construction and should open early next year. We are keen to add more hotels to our fold but will review each opportunity individually – we don’t want to expand just for the sake of it. We want to ensure that we remain different and unique.

What is the apartment/hotel room concept and why you think it will work in SA?

Aparthotels have grown in popularity throughout the world. The flexibility to be yourself in your own space where you can cook and entertain as you would at home but still have the luxury of having your room cleaned for you and a team of hosts ready to assist your every need is a selling point. Growing up, many of us visited various resorts that were self-catering,

but the new aparthotel elevates this to new levels of service and personalisation.

Does the MINT Hotel 84 on Katherine have conferencing/ meeting facilities?

The new hotel will have two private and intimate event spaces, both with stackable glass doors overlooking a garden area. These venues have stateof-the-art audio-visual equipment with a capacity of 20 and 70, respectively. The centre is located adjacent to our last 51 rooms, making it the perfect venue for a small conference that wants to have personal attention to detail.

How important is it for the hotel to have meeting facilities?

For me having a meeting or event space is critical, and the flexibility and opportunity to service multiple different sectors is key to the sustainability of the business. Even now in these unsure times we have as the 007 James Bond Suite, and is

already received inquiries from guests and residents alike looking for a space to have smaller meetings or get togethers.

What room types does MINT Hotel 84 on Katherine have?

Our rooms range from the smallest 32 sqm to the 127 sqm uber-presidential suite. All our rooms are fitted with an extra length king size bed, air-conditioning and international plugs and USB adaptors next to the bed. Our rooms have ample laptop safe, hairdryer and HD smart TV. Each room’s bathroom has an extensive shower with all your hotel luxuries.

The MINT has five different room types, with our standard and superior rooms fitted with a kitchenette. Our larger deluxe rooms and executive suites have

a more spacious kitchen with dining area, and lounge with workspace.

The uber-presidential suite is known cupboard space that holds an electronic

decorated in a modern Scandinavian style.

The hotel has high-speed uncapped Wi-Fi throughout the property, and guests can choose to watch Netflix, YouTube or log into their own DSTV account when at the hotel.

How many will be long-term apartments vs short-term stays?

Our current model is based on our first two blocks being marketed and positioned as a long-term residential-style hotel, with great success. The balance of our rooms are positioned for shortterm business and leisure travellers. The model is ever-changing as we see fit.