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SPECIAL REPORT> CORAL INTERNATIONAL CAPE TOWN HOTEL
By Stacey Rowan
CAPE TOWN, BEACHES, SAND AND CORAL A PERFECT COMBINATION
CORAL INTERNATIONAL CAPE TOWN HOTEL>
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Cape Town, with its beaches, wine farms, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Gardens and the V & A Waterfront, is considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities. And, the perfect hotel to experience its riches is the Coral International Cape Town. For the first time in South Africa, guests can experience the ideal combination of Coral Hotels & Resorts’ distinctive hospitality, through the operation of the Coral International Cape Town Hotel, and Cape Town’s beauty.
4> The client, Cii Holdings, is one of the most established business houses in South Africa, with a wide range of commercial activities spread across diverse segments, including Cii Hotel & Resorts Cape Town (Pty) Ltd, and is now poised to be a major player in the hospitality industry.
A 5-star brand
An evening view of the Coral International Cape Town Hotel. Al Zaeem has the shisha for every occasion.
Coral International, being the 5-star brand that it is, has brought its blend of refinement, elegance and luxury, topped by its state-of-the-art facilities, to the South African shores in the form of this new hotel. “It has the look and feel of a 5-star international hotel,” says Clive Shepherd, managing director, DSA Architects International. Featuring 137 spacious rooms and suites – each equipped with the finest amenities – Coral International Cape Town combines world-class comfort with outstanding service. A swimming pool with a pool deck, meeting rooms, a business centre, two restaurants serving international cuisine, a lounge area, spa and gym facilities on the mezzanine floor, are also available. The Coral International Cape Town Hotel provides beautifully decorated rooms and suites with amenities including luxurious linens, plasma TVs, cable TV, high speed wired and Wi-Fi Internet access. “The rooms are spacious and those on the top level are all suites, which are very large in size,” says Rob Low, director, DSA Architects International.
A hint of Arabesque flavour With regards to the interior feel and design, the client wanted to have a hint of Arabesque theme throughout the hotel, with a combination of middle-eastern and oriental elements. “Coral International Cape Town brings a new concept to Cape Town with a powerful architectural design. The idea from the outset was to explore a strikingly different approach to design which is reflected in the
6> hotel’s distinctive architecture. Basically, the hotel incorporates the best of modern architecture with a touch of Arabesque and African design such as the beautiful chandelier in the lobby, the arches at the entrance and the ornate chairs. It gives you a feeling of a courtyard – this is such a signature element of Arabian design. While developing the public spaces, much attention has been given to creating comfortable and relaxing zones while giving our guests a unique experience. Extensive amenities and facilities are interwoven into the layout to offer opportunities for social interaction, leisure and recreation. Exquisite traditional African touches and attention to detail bring a sense of familiarity and harmony from our local cultures. The restaurants are equally imaginatively designed in terms of colours and décor. The rooms are generously proportioned and provide a relaxed ambience with a sleek and ultramodern look. Overall, Coral International Cape Town is a vibrant, high-quality product that embraces the future while valuing the traditions,” says Jacqui Booyzen, General Manager, Coral International Cape Town.
The Bo-Kaap The hotel, being located adjacent to the Bo-Kaap, a Muslim community in Cape Town, created challenges for the team at DSA Architects International, who, from a design point of view, had to mould the hotel into the precinct and work within the Bo-Kaap context. The ‘Bo Kaap’, or ‘Cape Malay Quarter’ as it is also known, belongs to the culturally and historically most interesting parts of Cape Town. Many of the inhabitants are descendants of immigrants from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia. The Cape Malays have preserved their cultural identity and Muslim faith. The old Malay Quarter with its steep and narrow streets, the simple artisan’s houses, Mosques and Minaretts reaches from Buitengracht
The architectural style of the hotel blends into the historical context of the Bo-Kaap precinct.
View of the spacious lobby.
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Views of the pool deck.
The business centre.
One of several meeting rooms.
Boasting 137 rooms and suites, Coral International Cape Town takes modern luxury to a higher level. Each suite includes an elegant and relaxing living area with stunning views of Table Mountain.
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The hair salon and nail bar.
The state-of-the-art gym.
The Al Nafoora restaurant specialises in Mediterranean cuisine.
The Mezbaan restaurant takes the best elements from India and Arabia and adds a modern twist to create one of Cape Town’s most original restaurants.
9> Street right up to the slopes of Signal Hill. The houses have been restored and colourfully painted. The architectural style is a synthesis of Cape Dutch and Edwardian. “It is a residential area with lots of colourfully painted cottages,” says Shepherd.
Challenges faced View of the steam room.
With the Coral International Cape Town hotel located on a very prominent, but restricted, corner of the precinct, at the base of Table Mountain, there were a few design challenges that needed to be addressed. “From a design point of view, the hotel had to sit well aesthetically. To ensure that views of the mountain and other well-known features of Cape-Town were not obstructed by the building, the authorities imposed height restrictions on the building. To compensate for this, we went out of our way to optimise the views of the Waterfront and Table Mountain from every aspect within the hotel and especially made an effort to give every bedroom in the hotel a view,” explains Shepherd.
The hotel’s two restaurants provide diners with distinctive experiences, signature dishes and ambiance.
The site restrictions required improvisation to mould the building with the corner. The courtyard terrace and spa were given privacy through the use of form, which shields both facilities from public view. “Another challenge we faced was the construction of the parking. As the hotel is bound by three streets it had limited space for parking. Our solution was to build all the parking for the hotel in the basement,” says Low. “We’ve managed to achieve a 137 room hotel of a very high quality, as requested by the client. It fulfills the client’s vision of an Islamic Hotel within a Muslim community, while incorporating all of the necessary facilities to serve an international clientele,” concludes Shepherd. “We embraced the aesthetics which are relevant to the environment of Cape Town, and meeting the client’s expectations of return on investment.” <