On shores

Coffee Bar for those needing a caffeine kick are the perfect additions for corporate guests. The third venue is the outside space complete with its outdoor cocktail furniture, and the ideal spot for the craft beer and wine tastings available on request.

KWAZULU-NATAL

Can-do attitude

DRAKENSBERG CONVENTION CENTRE (CHAMPAGNE SPORTS RESORT)

Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal www.champagnesportsresort.com

• 16 venues

• Largest venue capacity: 1 400 pax

• 1 200 m² exhibition space

• 152 hotel rooms and 91 chalets

Denise Kemp, owner of Eastern Sun Events, strongly recommends the Drakensberg Convention Centre for hosting business events, explaining, “This is an outstanding venue, which can cater for large conferences. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. We tend to judge staff on their ‘cando’ attitude and friendliness. Drakensberg has both of these.”

Strand Hotel Swakopmund is the perfect venue for anyone wanting to explore Swakopmund in luxury.

Taste the wonders of Swakopmund with a fine dining experience like no other. Our 3 unique restaurants serve a delectable range of cuisines for even the most descerning of pallettes. Unwind to the rhythmn of the ocean in one of our 125 en-suite room. With 74 Standard rooms, 2 Enabled rooms, 40 Luxury rooms, 6 Junior suites, 2 Luxury suites and 1 Presidential suite. Host your events in style, from meetings, conferences, launches and banquets, our state-of-the-art business facilities are spread over an area of 440sqm, perfect for any gathering. Our multi-functional spaces transform for convenience and ease, all the while serving a unique wave of rejuvenation.

Nestled in the picturesque central Drakensberg, the scenery at this venue is spectacular, and numerous leisure activities are on offer, including a wellness centre and 18-hole golf course. The golf course has been rated as SA’s most beautiful in recent years, with the clubhouse rated in the top five 19th holes in South Africa.

The larger event venues are thatched and acoustically designed, and state-of-the-art conferencing equipment is available.

The accommodation at Champagne Sports Resort was recently upgraded and includes a huge range of options, from double and twin rooms to family suites, inter-leading rooms, presidential suites and chalets.

Western Cape

A sustainable superstar CENTURY CITY CONFERENCE CENTRE

No. 4 Energy Lane, Bridgeways Precinct, Century City, Cape Town ccconferencecentre.co.za

• 20 venues

• Largest venue capacity: 1 900 pax

• 1 200 m² outdoor exhibition space

• 205 hotel rooms and 18 studio apartments, plus another 500 hotel rooms within walking distance

Century City is a 25 hectare mixed-use development, almost half of which is occupied by canals, nature reserves and commercial properties. The rest of the development includes entertainment facilities, and residential and retail spaces – all of which are an easy, safe stroll away along palm-tree-lined roads and cobbled streets.

Within this space is Century City Conference Centre, which was voted Africa’s most sustainable venue in 2019, thanks to its 4-Star Green Star Certification by the Green Building Council South Africa, and its water management, recycling and waste management, and various energysaving initiatives.

The Centre also boasts high-speed internet connectivity and cutting-edge technology (no surprise, given the city’s smart status), has backup generators, and has a virtual conference centre that can be used for either a 100% virtual event or a hybrid event integrated into the Centre’s space.

Nina picks the Century City Conference Centre as one of her favoured venues because it is accessible (being 10 km outside of Cape Town and 15 minutes from Cape Town International Airport), affordable and flexible when dealing with client requests. She believes that these three advantages are the ones that will be vital in 2023.

Elegance & efficiency

Lord Charles Hotel And Conference Centre

Corner Main Road (M9) & Broadway Boulevard, R44, Somerset West lordcharleshotel.com

• 9 venues

• Largest venue capacity: 500 pax

• 188 hotel rooms and 10 suites

The four-star Lord Charles is another favourite for Denise, who says, “This venue caters for mediumsize conferences. The staff are very competent and willing to do anything to assist you with planning and execution.”

Situated at the foothills of the Helderberg mountains and a quick 20-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport, the Lord Charles Hotel is set on 22 acres of idyllic landscaping. The refurbished hotel is beautifully and elegantly decorated. Guests can enjoy traditional luxury in their newly upgraded rooms, not to mention its resort-style amenities: tennis courts, swimming pools, spa, hair salon, and a revitalised feature dam.

Three dining options are available, all offering mouth-watering cuisine thanks to executive chef Yusuf Abrajee, who has over 25 years’ experience in the industry.

The fully equipped venues include eight meeting rooms and the Grand Ball Room.

The Lord Charles also offers complimentary Wi-Fi and on-site parking with 24-hour manned security, as well as easy access to white sand beaches, world-renowned golf courses, wine tasting at local farms and retail therapy.

Perfectly picturesque

OUBAAI HOTEL GOLF & SPA

406 Herolds Bay Road, George www.oubaaihotels.com

• 7 venues

• Largest venue capacity: 300 pax

• 100 hotel rooms and suites

Oubaai Hotel, Golf & Spa is a popular business and conference hotel in Herold’s Bay, seven minutes’ drive from George Airport. It’s the top pick for Kim Roberts, director of Mise-en-place Solutions, who says, “The Oubaai Hotel is an exquisite property located along the picturesque Garden Route. The staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating, where the team went out of their way to make sure that our conference and stay were comfortable and enjoyable.

“The hotel itself is beautifully designed and well maintained, with spacious rooms and modern amenities. The location is also fantastic, with stunning views of the surrounding area and easy access to a variety of outdoor activities. The hotel has a morning walk to the whale lookout point that many of the attendees joined one morning.”

Kim adds that the conference facilities were ideal for the business conference she had there, with backup power for load-shedding and great outside spaces to network.

“Additionally, the hotel’s location on the doorstep of the town of George provides a great setting for team-building activities (our group went e-biking, attended a coffee and chocolate educational tour, as well as birding on the Touws River) and not to forget about the number of gorgeous beaches and golf courses,” she adds.

It’s worth mentioning the hotel has a prestigious Ernie Els 18-hole golf course and Freesia Spa for some pampering.

Kim Roberts, director of Mise-en-place Solutions