peexpress.mobi Wednesday, September 5, 2012
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Radisson Blu to stay open TINNEKE GOEDHALS
T
HE doors of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth will remain open although the hotel group to which it belongs, Auspex Hotels and Leisure, face possible liquidation. At a media briefing on Monday, Andrew Mclachlan, the Vice-President Development Africa and Indian Ocean of the Rezidor Hotel Group (which is employed to market and administrate the hotel under ‘the Radisson Blu’ brand) said that they had taken note of the liquidation application brought against Auspex Hotels and Leisure by Absa. “We would, however, like to emphasise that this liquidation matter is a shareholder issue and does not affect the hotel’s day to day operations. The Hotel is profitable and will thus remain open under the Radisson Blu Brand and management.” During the media briefing, Clive van Oudtshoorn, General Operation Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel Port Elizabeth, stressed the fact that business would remain as usual at the hotel. Van Oudtshoorn said he could not comment on any of the questions regarding Auspex Hotels and Leisure and what the worst case scenario would be. He reiterated the fact that, from a Radisson Blu point of view, they had been given the commitment that it would be business as usual. Radisson Blu Hotel currently employs close to 130 staff. With regard to any job losses, Mclachlan said Absa and IDC, two of the main creditors, made it clear that it was very important to them that there would be no jobs lost and they wanted to keep the hotel open and trading as normal. “We are doing better than anybody else in PE, so we are quite confident to say that from a management day-today running point of view we are doing
a good job. I think the threat we have is that a hotel group potentially wants to purchase it, but most hotel groups operate the same way as we do,” said Mclahlan. When Van Oudtshoorn was asked whether trading was going to be tougher when the Boardwalk opened their hotel in December, he said, “On the contrary I think it’s going to improve. We are going to do very well with the spin-off.” Local businessman Phil Gutsche, of GIMCO and Gutsche Investments which is an investor in Radisson Blu Hotel, was also at the press conference representing the unit owners of the hotel. He said that they were still waiting to hear more from the liquidator. “At this stage the liquidator is going through all the proposals and making his assessment. The sectional title owners are concerned, but we have got great confidence in the continued management of the hotel. I had dinner here last night with very important guests and the service was excellent and the food was superb. We need to, from Port Elizabeth’s perspective, ensure the continued success of this hotel and, as I understand it, the liquadators and the main creditors wish to achieve just that,” said Gutsche. Titus Chuene, marketing manager of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, said he was sure that with the hotel group being a big brand, they would survive whatever internal processes they are busy with. “It helps to have brands, because people always feel comfortable using hotels they are familiar with. Also having big brands gives our city credibility,” said Chuene. When the PE Express asked him what does the future hold for hotels in PE, he said,withthenewInternationalConventionCentreopeningsoon,therewouldbe a need for hotels as NMBT would be aggressively bidding for conferences to come to PE. “With the Southern Sun building only a 150-rooms hotel, the spillage will benefit other hotels,” he said.
Getting in the mood for the annual Red Ball are, from left, Wayne Hart and Lauren Mungur (presenters of Algoa FM’s The Fastlane show) and serving them are Cole Cameron from the Igazi Foundation. Photo: TANYA VAN ZYL
Fine music, gourmet food at Red Ball TANYA VAN ZYL IT’S time to let your hair down (or up) and dance the night away at the annual Red Ball this month. Organised by the Igazi Foundation, the “Baroque ’n Roll” Red Ball will be held on September 15 in the Feather Market Centre and is the second ball in a series that is fast becoming the annual Glamour event of PE. National and international guests will be attending the event. South African music legends Gloria Bosman, Tim Moloi, Rocco de Villiers and Julie Hartley will be joining the Eastern Cape Philhar-
monic Orchestra conducted by Graham Scott on stage. The Red Ball will raise funds for Port Elizabeth’s first-ever stem cell unit at the Provincial Hospital, which is not operational due to a moratorium placed on the hiring of staff for this multi-million rand facility. The theme for this year's Ball is “Baroque ’n Roll” and ball-goers can dress in their favourite Baroque outfits, show off their rock ’n roll attire or even combine both! But, said organisers, people do not have to dress according to the theme. “We just want people to have a good time, no matter what they
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