December 2015: Constantly innovating; constantly listening to what guests want and providing for those wants. That is the Protea Hotels philosophy and, in keeping with this spirit, the African hotel brand, which is a proud member of Marriott International, the leading global hotel group, recently completed a significant refreshing of its popular Protea Hotel Sea Point in Cape Town.
“We are focused on keeping the Protea Hotels properties fresh and in line with our brand standards and our guests evolving needs,” says Mark Satterfield, Chief Operating Office, Marriott International, Middle East & Africa and Business Leader of Protea Hotels. “With this refurbishment, we’ve continued the beach house theme, something that’s particularly appropriate for the hotel because of its location just one block from the Sea Point beachfront and promenade and owing to its popularity as a hotel for those out to enjoy a relaxing holiday.”
“As regards to listening to what our guests want,” Satterfield continues, “guest feedback is incredibly important as it’s the true yardstick as to whether we are delivering on our guests’ expectations. Guest expectations are constantly evolving and this is especially true with the millennial segment. This segment expects proactive service, seamless connectivity to feed their ‘always on’ mentality, and they tend to look for multi-purpose spaces in a hotel – to suit their multi-tasking behavior of being connected whilst working, socializing or enjoying some downtime. As a result public areas have been adapted to be more flexible for a variety of uses. In fact, we are pushing the boundaries of what in the past made up the typical spaces in a hotel: a dedicated dining-room for meals only, a reception area for check-in and check-out only, and so on. These sorts of spaces are becoming far more versatile as regards their use, so that some people may be in the restaurant area to have a meal, while others may be there to enjoy a drink while catching up on emails and social media.”
The refurbishment process has seen a focus on two particular areas of the property: the swimming pool deck and the suites. With the refurbished swimming pool and the new decking, this area is geared for wonderful relaxation in the warmth of the African sun.
“We’ve had a good look at how to maximize the best elements of the location of the hotel,” Satterfield explains. “So, for example, with the design of our new suites, we’ve exploited the incredible views from the hotel – views of both Table Mountain and Lions Head, as well as the sea.”
The suites offer a separate lounge and bedroom, geared to cater for those who enjoy the luxury of additional space and the privacy of their own home away from home. “We are expecting a busy end-of-year season this December-January, so the new-look hotel is bound to be warmly received from our guests from all over the world,” Satterfield concludes.
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