The replacement of the flamboyant pink exterior for a more subtle greyish colour could possibly be one of the most noticeable changes of the R200 million and 12-month-long facelift.
The spotlight will be on the new Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff after the property was closed in June last year with no prior notice, and was sold to new foreign investors, Albwardy Investment from Dubai and Sigapore-based Hotels Properties Limited, for an undisclosed amount.
“This is a really exciting time in Joburg – you can feel the energy and excitement,” said the hotel’s new general manager Sebastien Carre, “Even if you think you know the city, it’s changing so fast that it’s definitely worth another visit.”
At the official the press announcement of the re-opening of the hotel at Circa on Jellicoe on 19 June, it became very clear that the re-invention of Johannesburg as a city was the biggest selling point of the hotel’s location.
“Johannesburg is one of the cities where we feel that the perception the world has and the reality of actually visiting, are two different things,” boasted Carre.
“The urban revival of the city makes it appealing to visit and the new art scene in the Johannesburg CBD has definitely played a great part in the new era of the legacy of the new hotel.”
He added that the city’s renaissance was being led by a new generation of artists, designers and creative thinkers. “We want to be part of the story of Johannesburg and the transformation that the city is going through,” he concluded.
