As City Lodge Hotels celebrates its fortieth anniversary, the group has grown to now operating 58 hotels with 7 374 rooms under four brands – Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel, Town Lodge, and Road Lodge – catering to business and leisure travellers across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique.

First established in 1985, City Lodge operated as the first “select services” hotel group in the country, starting with City Lodge Hotel Randburg – now Bryanston.

In recent years, the group says it has responded to changing travel needs, particularly during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, by establishing eat-in restaurants offering à la carte lunch and dinner menus to all Town Lodges and Road Lodges, adding to the already popular #Café restaurants at the City Lodge Hotel branded properties and Club Lounge in the Courtyard Hotels.

“That was a big shift for us, expanding our food and beverage offering and it worked. Throughout the past four decades, we have kept evolving while staying true to our core principles,” says CEO Andrew Widegger.

He adds that the strength of the group lies in its clear, consistent focus.

“The select services model was perfect for the time. Business travellers didn’t need silver service – they needed a great bed, a proper desk, decent lighting and plug points, and a good breakfast. That became our signature.

“We’ve never lost sight of what people actually value in a hotel stay, and what they’re prepared to pay for.

“The idea of only paying for what you use struck a chord with South African travellers, and the model remains relevant to this day. We entered a market crowded with luxury hotels, and this was a fresh alternative – practical, efficient, and friendly. That’s what set us apart.”

Looking ahead, Widegger says the group is focused on growth, innovation and long-term impact.

“Celebrating 40 years of welcoming guests was a proud and deeply personal moment. I’ve been part of this journey for 32 years and watching the company grow from a small portfolio into a multi-brand group with national and international reach has been remarkable. We have weathered multiple economic cycles, adapted to disruption, and emerged from Covid-19 as a more agile, future-ready business.”

“City Lodge Hotels has always been about people caring for people. That ethos remains our anchor, not as a relic of the past but as a living principle that drives us to keep adapting, performing, and delivering meaningful, people-centred hospitality to every guest we welcome,” he says.

“As we look ahead, we do so from a position of strength. We are more agile, more integrated, and more intentional in creating value.

“The world around us may be uncertain, but our purpose is clear, and our strategy is built for resilience. I am confident that the foundation we have laid over the past 40 years, and the direction we have set for the years to come, will continue to serve our guests, our people, our business, and our stakeholders well,” adds chairperson Bulelani Ngcuka.