City Lodge Hotel Group’s (CLHG’s) new Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City, in Midrand, which opened on March 1, offers a full dining experience, a move away from a breakfast-only offering.

This represents the vision for the group moving forward.

Moreover, the hotel encompasses a new design concept in terms of its interior design, with South African themes and contexts throughout.

The hotel has nine floors, compared with the usual two-to-three floor standard Courtyard Hotel brand.

The four-star hotel is located opposite the Mall of Africa and is in close proximity to the Sandton and Midrand central business districts, major highways and convention centres, and the Netcare Waterfall City Hospital.

This is the sixty-third hotel in CLHG’s portfolio, the fifty-sixth in South Africa and the fifth in the Courtyard Hotel brand.

The total development cost of the property was about R280-million.

Owing to Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City being a land and building lease, the group’s cost only entailed the operating equipment and fit-out, which was about R80-million of the total development cost; with landlord Attacq bearing the rest of the cost.

The hotel has 164 rooms and four penthouse suites, but only 84 rooms and the penthouse suites are available presently, with the remaining 80 rooms to be opened on a demand basis.

There is also scope to expand the hotel by an additional 50 rooms or a separate wing, which was planned in the original design.

Complementary WiFi is offered throughout the facility, while the hotel also offers free, secure underground parking; same-day laundry and dry-cleaning; photocopy services; and 24-hour security.

Speaking to Engineering News during a media tour of the hotel on October 27, Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City GM Brendan Luttig said the pandemic had highlighted a growing preference for contactless offerings moving forward.

The hotel accommodates this through contactless check-ins, QR codes for restaurant menus (normal menus are also available according to preference); card machines with tap-functions; and an app for guests to open their rooms doors, as well as control the aircons and televisions.

Further Covid-19 measures include screenings at the entrance, physical distancing, the wearing of masks and the sanitising of rooms and devices after each guest.

The hotel offers three event areas, which cater for conference and banqueting of 40 people each, or a combined 120 people – with these numbers reduced to half at present, to adhere to Covid-19 protocols.

There is also a boardroom that hosts six people (three at present for Covid-19 protocols).

Luttig also emphasised the importance of sustainability to the group, with the property designed with environment-friendly practices, evidenced by its receipt of a Green 4-star Custom Design certified rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa in February.

This acknowledges the hotel’s efficient water and electrical designs to conserve these resources, energy efficient lights and appliances, intelligent light management systems and building monitoring systems.

Moreover, there is an automated mechanism for monitoring water consumption data, which also includes a leak detection system.

The hotel also offers the new Skin Renewal Waterfall Aesthetic Clinic; with food and beverage provided from the Protea Restaurant at the hotel; and the Clinic’s treatment menu added to the hotel’s QR code.

The hotel has been designed with business travellers in mind during the week and leisure guests over the weekend, or a “bleisure guest”. It is also open to day visitors.

DINING OFFERING

Luttig said that Covid-19 pushed the group to improve and that it was aiming to be known for its quality, full food offering, rather than only comfortable rooms and breakfast-only offerings.

As such, the hotel has two restaurants, the Protea, on the ground floor and The Highline on the ninth floor. There is also a Club Lounge on the ground floor.

The Protea serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from a contemporary menu that follows the seasons.

Executive chef Keegan Maistry said the restaurant aims to accommodate Muslim, kosher and vegetarian guests, with Halaal food and separate preparation areas to prevent cross contamination.

The Highline, meanwhile, specialises in gourmet light meals for lunch and dinner; and, owing to its location, allows a view of the sunset against the Johannesburg skyline.

DESIGN

Luttig said the group conducted extensive research internationally, as well as locally, for the design concept of this flagship hotel.

Oniro Studios owner Louise Nogueira Dracopoulos was brought on board to realise the group’s interior design vision of showcasing South African local themes, as well as encompassing the new trend in hospitably of catering to personal experience.

Speaking during the tour, she said the hotel’s interior provides a richness of layers, colours and textures, but also provides a functional space.

In this vein, downstairs areas are airy and light for guests to work and be active during the day and this transitions to more soothing spaces in the rooms to allow guests to relax.

Dracopoulos said each area of the hotel has its own narrative, which showcases local themes. For example, the Protea restaurant has the flower interspersed throughout the interior; while the Club Lounge has a layering of different greens to represent the city’s man-made forest.

The hotel also has an Art Deco feel, to ensure that its look stays relevant in the future, Dracopoulos noted.

LYT Architects designed the building.