Africa gateway
Budget hotel begins Africa roll-out in SA
25 March 2013 London-based investment holding company Lonrho and British entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou's investment business, the easyGroup, have joined forces to open their first African budget hotel in Johannesburg. Located on De Korte Street in Braamfontein - part of Johannesburg's central business district - the easyHotel by Lonrho follows the easyGroup's low-cost business model to allow access to a higher number of people. "South Africa is indisputably the largest entry point to the continent, with Johannesburg as the primary international gateway to the African hub," the organisations said in a joint statement last week. "The country also remains very popular with the US, UK and German markets for both leisure and business travel, while over the last five years, arrivals from China and India have increased year-on-year." Its location in the central business district was selected to ensure hotel guests have easy access to transport hubs such as the high-speed Gautrain, which connects Johannesburg's central business district with OR Tambo international airport, Rosebank, Sandton and Pretoria. "EasyHotel is all about simple comfort and great value, so I'm delighted to open our first African hotel in Johannesburg," said easyGroup chairperson, Sir Stelios Haji- Ioannou. "The city has a wealth of attractions for leisure and business visitors and this new easyHotel will allow them to enjoy the best of Johannesburg." The opening of the new hotel heralds the roll-out of easyHotels by Lonrho throughout the rest of Africa to meet growing demand, according to Lonrho chief executive, Geoffrey White. "This will be the first of many hotels specifically designed to provide an international standard hotel room at a budget price starting from US$31 (R290) per room per night," he said. Lonrho signed a long-term lease with property-owners South Point to acquire the property and adopt the existing Hotel Lamunu into its global network. "Opening its first 'easyHotel by Lonrho' at the heart of Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa, demonstrates Lonrho Hotels' corporate objective of operating hotels in Africa's high demand, high growth destinations," the organisations said. SAinfo reporter
Johannesburg, the economic hub of South Africa (Photo: Walter Knirr, City of Johannesburg)
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