The Southern Sun hotel group has bought the Garden Court brand from the Intercontinental Hotels group, MD Helder Pereira announced in Johannesburg on Thursday.
This forms part of the group’s new brand strategy, which will see the development of three main sectors — deluxe, premier and economy.
Transformation of Garden Court hotels to include the Southern Sun brand should take about two years.
”It is not just a matter of sticking up a new logo,” Pereira said.
The Garden Court hotels, which will fall under the economy sector, will include services such as high-speed internet access and faster check-in times.
Pereira said the economy sector will include the launch of the Sun Square hotel, aimed at ”yuppies” and featuring contemporary room design.
The upper end deluxe sectors will accommodate the traveller with a taste for ”the unusually luxurious”.
These include the Pezula and Sante Winelands resorts.
Pereira said the brand realignment will allow the group to expand further beyond the country’s borders. — Sapa