The opening later this year of a budget hotel in the Joburg CBD is a vote of confidence for the city.
Lonrho and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s easyHotel Group will open the hotel in November in the former Stuttafords department store building in Rissik Street. The 120-bedroom hotel will occupy three floors of the building.
The easyHotel.com Rissik Street is the first hotel under the exclusive 20-year master franchise agreement (MFA) between Lonrho and easyHotel.com, with both parties committed to establishing an easyHotel network across Africa. The MFA provides Lonrho with the exclusive rights to the easyHotel.com brand in Africa and sets out an agreed opening schedule for 50 properties by 2016.
easyHotel will be the first trans-continental hotel brand in Africa specifically designed to be accessible to many, rather than just the select few. easyHotel’s low-cost business model permits the customer to enjoy an international standard bedroom at a competitive price. The “easy” brand is one of the world’s most recognised value-for-money brands, and easyHotel.com Rissik Street will be built and operated to the easyGroup’s international standards, providing clean, safe hotel accommodation for people travelling on business, leisure or visiting friends and family.
easyHotel.com Rissik Street is the latest addition to the Lonrho Hotels portfolio, joining the Hotel Cardoso in Maputo, Leopard Rock in Zimbabwe, the Grand Karavia in Lubumbashi, and the Grand Kinshasa. But Lonrho’s arrival in the South African market is significant for the location of the property and the fact that it comes at the budget end of the market.
Gautrain, the high-speed direct rail connecting OR Tambo International Airport with Sandton, Pretoria, Rosebank and the Johannesburg CBD, will connect Rissik Street directly with the airport, making easyHotel Rissik Street ideally placed to service a new market of hotel consumers wanting convenient, affordable, quality accommodation in Johannesburg.
Said Ewan Cameron, CEO of Lonrho Hotels: “We are pleased to be bringing one of the world’s leading consumer brands to the South African hotel market. After securing such a landmark property, Lonrho Hotels looks forward to making South Africans and visitors happy, offering branded, comfortable and affordable accommodation in the heart of Johannesburg’s CBD.”
Added David Lenigas, Lonrho’s executive chairman: “This new project between Sir Stelios and Lonrho starts the roll-out of easyHotels.com throughout Africa. easyHotel.com Rissik Street will be the first of many hotels designed to provide a first world experience at a budget price starting from $29 (R220) per room per night. The easyHotel.com room offering will fill a much-needed gap across the continent for a quality budget hotel. Lonrho is already a significant name across Africa. We believe the Lonrho easyHotel.com chain will satisfy the growing demand from consumers across Africa.” - Saturday Star