By Brian Hayward

Nelson Mandela Bay‘s new landmark, the Radisson Blu in Summerstrand, is a hive of activity as workers toil through the night to add the finishing touches to what is billed as the city‘s first five-star international hotel.

With about two weeks to go before the glitzy hotel opens its doors to the public in what is known in the industry as a “soft opening” preceding the official launch by about three months, employees have started working around the clock to ensure there are no hitches.

This week Radisson group directors from Germany and Dubai were in the city for one final inspection of the hotel to make sure it was up to international standards.

“I feel excited and vindicated,” said Auspex Property chief executive Ben Nyaumwe, the man at the helm of the project. “ It‘s extremely exciting and I can‘t wait for the public to come and see it for themselves.”

Of the numerous highlights of seeing his “baby” come to fruition, a project many nay-sayers predicted would fail to get off the ground, Nyaumwe said the ground-breaking ceremony was hugely symbolic, while even the mock-up of the hotel in the project‘s early days had been enthralling.

“There have been many highlights,” he said. “But we have brought the biggest and the best hotel group to the city and I can‘t wait for the big official opening. That will be the cherry on the top for me.”

The 18-storey, 175-room hotel will use the soft opening period to iron out any problems while workers add the finishing touches to some of the unopened themed suites, as well as the three plush presidential suites which will take up the top three floors of the hotel and have panoramic views of the Bay.

This week the R5-million state-of- the-art kitchen began a dry run of its menu, catering to the German directors as well as other contractors involved with the construction.

A “test night” is also planned to take place ahead of the soft opening. It will see hotel contractors along with their friends and family accommodated for the night and encouraged to put the staff to the test by doing the unexpected, “like ordering hairdryers at 2am” said Radisson Blu spokesman, Michelle Campbell.

“People thought we were crazy to bring an international brand like Radisson to the Bay.” Campbell said the hotel was already fully booked for the 2010 World Cup.

“Most of our staff are ready and trained. There are 175 staff. Radisson requirements state there must be one staff member per room,” she said.

With the first dinner served at the hotel‘s Italian Filini restaurant earlier this week, Campbell said the hotel‘s bar, restaurant, spa and gym would also be open to the public.

She said the hotel offered several firsts for the city, including modern bathroom pods for each suite which had been manufactured by a German company in Johannesburg, fully assembled, trucked to the Bay and finally hoisted into place by a crane.

Another was the spa which included a soundproof flotation chamber where guests could float in salt water in a pitch-dark, soundless room.

Source: The Herald