By Lee-Anne Butler

After months of preparations, the official grand opening of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth was almost ruined when a burst water valve flooded two corridors and the administration block of the five-star hotel at the weekend.

Guests were asked to leave the hotel for several hours on Saturday morning while specialists and the fire department inspected the scene.

Water and electricity at the hotel was switched off.

The valve, which burst on the 11th floor, damaged the carpeting of the administration area. There was no other damage to rooms or ceilings.

Sales and marketing director Celeste Jacobs said the flood had no major effect on opening celebrations.

She said the valve burst at about 10.30am. The hotel immediately evacuated guests.

“We have fixed the problem. Everything is safe,” she said.

Jacobs said the hotel’s fire hydrants had been triggered.

“Luckily the water went down the lift shafts, so there was no damage to our rooms.

“We only had to deal with one or two corridors and our administration block.”

No computers or equipment were damaged.

Guests were taken to lunch at the Marine Hotel. Some went to the beach for the day.

Radio personality Buli G, a VIP guest for the opening, said she had only heard on Saturday evening that there had been a brief flood.

“The hotel had arranged for all the VIP guests to go for a game drive and lunch at Pumba Game Reserve, so we were not at all affected.

“Judging from what I saw when we returned, there was no crisis,” she added.

Source: The Herald