The Council’s June 2004 Hotel Study (undertaken by tourism, hospitality and leasure specialists - Grant Thornton), showed that the City would need to bring on-stream a further 600 hotel beds in 3 years and 2 600 hotel beds in 5 years to meet the projected 5% growth in demand over these periods (ie. Approximately 4 and 9 hotels respectively).

This Study identified a number of Council-owned sites for hotel development and the Municipality is accordingly releasing 3 (three) specific opportunities for hotel development in the short term. (In the process of identifying the 3 sites, a fourth site is created which it is intended to sell for General Business purposes.)

The opportunities are:

Hoy Park Sites:
The Hoy Park hotel site, located within the Kings Park Sports and Recreation District, is rated in the top 20 sites, for development of an 80 – 200 roomed tourist/economy hotel.

The Municipality is proceeding with the rezoning of the southern portion of the site for General Business 3 purposes and dispose of two subdivisions of 7 500m2 each, with the eastern site being specifically reserved for the development of an economy/tourism hotel. (The remaining Hoy Park Site is then to be retained and rezoned for recreational purposes.).

Pavilion Site:
The entire 3,1 ha Pavilion Site, together with sections of Snell Parade and the Beach Zone, located within the Beachfront District, has been identified for redevelopment creating opportunities for a low-rise Resort Hotel on the seaward side of a realigned Snell Parade, together with a mix of hotel and residential/apartment opportunities on the remaining property. (The overall improvement of public amenity is obviously a precondition to such redevelopment.)

Whilst detailed investigations are currently being undertaken in the above regard, the Hotel Study rated a site located at the intersection of Old Fort and Playfair Roads in the top 20 for development of a 150 to 250 roomed Tourist/Economy Hotel.

ICC/Exhibition Centre Site:
Both the ICC and Exhibition Centre are vital to the City’s economy, particularly if we are to retain our market share and status as Africa’s preferred conference venue.

However, both Centres (on 5,8ha and 4,7ha respectively) are capable of considerable further development when assessed in terms of the ICC’s Special Zone 57 and surrounding General Business (Central Area) Planning Regulations.

The aforementioned Hotel Study identified the area as one of top 20 locations for a hotel development serving the MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions & exhibitions) and business markets and it is accordingly proposed to rezone the Exhibition Centre Site to accord with the current ICC zoning and dispose of up to 20 000m2 of this ‘spare’ capacity (or permissible floor area) for the purpose of a 220 bed tourist/deluxe (3/4 star) hotel development.

Given the specific physical and operational demands of the ICC/Exhibition Centre, tenders will be given the option of submitting an offer on the bulk, based on two possible locations, rather than on a specific site.

Further, the location of the hotel on the Exhibition Centre site, which ‘activates’ the east-west pedestrian link is preferred and offers on this opportunity will be weighted by a factor of 1,25.
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