DURBAN-based hotel marketing and management company, Three Cities, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Since it's inception in 1988 the group has grown from three city-based hotels to 32 diverse properties ranging from five star city hotels to luxury boutique hotels, exclusive game lodges and family oriented resort hotels. The hotels are based in strategic locations throughout South Africa, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and Botswana. The group's recent highlights included the opening of three five-star private game lodges in the Kruger National Park last year (Imbali, Hoyo Hoyo and Hamilton's) in addition to the new Golden Horse Casino Hotel in Pietermaritzburg and Ballito Manor on the KwaZulu Natal north coast. Three Cities managing director, Alan Vels, explains what lies ahead for the group in 2003: "From a service perspective, the group will introduce an online central reservations system, corporate loyalty card and central billing facilities for our bigger suppliers" "On product, we will be opening new hotels in Mauritius, and on the Garden Route, as well as pursuing two new properties in the game lodge division and two new properties in the city hotel division." From a staffing perspective, Three Cities has 42 new shareholders - members of management including top managers, chefs, and human resources personnel who now own 33% of the company. In line with the strategic vision of the company, 2003 will see the addition of an empowerment group becoming shareholders in the company. (Adele Mackenzie)
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