On 1 August, one of Cape Town’s top luxury hotels, the Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays celebrated its 5th birthday.

Cape Town’s first international five star hotel opened its doors on the 1 August 2003. The hotel was officially opened when a multi-denomination forum performed a blessing and 483 pigeons, to represent the 483 rooms, were released from the glass façade as a symbolic gesture of goodwill, unity, peace and prosperity.

The grand opening event on 28 November 2003 coincided with Nelson Mandela’s first 46664 concert on 29 November 2003, whereby the hotel sponsored and hosted concert performers and bands such as Annie Lennox, Beyoncè, Cat Stevens, The Corrs and Queen, to name a few.

Originally the hotel was called the Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel but was re-launched as The Westin Grand in November 2007.

When the hotel opened it’s doors, it took a vow to make Capetonians proud.

The Westin Grand still keeps to that pledge up until today;

Project Hope was adopted as its corporate charity beneficiary, a charity organization that is committed to the treatment of children with HIV/Aids in a caring, friendly environment, raising an average of R15000 a month for the organization.

The Ball of Hope is also hosted at the hotel every year. In 2008, R188 000 was raised.

Approximately 400 job opportunities were created by the hotel, which has now grown to approximately 600. (Excluding about 100 extra contract workers)

The Arabella Centre of Excellence in conjunction with the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality creates complimentary in-house training opportunities for associates to develop their careers.

In addition to corporate social investments proudly supported by the hotel, The Westin Grand also boasts the following accolades which it received in only five years of existence;

Arabella Spa won the prestigious 2006 Les Nouvelles Esthétiques Award for the best hotel spa in the country and was voted the number 8 hotel spa in the world in the 2006 Conde Nast Traveller Magazine (UK) Readers’ Awards.

The hotel was rated in the top five hotels in the 2006 USA Conde Nast Traveller Awards Readers list of top hotels in Africa, and received the award for South Africa’s Leading Business Hotel in the 2008 World Travel Awards.

2007, The Westin Grand enjoyed its best-ever year on the back of strong business growth, with revenue increasing by 30% over the previous year.

This is attributed to increased visitor numbers, particularly from conferences, incentives and meetings - which grew 130% over 2005 - and a 27% improvement in average room rate.

In celebration of the hotel’s 5th birthday, The Westin Grand is offering a rate of R575 per person sharing per night during the month of August - the same rate that was offered to guests in August 2003.


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