HOTEL REVIEW
Cape Town’s Newmark Hotels has opened its third property on the V&A Waterfront, with interiors by Francois du Plessis.
Queen Victoria Hotel Cape Town
Words: Matt Morley Photography: Courtesy of Queen Victoria Cape Town A
fter a flurry of pre-World Cup openings, Cape Town’s hotel scene took a well-deserved rest in late 2010 to 2011 while
the city’s key European source markets began their descent into financial chaos. It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Neil
Markovitz, Managing Director of Cape Town’s Newmark Hotels group either. Having negotiated a long, drawn-out deal with the previous owners Dubai World, he finally opened the Queen Victoria, his third property in the V&A Waterfront, Africa’s most popular tourist destination, in April 2011, well behind schedule. “It took longer to negotiate this deal
than it did to build it! We began discussions before the World Cup but only opened last year. It’s actually taken that long for the positive impact of the tournament to kick-
in though, our hotels are just starting to see the real benefits in occupancy rates.” This modest, grey converted office block
containing 35 rooms and a presidential suite doesn’t look like much from outside, nor does it have a spa, pool or gym to talk of. But it’s easy to underestimate the Queen Victoria. Neil Markovitz and his team are making
a long-term investment in the Portswood neighborhood, located on an embankment above the V&A Waterfront. He currently has the perennially popular four-star Victoria & Alfred Hotel and the colonial Dockhouse in the vicinity; the former acting as the portfolio’s cash cow while the latter allows him to tap into the lucrative if seasonal five-star luxury market. So how does the ‘Queen Vic’ fit in?
“Here we’ve gone after the FIT (Foreign Independent Tour) traveller,” says
072 JULY / AUGUST 2012
WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM
THIS PAGE: Guestrooms feature plush velvets and siks from Tessa Soink, Hertex, St Leger & Viney and Mavromac OPPOSITE PAGE: A spiral staircase in white Corian with Volakas marble steps was designed to resemble a sun-bleached seashell
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156