Retiring hotel genius Sol Kerzner – quite simply, one-of-a-kind

Two decades back, I finally cracked a television interview with South Africa’s then best known businessman, hotelier Sol Kerzner. He insisted it be filmed on the newly created artificial beach at his five star Le Touessrok resort in Mauritius. As flights were irregular, I ended up staying in the hotel for almost a week. The … Read more

Business 101 – an unhappy customer can be a great asset

Hi there, We travelled to Durban this weekend for a blessed occasion – a big birthday which ended with the surprise engagement announcement of a most extraordinary couple. It was quite an event, and took us back to the Beverly Hills Hotel for the first time in some years. Brilliant hotelier Sol Kerzner’s 1964 creation, … Read more

Entrepreneurial hoteliers’ big payday – Protea joins Marriott for R2bn

Hospitality is a notoriously difficult business. The hours are long, profit margins thin and business conditions highly cyclical. Not surprisingly, it tends to breed very shrewd operators – the inimitable Sol Kerzner springing immediately to mind. Far lower profile, but almost as successful are Otto Stehlik, Arthur Gillis and their colleagues at Protea Hotels who, … Read more