Design, building sector ripe for a pivot

It's one thing to be a desirable city for tourists and charge premium hotel room prices, but the execution of the experience must match

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It is no secret that tourism underpins a significant portion of Cape Town's economy. This demand continues to drive the hospitality sector, evident in the steady pipeline of hotel developments across the city, alongside the much-debated explosion of Airbnb short-term rentals.

The rapid growth of Airbnb within the tourism sector demonstrates the agility of the short-stay market in outpacing the formal hotel sector in responding to market demand.

Some of the more notable and iconic hospitality developments are the upcoming 500-room Marriott Hotel Harbour Arch in the Foreshore precinct.

The skyline is further evolving with One on Bree, which is under construction and set to become Cape Town's second-tallest skyscraper with 505 hotel rooms. In Green Point, the R2 billion The Granger development, adjacent to the DHL Stadium, will include a 190-room hotel.

The luxurious R1.5bn Marriott Edition Hotel, Quay 7, is under construction at the V&A Waterfront and is set to be yet another landmark on the Cape Town hospitality scene.

With so many exciting new builds and an influx of new keys hitting the market, my mind can't help but ask: How is South Africa's hospitality development sector keeping up with these international design standards? Is our building industry ready to respond to the rise of high-end development work in both the hospitality and residential sectors?

It's one thing to be a desirable city for tourists and charge premium hotel room prices but the execution of the hospitality experience must match. With all the luxury international hotel brands flooding in and the influx of international visitors, the expectation for a world-class hospitality experience will increase, too.

When contemplating the above, I decided to contact Johanna van der Merwe from TSL Group which consists of three interlinked design-driven businesses.