Three Cities Riverside Hotel & Spa in Durban, South Africa, has been rejuvenated following the start of refurbishment of its public areas and guest rooms in July.
Earlier this year the conference centre was renovated, changing the entrance and basic aesthetics of the venue, including carpeting, lighting and a new coat of paint.
The hotel’s 169 rooms, porte-cochere, 24-hour reception area and lobby entrance, management offices and the passages to the rooms have been redesigned by Virtu’ Designs International.
Mock-up designs of the guest rooms have done away with dark wood in favour of a lighter look. Furniture is loose standing and classic rather than fitted, and provision has been made for laptop users. The bathrooms mock-up includes new tiles, baths, basins, vanities, fittings and fixtures.
Once the designs have been approved by the trustees, the refurbishment will take 11 months to complete. The hotel will close 18 rooms for a six-week period to allow for the work to be done on the rooms. Once complete, those rooms will be put back into circulation and the next 18 will be closed, allowing the hotel to remain in operation throughout this stage of the renovation.
“From a standards perspective, the hotel was beginning to lack because of the greyness in the aesthetics,” said General Manager Jerod Flaum. “The grading criteria had surpassed our ability to modernise, but with the new look and feel, it will surely maintain our 4-star level.”