Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun Maputo has re-opened after a four-month hiatus during which the hotel went through a $30-million expansion and makeover.
Renovations to the hotel include the addition of 111 rooms and conference facilities, the refurbishment of the existing 158 rooms and public areas, and an expansion of the restaurant, lobby, and back-of-house facilities. Mediterranean influences from Mozambique’s rich history have been incorporated into every aspect of the hotel’s new design, including carpets, fabrics and furnishing detail.
“The lounge and bar area now features a wooden deck that extends to the beach, as well as the restaurant,” says Richard Weilers, COO of Tsogo Sun hotels. “A special residents’ lounge with key card entry has also been created, overlooking a several hundred year old fig tree in the gardens that has been decorated with chandeliers to offer an inspiring ambience – as well as a special place to relax.”
The restaurant, Evolve, is designed to provide a completely different look and feel from day-time to night-time. Offering a view over the Bay of Maputo, clever lighting application transforms the atmosphere of the restaurant from a cool, fresh feel with a touch of blue at breakfast, to a warm, romantic and intimate venue with a touch of red, at night.
The hotel expansion also included the addition of a new 120-seat conference centre, two new meeting rooms and a brand new business centre.
In addition, the investment by Tsogo Sun included importing a special beach cleaning machine from the United States, which cleans the beach every day, ensuring that it is pristine for hotel guests at all times. “We’re not just taking ownership of the hotel, but of the beach as well, which we believe falls under our care,” says Weilers. “We obtained authorisation from the municipal authorities, who were very supportive of our environmentally-aware efforts.”