With more than 20 hotels in the Sandton area alone, how did the Park Inn by Radisson, a mid-market hotel brand, hope to stand out?
That was on my mind as my husband, Agmat, and I stepped into our hotel room. The Park Inn in Sandton has the usual facilities we’ve come to expect… restaurant and bar, gym, swimming pool, conference facilities, secure parking, etc.
In the room, we spotted a difference – our names and a welcoming message were displayed on the flat-screen TV. A nice personal touch, emblematic of the hotel’s thoughtful service.
The decor suited Agmat’s practical and spartan taste – masculine tones of black, grey, brown and white, with a photograph of the Nelson Mandela Bridge the only art.
A wall panel separated the bedroom area from the toilet and shower, which has a rain shower-head.
It had the usual mod cons for a business hotel – kettle with sachets of tea and coffee, hairdryer, satellite TV and internet service – but it was the interactive entertainment system that fascinated us.
For a price, you can access Pay TV or video-on-demand which has movies in five different languages – Italian, French, Dutch, English and German. And, for your convenience, the hotel’s brochure, information and other guest services have been programmed into the system.
For instance, you can programme a wake-up call on your TV, which is followed up by a call from reception. You can also view your bill in your room, as well as receive messages which are automatically displayed on the TV screen.
“It saves paper and time,” said front office manager Reinard Korf.
He and revenue and reservations manager Eddie Venter then took us on a quick tour, saying that the hotel was built from the ground up in just one year and opened its doors in July.
During the World Cup, it did not take long for the hotel to be fully booked. Venter said they had been privileged to house the Spanish support club. Since then, the hotel has attracted a varied international market, mainly Asians, Indians and Russians.
As a “business-designed” hotel, Korf said, clients consisted of up-coming, self-made people who wanted good rates and convenient amenities.
The hotel is close to shopping venues Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square and Village Walk Cultural Market and business facilities such as the JSE. A free shuttle service is also offered to the Gautrain station.
Park Inn by Radisson houses 273 spacious rooms, which includes six junior suites as well as rooms for disabled guests. The third floor, said Korf, has the smoking rooms.
Across the hotel is another building which accommodates the hotel’s conference rooms. They can be opened up to host 160 people for functions, or can be used for more intimate meetings. The second floor has four boardrooms, equipped with wireless internet access and the latest audiovisual equipment.
The hotel’s ground floor public areas have a modern, yet understated funky design – high ceilings, gleaming tiles, minimalist furniture and wide open spaces leading to the lounging area, bar and restaurant. The pared down, contemporary design is livened up with the subtle use of four colours, red, yellow, green and blue, which are part of the brand’s “Adding Colour to Life” approach.
Venter said they’ve even concocted a signature martini cocktail layered with the four colours, which are served on Fridays, barbecue night, which is popular with local business people.
I asked Korf what made Park Inn by Radisson different to the other hotels in the area. “In the old days,” he said, “having facilities like pools and gyms would attract guests. Most hotels have that and we’ve also taken care of that. But what we’d like to offer is our competitive rates, our service, and our ‘Yes I Can’ spirit.”
The “Yes I Can” service philosophy was introduced by the Rezidor Hotel Group in 1995. This spirit, said Korf, was what they believed would hold them in good stead and hopefully set them apart from their competitors.
By training their staff to embrace this spirit of service, it laid the foundation of delivering a more memorable experience for their guests, Korf said.
Loyalty of staff was encouraged by empowering them and grooming them to grow professionally within the hotel, said Korf, adding that “96 percent of the general managers have grown within the company. They believe strongly in internal promotion and staffers are sent to the Rezidor business school”.
With the tour finished, Agmat and I sat down to enjoy our dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, the Red Bar Grill.
We tucked into our seafood starters of tiger prawns with garlic butter and lemon, and blackened calamari salad with coriander, lime and avocado. Our mains consisted of grilled kingklip with rice and perfectly grilled peri peri prawns and steamed veggies. The meal was finished off with delicious desserts of brownies and ice-cream, and meringue with strawberries and cream.
The service was impeccable, with the chef making the rounds to ensure that his guests were enjoying their meals.
Over a cup of coffee, I was curious to hear Agmat’s opinion of the hotel, as he travels for business.
“I like it,” he replied. “It doesn’t pretend to be anything other that what it is, a simple and practical hotel.
“It caters for a businessman who’s looking for more than just a standard room. You want internet access and, if you’re keen to set up a meeting, you can book a room at the conference centre.”
NIGHTLY RATES
Standard Room: R1 250
Standard Room B&B: R1 380
Business Friendly Room, with breakfast: R1 500
Junior Suite with breakfast: R2 800
contact
See www.parkinn.com
Tel: 011 303 1000
E-mail: [email protected] - The Star