Durban - Tsogo Sun [JSE:TSH] is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group’s very first hotel, the iconic Beverly Hills in Umhlanga, Durban, this month.
Sol Kerzner built the Beverly Hills five decades ago, launching his own prolific journey as a hospitality industry icon.
“For 50 years, the Beverly Hills has created magical memories for countless numbers of guests worldwide who return here time and time again, guests who come back to experience the unique something that sets this hotel apart," said Marcel von Aulock, CEO of Tsogo Sun.
The Beverly Hills is the very first hotel envisioned by Sol Kerzner and was arguably the first of its generation to offer a classic five-star experience which felt like home.”
Today Tsogo Sun has a portfolio of over 90 hotels and 14 entertainment destinations.
At an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary Kerzner, former chair and chief executive officer of Southern Sun Hotels, said The Beverly was the first hotel he designed, built and operated in South Africa.
"The opening of the hotel in December 1964 was an important moment in my career in the hospitality industry. The Beverly was a cornerstone of the Southern Sun Group, which I started in 1969 and which later became Tsogo Sun," said Kerzner.
"It was also South Africa’s first new resort hotel to be awarded five stars and the property set a new standard for hotels in this country and was part of the foundation for the country’s tourism future."