April 2012

Dubai, UAE, April 2012 - Southern Sun Middle East announces the opening of a brand new property in Abu Dhabi, expected to build on the African hospitality group’s well-established reputation within the Emirates as well as the African continent. Set to open its doors in mid-2013, the 350 room, four-star hotel occupies a prime location in the business district of Abu Dhabi and will be targeted towards both business and leisure travellers with comfortable and high-quality facilities including restaurants, a reflection pond on the 4th floor where traditional Middle Eastern cuisine and shisha will be served, and a roof top gym and pool deck overlooking the city skyline. Five years after opening their doors, Southern Sun’s two flagship properties in Downtown Dubai, Southern Sun Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels, continue to cement their position in the competitive Dubai hospitality scene. Both properties began the new year by receiving the highly sought-after distinction of being guest-voted among TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice 2012 Top 25 Ranking for the Middle East. Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels’ service-focused approach, discounts on early bookings and a range of value-added services such as free shuttle bus services to the city’s leading shopping destinations offer guests value in the form of savings and convenience. In addition, their highly desirable location, just a few minutes away from landmark attractions such as the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain is a further bonus to travellers. Both Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels have successfully positioned themselves as deluxe four-star properties, continuing to impress in their category both operationally and aesthetically. The two properties’ exceptional success has been largely credited to its talented staff members who have received numerous awards and commendations including taking home the inaugural Hotel Team of the Year Award for Al Manzil Hotel at the 2010 Hotelier Middle East Awards. In 2011, both Hotels were represented in the “What’s On Awards” with consumer-driven nominations for The Courtyard Restaurant (Best Middle Eastern Food), Boulevard Café (Best Café), Nezesaussi Grill (Best Pub Grub) and Esca Restaurant (Best Italian Food) respectively. Al Manzil Hotel’s ever-popular Nezesaussi Grill was highly commended’ in the Best Bar Food Category at the Time Out Awards 2011. Founded in 1969, Southern Sun Hotels has over 40 years of experience in providing great hospitality to its guests. Offering an extensive portfolio of hotels in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Mozambique, Southern Sun Hotels has emerged as the leading hotel group in Africa and, after six years, looks set to also leave its distinctive footprint in the Middle East, with plans for further expansion in the region. The group also continues to expand in its home region. Southern Sun’s first two-star property StayEasy Lusaka in Zambia opened in November 2011 and is trading exceptionally well in the market. “We are very excited to grow this 2-star brand in Africa as it is perfectly poised to suit the economy-conscious traveller in key African destinations,” added Weilers.