A new five-star hotel and convention centre has opened in Port Elizabeth, the result of a one billion rand ($115.4 million) investment push by Emfuleni Resorts.
The new hotel and convention centre will form part of the Broadwalk Casino and Entertainment World on the city’s beach front, which was opened in 2001 with Emfuleni continuously expanding the complex since then.
Speaking on the opening of the luxury hotel and its joined conference centre, Bongi Siwisa Chairperson of Emfuleni Resorts said: “This is the largest single entertainment and tourism investment in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, and is a vote of confidence in the region.”
The hotel –which opened to guests today – will house 140 luxury sea-facing rooms for visitors, along with an African-inspired spa and health centre. The related convention centre will offer 3,000 square metres of meeting space.
The complex is located 10 minutes away from Port Elizabeth’s international airport, Emufuleni making efforts to capitalise on beach tourists but also passing visitors; with the company claiming the hotel is “among the most accessible in South Africa”.
A number of restaurants are located near to the hotel and convention centre in order to provide a variety of options for guests, with a number of large brands choosing to open establishments in the complex including Spur, Wimpy, Dulces, Leonardos and Squires.
Siwisa claims that not only will the upgraded complex serve to boost tourism in the area, but will also have a number of other economic benefits, most notably the amount of new jobs it has created and will create as the complex increases its visitor number, putting the number of new jobs currently created at 480.
“The intention right from the beginning of the R1-billion upgrade was that Boardwalk be a fully inclusive project, and it has delivered substantial benefits to the Eastern Cape,” Siwisa said, adding that the significant construction project leading up to the opening “has delivered substantial benefits to the Eastern Cape, and created hundreds of jobs during the post-World Cup slump in construction.”
