IHG Hotels & Resorts is heading south next year with one of its best-known luxury brands.
IHG plans to open InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town in 2025 after renovating the existing Table Bay Hotel. The property, which the late South African president Nelson Mandela inaugurated in 1997, is along the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront with views of the harbor, the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain.
The plan is to reopen the hotel with InterContinental branding at the end of next year after the property undergoes a multimillion-dollar face-lift. Hotel owner Sun International will continue its involvement and manage the property after the renovation is completed.
“This marks a significant chapter for us in the African market,” Haitham Mattar, IHG’s managing director of India, the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to bring one of Cape Town’s beloved properties under the InterContinental brand as the first in the city. With its rich history, scenic location, and a legacy of excellence, this iconic property perfectly embodies the essence of the InterContinental brand, and we are excited to work with V&A Waterfront and Sun International on maintaining its legacy.”
InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town will join IHG One Rewards as part of the brand integration. The renovation will result in 306 rooms, including 45 suites. The refurbishment will include upgrades to the hotel’s pool bar and terrace, spa, restaurants and reception area. There will also be an InterContinental executive club floor and lounge.
“For almost 30 years, we have been the proud owner and operator of The Table Bay Hotel,” Sun International CEO Anthony Leeming said in a statement. “We have successfully positioned the hotel as one of the most iconic, award-winning hotels in Cape Town. We have hosted dignitaries, heads of state, celebrities and families who have returned year after year because they loved the experience.”
“We are extremely excited to be part of this incredible hotel’s transformative journey to becoming an InterContinental hotel, in what is undeniably one of the best hotel addresses in the world!” Leeming continued.
The InterContinental announcement comes amid a flurry of big hotel brands pushing into Africa in the last year.
Mere minutes from the future InterContinental, Accor’s Fairmont luxury brand now manages the Cape Grace, a newly renovated hotel on the Cape Town waterfront. Earlier this week, Park Hyatt Marrakech officially opened amid an expansion of the Park Hyatt brand across the continent, which is also expected to see Park Hyatt Johannesburg open next year. JW Marriott Masai Mara now gives Marriott Bonvoy members a luxury safari option in Africa. Of course, don’t forget about Hyatt’s Mr & Mrs Smith partnership; it includes many options across northern and southern Africa, as well as Tanzania.
Long story short: If you’re holding onto points in hopes of taking your dream luxury vacation to Africa, now is the time to start cashing in.
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