Know your local hotel
MAGALIESSIG – How much would you say you know what's in your neighbourhood? Read to find out about one hotel in the area.
With many hotels in Fourways, not many local community members can say they know their history and how the hotels came about.
Hence, Fourways Review had a sit-down with SunSquare Hotel’s general manager, Kaliq Essop, to discover the hotel’s origins.
“I was a part of the initial team that put this hotel together, as the concept of the hotel was a funky, fresh look that we felt was needed in the market,” Essop said.
“The first SunSquare Hotel was opened in Durban in 2006, however, it was quite a small hotel which generated a younger aged corporate group.”
Essop added that the hotel is seen to attract younger couples to their date night, and on Mondays and Tuesdays, a more corporate market.
“Most of the people who check in during the week are people on the go, either to meetings or work in the mornings.”
Essop further added that Montecasino’s SunSquare Hotel was opened in 2007 and it differs from the other hotel. “In the Montecasino precinct we have hotels such as the Palazzo which caters for the five-star market and SunSquare caters for the three- or four-star market which means that SunSquare is for the more flexible individual,” he said.
Essop added that he believes he has the friendliest staff of whom he is very proud. “I really have a great team behind me.”
When asked which months are the quietest, he indicated June and July, which is mostly due to the winter season. “The busiest month we have is November which is ahead of the festive season.”
SunSquare also has an in-house restaurant called Aarya owned by Chef Deena Naidoo in a joint partnership with SunSquare management.
“Four years ago, Deena won a partnership deal with Tsogo Sun to run the restaurant when he took home the crown in MasterChef South Africa in 2012. The idea was to get Master Chef involved as the winner was to receive the restaurant as the prize.” The hotel gets 50 percent of the profit Aarya makes, and Deena gets the other half.
Naidoo is a proudly South African chef. He draws his menu from diverse South African cuisine while also capitalising on his extensive knowledge of spices. Essop said Naidoo is very passionate about food, and even though he has a day job, he goes to the restaurant in the evenings and weekends.
Essop concluded, “This month saw the entire hotel’s look refurbished as we brought a few new concepts that are fresh and new – 179 of our rooms are refurbished to give guests satisfaction.”
