OCEANS Umhlanga, the largest private sector investment in development history in KwaZulu-Natal has added another feature to its already burgeoning appeal, the Radisson Blu Hotel. The international hotel group announced that it was coming to uMhlanga at a launch last week.

Businessman Vivian Reddy, who heads the Oceans Umhlanga development company said the hotel is worth R700 million. The 206-room hotel has panoramic views of Durban, and has pushed the worth of the overall development up to R3.8-billlion.

Some of the hotel’s features will include a rooftop bar and terrace, a rim flow pool deck, and Islamic compliant facilities. According to Reddy, the hotel’s banqueting, meeting and events venue will be the biggest outside Durban’s ICC.

Despite the massive investment, many residents have argued that uMhlanga has lost it’s ‘village appeal’.