The owner, developer and operator of a number of hotels, casinos and resorts in South Africa and Botswana, Peermont, was planning to further expand its hotel group, after the completion of two hotels this year and another in 2010.

Peermont chief commercial officer Mark Jakins said on Tuesday that the group was confident and proud of its brand.

"We believe there is a space for this brand in South African society," he commented, adding that there was "huge potential" for a rollout of the Peermont Metcourt hotel brand, to all "key" business and leisure centres across the country.

The group on Tuesday gave journalists a preview of the R170-million Peermont Metcourt hotel at Emperor's Palace, in Johannesburg, and the R73,5-million Peermont Metcourt Rio hotel, in Klerksdrop, which would officially open their doors in March.

Peermont also planned to build another Peermont Metcourt hotel in Richard's Bay in 2010.

The construction of the three-star Peermont Metcourt hotel at Emperor's Palace took 14 months and was designed specifically for businesspeople flying in to the OR Tambo International Airport.

Peermont's deputy-GM for hotels and resort operations at Emperor's Palace Wayne Hill explained that the working spaces in the rooms had been made larger to accommodate businesspeople, while internet connections were available in each room and in all public spaces of the hotel.

The 248-room hotel also featured a business centre, a deli and provided shuttle services to and from the airport.

Construction firm Wilson Bayley Homes Ovcon (WBHO) were the contractors on the project, with CPRO Construction Professionals having undertaken the project management.

Through the development of this project, the accommodation at Emperor's Palace had increased to 674 rooms.

Peermont already operated the D'oreale Grande hotel, the Mondior hotel and the Metcourt Laurel hotel at Emperor's Palace.

Meanwhile, the 70-room Peermont Metcourt Rio hotel was constructed at the existing Rio casino resort in Klerksdorp, where the contractors, Rainbow Construction, also built a new convention centre.

GM for the Rio hotel and casino resort Johan Raubenheimer explained that this was the first convention centre to be built in the area, with only one other hotel group offering conference facilities.

The convention centre included conferencing and banqueting facilities for 400 people, two breakaway rooms that could accommodate between ten and 30 people, and a tent platform for larger functions that could accommodate about a thousand people.

The hotel had been designed more for leisure and specifically for people wanting to make use of the casino resort.

The design also incorporated the potential to expand the number of rooms in future.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

With the construction of its two newest hotels, Peermont, had incorporated a number of "green" measures to ensure that the hotels run more energy efficiently and were more environmentally friendly.

The Peermont Metcourt hotel at Emperor's Palace did not have its own air conditioning system, but shared this with the Emperor's Palace resort.

The hotel used an electronic flow unit, which managed the energy usage of the hotel and cut this by about 14%.

The design of the hotel also allowed for the installation of a vincard power saving unit, which would automatically switch on the lights and airconditioning in a room when an access keycard was swiped, and automatically switch off again when everybody left the room.

Energy efficient lighting and water-saving showerheads were also used throughout the two new hotels.

Jakins said that the group would incorporate this in all of its new-build hotels, while it has also energy efficient lighting and grey water treatment at all of its existing hotels and resorts.

Peermont also owned and operated the Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club, in Secunda, the Mondazur Resort Hotel at San Lameer, in KwaZulu-Natal, the Frontier Inn & Casino, in Bethlehem, the Tusk Umfolozi Casino Resort, in Empangeni, the Khoroni Hotel, Casino and Convention Resort in Thohoyandou, and the Tusk Mmabatho Hotel, Casino and Convention Resort, in Mafikeng.

In Botswana, Peermont owned and managed the Grand Palm Hotel, Casino and Convention Resort and the Mondior hotel, in Gaborone, the Metcourt hotel and the Sedibeng Casino, in Francistown and the Syringa Casino, in Selebi Phikwe.

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