AHA Awarded Chobe Marina Lodge contract

AFRICAN HOTELS AND ADVENTURES AWARDED CHOBE MARINA LODGE CONTRACT

Johannesburg, 14 September 2011 – African Hotels and Adventure (AHA), the tourism property management division of Tourvest Accommodation and Activities (TAA), has acquired the sales and marketing contract for the Chobe Marina Lodge in Botswana.

The lodge is situated on the banks of the Chobe River in Kasane in the north-eastern corner of the country, bordering Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  It is in close proximity to the Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, the Kasane Forest Reserve, the Caprivi Strip and the Zambezi River, with the Victoria Falls a two-hour drive away.  The Chobe National Park is home to approximately 120 000 elephants, one of the largest concentrations in the world.

The lodge comprises 60 different accommodation types ranging from studios, apartments chalets and suites, each fitted with air-conditioning, television, telephones and mini-bars.  It also has a 100-seater conference room overlooking the Chobe River with views of the Caprivi Strip.  Game drives, river cruises and themed-dinner evenings are available.

The contract was awarded to AHA on the basis of the company’s proven track record in tourism property management as well as its sophisticated e-Res reservation system which plugs into 18 online channels, including Galileo, Amadeus, Expedia.com, and Booking.com.  AHA also has its own online web booking engine and can offer The Chobe Marina access to the large number of tourists and business travellers sourced by the Tourvest group’s tour operator and travel agent businesses.

TAA chief executive Gary Elmes says the property is the company’s first in Botswana and is a strategic fit with its activity-based operations, such as Wild Horizons, which are largely concentrated in the Victoria Falls.  “The Chobe Marina is a world-class property and a valuable addition to our growing portfolio of city hotels, lifestyle retreats and game lodges,” he says.  “It will also help the Tourvest group consolidate its position in the Victoria Falls area and to grow its presence into new highly sought after safari destinations.”

Other properties under Tourvest management or sales and marketing agreements include the Casa do Sol in Mpumalanga, Imbabala Lodge on the Zambezi and the newly opened Elephant Camp in Victoria Falls, Makalali Private Game Lodge and Shakama Lodge and Spa in Limpopo, Thakadu Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, The Saint James on Venice Hotel in Durban, Hotel Izulu in Ballito, and the Adderley Hotel, L’Ermitage Franschhoek Chateau & Villas, Bantry Bay Luxury Suites, Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel, Leisure Bay Luxury Suites, The Rex Hotel in Knysna and Harbour Bridge Hotel & Suites all located in the Western Cape.  It is also the operator of Lemala Luxury Camps in Tanzania.