“With domestic travel prohibited and borders closed to international guests, we’ve had to think outside the box by creating opportunities to generate additional income for our staff,” says Chris Godenir, General Manager of The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel.

According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) over 600,000 employees in the tourism sector have claimed UIF TERS, but this lifeline will only be available until 15 August 2020.

“With hygiene, health and safety a strong need during COVID-19, and my team having the necessary skills, expertise, and equipment, it made sense for us to extend this service to our local community instead of waiting for business to come to us,” explains Godenir.

The Peninsula’s new off-site service includes the professional cleaning of local offices, business operations and places of residence such as apartments and houses within a 5km radius of the hotel. A three-hour clean will cost R350 and includes the transport of two staff members with their necessary personal protective gear, as well as all of the detergents and cleaning equipment.

As an additional value-add, The Peninsula is offering a laundry service for difficult to clean household items such as curtains, bedding, and cushions, which can be washed and folded at R50 per kg, including collection and delivery. A full decontamination can also be arranged by special request as well as a ‘handyman’ service to assist with any additional maintenance issues.

“While the team cleans your house or office, you can come through to The Peninsula and keep working. The coffee is always fresh, and we have a generator if you’ve been hit with load shedding,” says Godenir.

Aside from launching the cleaning service, management has also set up dedicated workstations on site as well as converting self-contained ground floor (ocean-view) suites into offices for remote teams looking for a change of scenery.

For more information contact Brynn Rorich, Guest Services Manager, at +27 (0)21 430 7777 or guestserv@peninsula.co.za

Established in 2002, Christel House provides holistic support to impoverished students from early childhood through to early adulthood, offering food, healthcare, and education as well as focusing on developing their strength of character.  

“We noticed that the team at Christel House were requesting additional supplies during Covid-19, which included food hampers, so our ‘Peninsula tribe’ stepped in to assist,” explains Chris Godenir, the General Manager of The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel.

“Each parcel was prepared under strict sanitary conditions and jam-packed with essential food items up to the value of R150 as additional support for the students and their families over the next month,” he adds. 

Alongside their Mandela Day initiatives, the team at The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel have been supplying monthly food packages to the value of R500 to their colleagues who, before lockdown, were employed as casual workers at the hotel. They also continue to deliver 200 meals every Friday evening to the Culemborg bridge place of safety in the city centre.

At current, domestic and inbound leisure travel is still prohibited in South Africa, and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) notes a daily loss of tourism expenditure to the amount of R748m. Over 600 000 employees within the tourism value chain have applied for the UIF TERS program which came to an end in June. The end of this program means that employees around the country will not receive any income from this month onwards. 

As much as we want to open our doors to domestic and international leisure travellers, the real task in front of us right now is to support each other,” explains Godenir. 

“Those of us in the tourism sector are facing many challenges, and for our part, we want to do what we can, with what we have, to help to uplift those who are struggling. This Mandela Day we wanted to share the belief that every person has the wisdom, individually and together, to find ways to help each other to make it through these difficult and tumultuous times.”

For more info on the projects at The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel, please contact Brynn Rorich, Guest Services Manager, at +27 (0)21 430 7777 or guestserv@peninsula.co.za

“Although no specific dates have been issued as yet for when accommodation stakeholders will be allowed to reopen, we are 100% travel ready and confident that we have all the necessary hygiene and social distancing regulations already in place,” says Chris Godenir, The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel, General Manager.

Godenir and his team have already been welcoming in business travellers from the 1^st of June 2020 and are currently converting some of the ocean-view suites within the hotel into dedicated workspaces for remote teams looking for a change of scenery. These are to be offered at a daily rate of R600 between the hours of 08h00 and 17h00.

“The way companies do business has changed – and we wanted to create a private, self-contained space for corporates to meet and strategise during the day,” explained Godenir. “We have had to adapt as much as possible, but it inspired the Peninsula team to think outside of the box, developing new and innovative value-adds for returning guests.”

As for digital nomads suffering from cabin fever while working at home, The Peninsula team are also creating hot-desks in the downstairs lounge at R60 per person for 1.5 hours which will includes fast, unlimited Wi-Fi, and a cup of local Bootlegger coffee to kick-start your day.

In preparing for returning business guests and anticipated leisure travellers, the hotel has also installed a keyless door lock system that allows guests to check into rooms without having to go to reception.

“This phone-based, keyless entry solution will allow for off-site check-in and reduce the amount of contact points with people and surfaces. It will also allow busy travellers to completely skip the queue at reception to save on time,” Godenir explains.

Despite reports that the travel industry would only re-open in 2021, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has proposed an earlier phased reopening of the sector, which sees international tourism returning to South Africa as soon as September 2020 or earlier.

“The announcement by President Ramaphosa that accommodation establishments and restaurants can open was a small win for us,” says Godenir. “But we, as an industry, still need to continue spreading the word that South Africa is travel ready and continue our efforts to lobby for an early return of inbound travel.”

According to the TBCSA, it is estimated that over 40,000 jobs have already been lost within the tourism sector. “It is vital to preserve what we have left and continue our efforts to encourage South Africans to support local businesses and tourism resources,” he adds.

Aside from the economic factors, Godenir also explains that travel is essential. “It keeps us grounded, refreshes the soul and feeds the natural curiosity ingrained in our collective DNA. And it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. As long as you travel with your heart, mind and eyes all open, any destination can be life changing, even if it’s within your own city or province.”

Kids of all ages visiting Finfoot Lake Reserve, the Blue Marlin Hotel, Piekenierskloof Mountain Resort, Avalon Springs, Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa, The Peninsula AllSuite Hotel, Stonehill River Lodge and Jackalberry Ridge can become a Dream Xplorer just like Kamo the Chameleon, who is the mascot of the new programme.

Kamo is a fun character, with which children can interact, and also reflects the wider values of Dream Hotels & Resorts’ brand of environmental commitment.

The Dream Xplorers kids journey begins upon arrival at the resort, where little explorers can pick up their passport from reception. Passports contain fun and exciting activities in which children can partake during their holidays at that specific resort under the guidance of an activities champion. Each resort has a different passport with a wide variety of activities.

Activities are divided into four categories: Active Explorer, Family Fun, Treasure Hunter and Kamo Challenge.

Under the Activity Explorer category, children can participate in activities such as ziplining, target shooting, hiking or mountain biking. The Family Fun category consists of fun family activities from a marshmallow braai, family bingo, games to mini golf. Treasure Hunter will see children exploring the resort’s environment, while the Kamo Challenge introduces children to activities such as a talent night, trampoline or arts and crafts.

For every activity completed, participants will receive a sticker as well as stand the chance to win great prizes. Once they’ve collected enough stickers to complete a category, they receive a badge for that category. If they collect two badges, they’re treated to a free kids’ meal, and once all four badges are collected, they’ll receive their very own Dream Xplorers hat to pin their badges on.

Sharmila Ragunanan, Group Marketing Manager for Dream Hotels and Resorts, says: “Every Dream guest is important no matter how big or small. That is why we have created a dedicated activities programme for our little VIPs that will encourage them to explore the great outdoors instead of the virtual worlds of their electronic devices. Many parents today are desperate to reduce their children’s screen time, especially during the holidays. Our new activities programme will keep the kids so active, they won’t even think about their devices!”