OVERVIEW
Tourism Bloemfontein has a new hotel.
SECTOR INSIGHT The Macufe is a 10-day cultural celebration.
P
remier Hotels & Resorts is a step closer to having a presence in every major South African city with the development of an 88-bedroom hotel in Bloemfontein. The Splendid Inn Bloemfontein by Premier, expected to cost R110-million, will also be able to accommodate 150 conference delegates. The first phase of the project will see the existing Stanville Hotel refurbished and expanded. Phase two will begin in 2019. South Africa’s largest hotel groups have several brands that cater to different markets. Protea Hotels has five properties in the Free State: Protea Hotel Bloemfontein by Marriott and Protea Hotel Willow Lake (both four-star), Protea Hotel Bloemfontein Central (three-star), Protea Hotel Montrose (Harrismith) and Protea Hotel Clarens. The four-star Southern Sun Bloemfontein, part of the Tsogo Sun group, has 147 rooms, and the Goldfields Casino in Welkom is another Tsogo Sun property. The City Lodge Bloemfontein has 151 rooms, and there is a Road Lodge at the airport. The Rantsoareng Group operates exclusively in the Free State and has three properties, the biggest of which is the President Hotel in Bloemfontein. FREE STATE BUSINESS 2019
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Sun International runs the Lesotho Sun and the Maseru Sun in neighbouring Lesotho. In Bloemfontein, the Windmill Casino and Entertainment Centre offers slot machines and gaming tables, plus the ability to host conferences for up to 250 delegates. The fourstar Willow Lodge has 80 rooms. The Naledi Sun Hotel and Casino is about 65km from Bloemfontein. Forever Resorts has a popular facility with chalet accommodation and a caravan park on the banks of the Gariep Dam. Overlooking the dam is the 43-room de Stijl Gariep Hotel which has wedding and conference facilities. Afristay awarded the hotel its “Best value hotel” in 2018. The Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe) has become a national and international event. Offerings range from music and craft stalls to poetry, film and theatre, a soccer tournament and boxing matches. The festival is probably best known for its varied musical performances, but the annual football tournament also gets good coverage and support. A Heroes’ Park is to be constructed at Thaba Nchu and Tumahole with statues of Oliver Tambo and Fidel Castro. The muchdelayed construction of a museum