Attending the Launch of Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers

If you’re a traveler or keep your eye on travel, you will definitely know the Marriott group. They’re one of the world’s largest hotel chains and have hotels in, literally, 55 countries around the world. And now Century City, Cape Town will be a part of that prestigious group.

If you watched my first Instagram story last week, you would have seen that I was kindly invited to attend the announcement of the merging of Crystal Towers and Marriott International. The African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa has now joined the world-class Marriott International and will now be known as the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers.

Be Our Guest…

Right off the bat I was a little overwhelmed by the service, size and spoiling that the hotel provided. From having my car parked (which actually I did appreciate since I work in Tokai and had to get to Century City by 6:30pm, having that help was great!), being greeted by a glass of Durbanville MCC, all the decor and a clipon fish eye lens I could use to capture the night! And with some Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc in queue, I knew I was in good hands.

This was followed on with a twirl around the world! With food stations including Paris for desserts, America for mains, Japan for Sushi and Switzerland for cheese and wine.

I actually started with dessert, followed by a gin made by the mixologists who were as charming as ever. After a toot, I found my way to American for some good ol’ hamburgers, hotdogs and fried chicken. The fried chicken was great!

From the Hotel…

After a few treats, speeches commenced about the merge of the two brands. “We are confident that Cape Town is more than ready for a Marriott branded hotel,” says Alex Kyriakidis, ‎President, Middle East & Africa,Marriott International.  “South Africans love to travel, and they warm to iconic international brands like Marriott.  With South Africa having become a destination of choice for travellers from across the globe, we are bringing the features of the Marriott experience to the country for all to enjoy.

“South Africa has been ranked among the top 25 tourist destinations in the world, and Cape Town is regularly recognised as a city that should be on everyone’s bucket list,” Kyriakidis says. “Tourism is certainly a growth industry in the country, and the most recent statistics for tourist arrivals to the country reflect the great potential for the country’s tourist industry: 10 million international travellers visited during 2016, a 13% increase on the 2015 numbers.”

The current split of international vs domestic travelers is 60% local to 40% international with 70% of trips being for business and 30% for leisure. The Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers has 180 rooms in total, with 145 superior rooms, 26 executive rooms, 4 suites and 3 Accessible Rooms. Each include a 32-inch LCD television and en suite bathroom. 

For business, there are 12 meeting rooms, 8 boardrooms, 4 conference rooms with (most importantly and all people who work in digital marketing want to know) High speed WiFi! 

The hotel also includes the Towers Restaurant (who provided all the food on the night), the Orah Bar & Lounge, Acara Pool Bar & Terrace, sushi bar, outdoor swimming pool and Life Day Spa.

I’ve been to a number of events at the Crystal Towers and its infinity styled pool really does showcase some of Cape Town’s best views towards Table Mountain. And while I attended the event myself, I enjoyed meeting other people in digital including Kaylon from Creative Cape Town – a brand we’re all familiar with and enjoy the benefits of as a Cape Tonian (cough cough *world design capital*).

I’ve never stayed in a Marriott Hotel, but their excellence in service is well-known around the globe. Kaylon says he’s popped into the hotel bar from time to time to have a toot and always has a great time. So if you’re looking for something different for a business function, keep them in mind.

Thanks very much to the Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers for having me!