With 530 properties across the world, 29 of which are in Africa, the Minor Hotels Group certainly has a presence on the continent.
With travel restrictions worldwide now eased, a keen eye and agile mindset through the challenges of the last few years have kept Minor Hotels ahead of the curve.
The group says one of its greatest accomplishments thus far has been spotting and seizing opportunities to reimagine the brand’s offering during the global lockdown. One of these opportunities is the mix of business and leisure travel it now offers across its Avani and Anantara properties in Southern Africa.
Business travel is no longer about just business. Travellers want to take full advantage of the opportunity to get out of the office. Experiencing something unique and fully immersing themselves in the local culture – but doing so with one eye on sustainability – has appeared as a new trend within the space.
“From a corporate travel perspective, these realisations have opened a whole new world of opportunity. Softening the lines between single-focus business and leisure trips has some distinct advantages,” says Regional Director of Operations & Development, Nico Vivier. “We’ve revitalised the Avani and Anantara properties to offer the right mix of business and leisure to satisfy this new approach to travel.”
In anticipation of the increased demand for a different breed of business travel product, Minor Hotels Africa used its involuntary downtime during the 2020/21 season to reinvigorate its Southern African properties, including the Avani-branded hotels in Livingstone, Gaborone, Windhoek, Pemba and Maseru. Various upgrades were completed, staff underwent intensive training, and a revitalised digital and social media marketing campaign with its partners was undertaken.
A great example of how much bleisure can be squeezed into a conference is the Avani Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone, Zambia. A state-of-the-art convention centre offers views of the Zambezi and Victoria Falls. Then, the delegates can tap into all the thrilling leisure activities of Vic Falls, from helicopter flips to guided walks along the Falls, game drives and boma dinners.
For businesspeople looking for more than a stable Internet connection, Minor Hotels has an attractive offering for digital nomads, conference groups and the MICE sector alike.
Sustainability
Although not new initiatives, Minor Hotels Africa’s various sustainability projects are now fully in the spotlight as travellers demand more sustainability and more heart in their travel.
Avani Windhoek Hotel & Casino is the first hotel in Namibia to score the maximum ‘5 flowers’ from the Eco Awards for its eco-friendly principles. Avani Victoria Falls Resort and The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara’s CSR programme tackles a range of sustainability issues from water, plastic, and carbon footprint reduction to community upliftment projects that support the women-led bee-keeping co-operative in Mukuni village.
