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New Protea Hotel adjacent to Big Hole

28 January 2008 Supporting the drive to position Kimberley’s world famous mining town back on the local and international tourist map, Protea Hotels has opened a new four-star, R44 million hotel, built adjacent to the new Big Hole development of De Beers.

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Based on current statistics, Kimberley welcomes 90 000 visitors per annum and this is forecast to increase to over 200 000 visitors during the next year, 24% of whom are expected to be foreigners.

Arthur Gillis, Group Managing Director for Protea Hotels, explains that the hotel forms part of the larger Big Hole project, a R50 million De Beers initiative that has upgraded the old mine museum to a world class tourist attraction. “This includes, among others, a new Big Hole Visitors Centre, restaurants and a new cantilevered viewing platform over the hole itself.”

Company Secretary for De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited, Mervyn Ward says: “We would like to congratulate the Protea Hotel Group on the opening of their new hotel in Kimberley and would like to welcome them to the City as part of the Big Hole development. The objective of De Beers’ investment of more than R50 million in the Big Hole development was always seen as a catalyst to attract other investment capital to Kimberley and the Northern Cape Province. We are proud to be associated with such a successful brand as Protea Hotels in this venture”.

The hotel, which is ideally located facing the Big Hole, has been designed to satisfy both the business and leisure markets, in addition to the new Northern Cape Legislature building that was completed in 2005, which provides an additional governmental market. “This new property will go a long way to satisfying the growing demand in Kimberley and the surrounding areas,” says Gillis.

The external facade of the Hotel, which is based on the two block Protea Hotel Bloemfontein and Protea Hotel Nelspruit model, conforms to building designs erected in Kimberley between 1889 and 1914. The internal finishes present a new four-star hotel offering world class accommodation while honouring the rich history of the former Kimberley Mine (Big Hole) and Kimberley of the past. The hotel consists of 94 bedrooms, conference and meeting rooms for approximately 80 people, parking for over 100 vehicles and a swimming pool.

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