By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Work on the long-awaited Strand Hotel situated at the popular “Mole” beachfront at Swakopmund is well on track, with the hotel scheduled to open its doors in August this year.
Bruce Hutchison, Managing Director of O&L Leisure – the hospitality portfolio within the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group of Companies – says: “We are entering exciting stages now as the interiors are being fitted out and the whole hotel is taking shape and looking extremely good.”
Hutchison said that O&L Leisure had been extremely lucky in that construction of the hotel had faced no major challenges which might have delayed opening for months on end. “In the industry, it is known that building a hotel or a hospital are the two most complicated undertakings, as they are not just buildings but actually completely finished and highly technical businesses. Despite this, we have had fantastic partners in this venture and so far it has been relatively smooth sailing for which we are extremely grateful,” said Hutchison.
O&L Leisure is currently looking at appointment of staff. “The general manager, executive chef, quality assurance and training manager and HR practitioner have already started on 2 February 2015. They will then plan when the next senior managers as well as the rest of the team members are brought on board as they roll out the very detailed pre-opening plan. Most staff will join in July and August – in time for the August opening. The entire team is now working on this pre-opening plan which literally focuses on thousands and thousands of details covering every single department of the hotel,” Hutchison advised.
He further welcomed former staff of the Strand Hotel and any O&L Leisure current team members to apply to be part of the coastal team. “There are also many former Strand Hotel employees still in Swakopmund, who have expressed interest in being part of the SHS re-opening team. All will be considered.”