2018-02-12Staff Report 2 Selma Ikela Windhoek-The Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino upgraded its facility by bringing a new grand entrance, lobby, café and hotel reception alongside Independence Avenue. This was unveiled on Thursday evening. This means guests can now enter the hotel from the main street. The new lobby features a deli called Pantry at Avani, and business facilities. According to hotel general manager Rudie Putter, the hotel formerly known as Kalahari Sands Hotel was built in 1976 and since then, the arrival experience of their guests has not been so great because they had to walk through the entire mall to get to the hotel. “So when the opportunity presented itself so that we can bring the hotel reception, lobby and main entrance of the hotel to the main street of the city (Independence Avenue) - we just had to do it. It also presented us with the opportunity to bring in one of the café and restaurant concepts of the Avani brand and that is the pantry which is about honest food which focuses on healthy salads which you can grab and go or either sit and eat. We have really good coffee, fresh pastry and a really fresh menu,” said Putter who added the pantry prices are in line with competitive coffee shops in the area. In addition to all this, they also offer sushi. “Many people are mistaken and think it’s a lounge for hotel guests but it is open to the public,” Putter said about the new facility. This is the first phase of three segments of the facelift to the hotel which cost N$24 million. “Tonight is our launch, we opened to the public our new facility. You can see we created an area where a bus arrives and guests disembark from the bus into the hotel. We handle the luggage here and check-in is here as well as group desk check-in is right here. It is a short walk through the passage, you get into the elevator and you are in the hotel. It is no longer walking through the entire mall,” said Putter. Putter said the second phase which is underway will be a complete revamp and relaunch of the buffet restaurant on the first floor and building a brand new gym faciltiy for hotel guests. The second phase also includes adding two banqueting venues on the old lobby and executive office block where one venue will accommodate 180 people and the other 54. Putter said they hope the restaurant will be done in approximately two months and the banqueting venue will be complete towards end of July. The final phase will see the complete reconstruction of all facilities at the rooftop and will feature a grand ballroom, new signature rooftop restaurants and a rooftop bar alongside a new swimming pool and pool deck. Putter added that the complex landlord is also revamping the complex and will add on 84 more parking bays. “ We just want to invite the public and say we created this in reaction to what the public has asked us for over the last few years. Come and support and be part of the Avani family,” said Putter. 2018-02-12Staff Report 2
