Estate Living Magazine Issue 30 Smart Environments June 2018 | Page 65

One thing that has not changed is the range of accommodation,
which caters for a wide range of income groups. The four
hotels at Sun City have 1,310 rooms, and together meet the
needs of every budget within the LSM 5–10 bracket. Top of
the range is The Palace, which offers five-star plus service,
followed by the five-star accommodation in the Cascades,
where we stayed. The old Sun City Hotel, which is home to
the casino, has now been rebranded as the Soho hotel. The
rooms here (and in the three-star, entry-level Cabanas) have
had more than just a lick of paint, and now boast a fresher,
more contemporary feel, and there are a range of new
entertainment offerings, including night clubs, burlesque
clubs and restaurants open 24 hours.
We dined at Legends, one of the newer, upmarket restaurants
that pays tribute to Sun City’s heyday when it was a major
event venue, with memorabilia and photographs from past
shows by the likes of Michael Jackson and Elton John.
Finally, there is the self-catering Sun Vacation Club timeshare
offering. Phase one of the upgrade has already created
bigger and better accommodation, and
average annual occupancy is now
just under 80%, with most members
tending to buy again once their 10-
year membership period has lapsed.
In 2017 Sun City emerged from a five-year-long, R1-billion
makeover. Moving with the times, the casino is a much reduced
part of the resort, with more emphasis placed on the family and
corporate markets.
‘We want to be known as a family-friendly place,’ says Raul de
Lima when he sat down with me in the Luma Bar and Lounge
at Cascades. He went on to explain that, back in the day, Sun
City was an ‘adult’ destination, but the resort’s new focus is
on adventure, the connection with the adjacent Pilanesberg
Game Reserve, family holidays and MICE (meetings, incentives,
conventions and exhibitions).
One of the bigger focuses for the
brand going forward, is the function
and corporate events arm. While the
splendid grandeur and exclusivity
of The Palace has somewhat
been marred by the hosting of the
infamous Gupta wedding, the Sun
City Convention Centre remains
popular and has recently enjoyed a
R300-million revamp. It is a win-win
situation for corporates who benefit
from accommodating their staff in one
central location, while giving them the opportunity to enjoy
after-hours activities, and – of course – Sun City benefits from
a welcome boost in room occupancies during the week. As we
noticed during our stay, the resort will go to great lengths to
make events special.
Our visit coincided with a conference for the insurance giant,
Liberty, and we found the Valley of Waves transformed into a
cocktail area for a private ‘beach party’.
On the gaming front, even though the casino has been reduced
in its size, it still attracts a number of high-rollers from
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