Pretoria - Right to the end the St George Hotel and Conference Centre in Irene, Centurion, retained its reputation as one of Tshwane’s top choices for conferences, award ceremonies and picturesque accommodation facilities.
The hotel announced that despite having built a solid relationship for well over 30 years, it had taken the sad decision to close shop due to economic challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, load shedding and general service delivery issues.
“We have taken the difficult decision that it is time for us to step back and allow the property to be properly utilised and to its full potential,” read a statement issued by the management.
The announcement was made on Monday that the hotel and conference centre would cease operations, with booked clients to be reimbursed, but it continued to host events until the very end.
One of its last events, held at the beginning of the month, was the 9th Annual Public Works and Infrastructure bursary awards ceremony attended by Minister Patricia de Lille and her deputy, Noxolo Kiviet.
Throughout the years the hotel has been popularly known as the choice venue for the ANC’s national executive committee meetings.
The ANC in Tshwane has also used the venue for its elective conferences.
It was at the venue recently where Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise and her deputy, Thabang Makwetla, as well as Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele were kept against their will.
The three officials were locked up at the hotel by military veterans after failing to agree on how to proceed with a planned meeting.
Government events have been held regularly from as far back as 2012 up until 2018.
These include the National Health Summit in 2012 and just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Presidential Summit on Gender-based violence and femicide was also held at St George Hotel in November 2018.
In the same year, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga delivered the keynote address at the Second School Safety summit in October of 2018.
Other government entities which have used the hotel and conference centre facilities include the SAPS, which held its National Youth Crime Prevention Summit here in June 2018, as well as the Expanded Public Works Programme Bi-annual Summit in November of the same year.
Similarly, the Commission for Employment Equity released the 18th Employment Equity Report at St George Hotel.
St George Hotel is 20 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport, and built in a Mediterranean style, secluded in its lush green gardens, with classical Greek-influenced buildings.
It has 30 multifunctional, wi-fi- equipped conference venues, which can accommodate small to large groups and comfortably seat 1 500 delegates.
This also includes eight function venues and two chapels, with the hotel catering to gatherings from 60 to over 1 000 delegates for an array of functions in the past, from gala evenings for the state president to corporate functions, cocktail parties, awards evenings, bridal parties and wedding receptions.
Management indicated that they had been approached to consider entering into an agreement to allow significant change of the use of the hotel.
Yesterday, efforts to find out the future of the property came to nothing, with management indicating no further comment would be made regarding the matter.
Pretoria News