Luis Pinheiro is wearing jeans and an open-necked shirt. He is clutching his Royal Portfolio branded travel coffee cup. “It was quite ambitious of founder Liz Biden to go with a no-jacket, no-tie and staff in jeans policy. Other five-star hoteliers at the time were shocked,” he says.
He is general manager of The Royal Portfolio’s Silo Hotel in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and this month he will have been there for seven years, making this his longest-running GM position.
With GM roles at other top hotels such as Belmond’s Reid’s Palace in Madeira, Belmond Mount Nelson, The Table Bay and Leeu Estates in Franschhoek on his CV, he knows the luxury hotel business better than most.
“The Bidens invited me to visit the construction site in 2015 and I saw the building with about 1 600 workers on the site. The hotel opened six months before the Zeitz MOCAA [Museum of Contemporary Art Africa] so you can imagine the number of people who wanted to see inside this extraordinary building.
SIX STAFF FOR EACH GUEST
“We only have 28 rooms, and each room costs us R4 000 a night whether occupied or not, and that is not including the salary for our 160 staff. In terms of staff-to-guest ratio, The Silo has more than six staff members per guest. In contrast, many other five-star hotels have only half or one staff member per guest,” says Pinheiro.
The building, designed by UK-based Heatherwick Studio, features ‘pillow’ glass windows that evoke memories of a ship’s lantern. Each room decorated by Biden is a treasure trove of African art, furniture and found objects.
Denne historien er fra 29 September 2023-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra 29 September 2023-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New farmers' seedling pitfalls
Inexperienced farmers may be tempted to grow seedlings from seed themselves, but they have much to gain by trusting a seedling grower at a nursery to perform this task for them instead
South African avocado production: a success story
Avocado production in South Africa has expanded markedly since the industry's humble beginnings over 80 years ago. From a small grove planted in 1938 in what was then Nelspruit, the industry has blossomed to seven million trees planted on 20 000ha. Dr Guy Witney, project manager at Great Brak Avos, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the country's avocado production.
Unlocking value through livestock exports
Exporting livestock might sound like a daunting business that's better left for big companies, but Gerrie Ferreira, who farms near Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape, has been doing it successfully for almost 30 years, sometimes in partnership with other breeders. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the huge potential this market holds, and offers some advice for farmers who are contemplating going this route.
An agribusiness's dedication to community upliftment
For agribusiness NWK, located in Lichtenburg, North West, corporate social investment is an important part of creating a positive influence alongside financial returns. Johan Bezuidenhout, NWK’s group manager of corporate marketing and communication, spoke to Annelie Coleman about why the company chooses to invest millions of rands in the area it operates in every year.
Empowering dreams, transforming lives
Since its launch in 2013, the Agri's Got Talent competition has revolutionised the lives of many farmworkers by unlocking their hidden talents and fostering a culture of empowerment. Glenneis Kriel spoke to various finalists about how the contest has changed their lives.
Foreign investment: agriculture maintains its appeal
South Africa remains a popular destination for foreign investors, despite an often negative outlook from its citizens. It is a gateway to Africa, and with its counterseasonal production to the Northern Hemisphere and favourable weather, local agriculture is especially well placed to attract foreign interest, bringing with it hope for rural communities
The real value and message of COP29 for SA agriculture
While the 2024 Conference of the Parties may have disappointed those who hoped for real progress, it's more important for South African agriculture to highlight its role in carbon mitigation
Improving efficiencies in feed and grain milling
Bühler, a Swiss-based company that provides solutions and equipment for various industries, including food and animal feed processing, has pledged that by 2025, it will deliver scalable solutions that will reduce energy, waste and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers.
Tips for better olive production
At an SA Olive Association field day in November, industry experts shared ways to improve olive production efficiencies, from soil preparation to harvesting.
More effort needed to protect vulnerable cheetah
On International Cheetah Day, commemorated every year on 4 December, emphasis was placed on the vulnerability of the species.
