Iconic Somerset West hotel to close at month end after 32 years

The iconic NH Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West in the Western Cape is the latest tourism beacon set to shut its doors after 32 years.

Known for being one of “the best Cape winelands hotels”, the establishment will officially close on August 31. The Lord Charles Hotel has been a landmark in the province sine 1988.

In a statement, the NH Hotel Group said it would not renew its lease after carrying out a “feasibility study”. 

The group said staff will be retrenched, and would not further comment on the issue.

“In October 2019, NH Hotels conducted a detailed feasibility study of the leased NH Lord Charles Hotel. After careful consideration, it was decided not to extend the lease at the conclusion of the agreed period,” the group said.

“As a consequence, the team members, many of whom have been with the hotel for many years, will, unfortunately, be retrenched.”

The group said all team member dues and entitlements, as a result of the closure, will be fully provided for prior to the conclusion of the lease.

The Spanish-based group is one of the 25 biggest hotel chains in the world, with more than 400 hotels in 30 countries including Africa, the US and Europe.

On Facebook, the group thanked its valued patrons, writing: “To all our valued patrons over three decades from the entire NH The Lord Charles Hotel family — thank you.”

The hotel joins other local iconic establishments and small businesses that have closed or are in the process of shutting down during the lockdown.

Reacting to the news, SA Tourism CE Sisa Ntshona said the news was disappointing but he was “not surprised”. 

He told Cape Talk the closure of businesses in tourism was an indication the sector is on “life support”. 

“We’re on life support. It's not just in SA. We’re struggling to remain commercially viable within the Covid-19 environment,” he said.

TimesLIVE