Keep Up To Date With Southern Sun Maputo

Conference in Tropical Luxury in Maputo

An idyllic and convenient location, combined with excellent facilities and service, are on offer for conferences and events held at the newly renovated Southern Sun Maputo Hotel, which is now the largest hotel in the Mozambican capital.

The Tsogo Sun hotel went through a four-month, US$30 million refurbishment last year, which included the addition of conference facilities and 111 rooms, refurbishing of the existing 158 rooms and public areas, and expanding the restaurant, lobby, and back-of-house facilities.

The hotel is extremely accessible as it is a short one-hour flight from Johannesburg or Durban and seven minutes from Maputo International Airport. It is located right on the beautiful tropical beach on the Bay of Maputo and offers guests breathtaking views of the bay and the Indian Ocean.

The new conference venues, which feature natural light and magnificent ocean views, can accommodate both large and small conferences or events in a range of venues. The largest venue, the Mphama, is ideal for meetings and seminars and is over 216m², with cinema-style seating for up to 150 people. Mphama 1 and 2 can be used for smaller conferences and can be subdivided for up to 70 and 80 people each. The Acacia and Mikaya rooms can seat 18 people each and can be used for small intimate meetings. A fully equipped business centre in the hotel offers guests the convenience of office work space and facilities should they be needed.

The 269 guest rooms in the hotel include nine executive rooms, four deluxe suites, and one presidential suite, all of which are luxurious and beautifully appointed.

The close proximity of the beach also allows organisers to include beach activities in their programmes, such as team building, themed lunches, or even tea breaks. Exciting excursions can also be arranged from the hotel such as day trips to Xefina Island, Portuguese Island, and Inhaca Island. Other must-see local attractions include the Railway Station, Fortress, Central Market, City Hall, Cathedral, and the famous Mafalala Cultural and Political district.

Catering can all be arranged through the refurbished Evolve Restaurant, which specialises in international cuisine, combined with the famous exotic and delicious flavours and ingredients of Mozambique. Tailor-made menus to suit every taste, appetite, occasion, celebration, or dietary requirement can be developed in conjunction with the hotel staff.

“Conferences and events are special occasions that deserve a touch of the spectacular, such as a luxury hotel on a tropical beach can offer – with highly trained and friendly staff who pay attention to the detail of every guest requirement. That’s what we’re achieving at Southern Sun Maputo, and it’s going down well with the business and private events we are already hosting in the hotel,” says Bruce Chapman, General Manager of Southern Sun Maputo.

Southern Sun Maputo is one of the properties within Tsogo Sun’s portfolio of over 90 hotels and 14 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa and the Seychelles. For more information on Southern Sun Maputo, visit www.tsogosun.com, like on Facebook /TsogoSun or follow on Twitter @TsogoSun.

It’s Like Night and Day at Evolve, Southern Sun Maputo

Evolve, the new themed restaurant in The Southern Sun Maputo – now the largest hotel in the Mozambican capital – has undergone a complete transformation and now offers an unmatchable combination of exquisite international cuisine, stunning tropical views of Maputo Bay and a contemporary show kitchen that allows diners to interact with the chefs and be involved in the preparation of their meals.

The aptly-named restaurant is designed to provide a completely different look and feel from day-time to night-time. Clever lighting, table cloths, staff uniforms, and a dedicated team to provide tailored service to each meal period transforms the atmosphere of the restaurant from a cool, fresh feel with a touch of ocean blue in the daytime, to a warm, romantic and intimate venue with a touch of red, at night.

There are two separate menus for the restaurant, with the daytime menu featuring breakfast as well as light and tasty snacks and meals for eating by the pool overlooking the beach or in the restaurant and the night-time menu featuring a mouth-watering selection of signature meal options.

Executive Chef, Silvio Mindrea, and his team have created innovative and imaginative dishes which have been inspired by the region’s close ties to the ocean, while also drawing from the local cultural mix of flavours, spices and produce – and which rival the best in Mozambique.

Starters on the Evolve night menu include specialities such as Portuguese chorizo soup, seafood soup, and grilled calamari sautéed in garlic and olive oil and served with sun-dried tomatoes and rice. Light meals include Silvio’s hamburger, made with a succulent beef patty, chilli mayo, fried egg, sliced mushroom, caramelised onion and crispy bacon on a soft roll; a mozzarella and sun-dried tomato chicken burger, smoked salmon tagliatelle, seafood pasta, and more.

The real stars on the menu, however, come under the seafood specialities section and include grilled prawns; a seafood platter that includes prawns, lobster, mussels, calamari, fish and crab, all prepared to perfection and served with a trio of seafood sauces and rice; seafood espetada, which includes prawns, fish and calamari, skewered and char-grilled; and lobster Thermidor filled with a cheesy béchamel sauce and grated parmesan. A small selection of pizzas and a range of delicious dishes from the grill, including Mozambican specialities, are also on the menu.

The Evolve day menu offers a lovely selection of snacks, sandwiches, pizzas, and light meals that include the famous prego roll, a beef fillet steak, tenderised with garlic and marinade and placed on a traditional Mozambican pão roll and served with Chef Silvio’s secret local blend of fresh chilli sauce; a clam pot of fresh clams steamed with garlic, white wine and coriander; chicken and prawn curry; chicken peri-peri; and a mixed basket of spicy chicken wings, prawn rissoles, cocktail cheese grillers and fried fish fillets, served with a smoky barbeque sauce. Grills such as fillet steak Béarnaise and grilled prawns are also available.

Evolve’s wine menu has been specifically designed in conjunction with the Executive Chef to pair with dishes, and includes a selection of robust Portuguese wines and South African wines to match the seafood flavours  and suit every palate.

The transformed restaurant has already made a big name for itself among locals in Maputo and, says Food & Beverage Manager, John Rutherford, “on weekends we cannot keep up with the influx of locals wanting to try the new menu and buffet; it’s amazing!”

Southern Sun Maputo is one of the properties within Tsogo Sun’s portfolio of over 90 hotels and 14 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa and the Seychelles.

For more information on Southern Sun Maputo, visit tsogosun.com, follow on Twitter @TsogoSun or like on Facebook /TsogoSun. 

Southern Sun Maputo Reopens After US$30 Million Makeover

Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun Maputo, now the largest hotel in the Mozambican capital, has re-opened after a four-month hiatus during which the hotel went through a US$30 million expansion and makeover that has added significant appeal, interest and comfort for business and leisure guests.

This major investment by Tsogo Sun is in line with Mozambique’s robust real GDP growth of 7% in 2013, despite the floods in the country last year. The progressive increase in coal production and the implementation of large infrastructure projects, coupled with budgetary expansion, are expected to continue to drive growth in Mozambique, projected at 8.5% in 2014 and 8.2% in 2015, according to the African Economic Outlook website.

“It makes sense to embrace the opportunities and invest in Mozambique, with its growing economy and its attractiveness to South Africans as well as international travellers,” says Richard Weilers, COO of Tsogo Sun hotels. “Southern Sun Maputo has benefitted from a strong trading performance and we believe this expansion and refurbishment programme, together with its location as the only Maputo hotel on the beach, will cement it as the destination hotel of choice in the city.”

Travelling to Maputo is increasingly easy for South Africans as flights from Johannesburg and Durban are regular and take about an hour.

Southern Sun Maputo’s extensive renovations included the addition of 111 rooms and conference facilities, refurbishing of the existing 158 rooms and public areas, and expanding the restaurant, lobby, and back-of-house facilities.

In addition, the investment by Tsogo Sun included importing a special beach cleaning machine from Connecticut in America, which cleans the beach every day, ensuring that it’s pristine for the hotel guests at all times. “We’re not just taking ownership of the hotel, but of the beach as well, which we believe falls under our care,” says Weilers. “We obtained authorisation from the municipal authorities, who were very supportive of our environmentally-aware efforts.”

Weilers describes the essence of the ‘new’ Southern Sun Maputo brand as ‘surprising’, with spaces, beautiful touches and elegant décor that give a sense of intimacy to the hotel, despite its size. Mediterranean influences from Mozambique’s rich history have been incorporated into every aspect of the hotel in the new design, including carpets, fabrics and furnishing detail.

“Areas that have been expanded include the lounge and bar area which now features a wooden deck that extends to the beach, as well as the restaurant. A special residents’ lounge with key card entry has also been created overlooking a several hundred year old fig tree in the gardens that has been decorated with chandeliers to offer an inspiring ambience – as well as a special place to relax,” says Weilers.
The restaurant, aptly named Evolve, is designed to provide a completely different look and feel from daytime to night-time. Offering an outstanding view over the Bay of Maputo, clever lighting application transforms the atmosphere of the restaurant from a cool, fresh feel with a touch of blue at breakfast, to a warm, romantic and intimate venue with a touch of red, at night.

Evolve’s menu, under the able management of Executive Chef Sylvio Mindrea, features a sumptuous breakfast buffet, followed by a light snacks and lunch menu during the day, and exceptional national and international cuisine – featuring several seafood and other Mozambican specialities – in the evenings.

The hotel expansion also included the addition of a new 120-seat conference centre, two new meeting rooms and a brand new business centre, for the convenience and comfort of the hotel’s growing complement of business travellers.

Bruce Chapman, General Manager of Southern Sun Maputo, says that alongside the dramatic renovations that have transformed the hotel, special attention has also been given to staff training to ensure that service excellence is part and parcel of the new hotel offering. –“We had to ensure that our ‘new’ hotel, which promises ‘pleasant surprises’ to guests at every turn, would also give guests the perfect level of service – genuinely friendly, exceptionally helpful, and properly authentic.” Important too, to Southern Sun Maputo, is that it remains relevant to the local market, while also giving the international guest a special Mozambican experience.

“This has always been a special hotel,” says Chapman, “not least because of its idyllic location right on the beach in the Bay of Maputo, offering spectacular views of the ocean and the bay, day and night. Now the refurbishment has added a new dimension of appeal to every aspect of the hotel – and we believe our guests, business and leisure, from near and far, will be delighted by the special experience that our hotel offers.”

Southern Sun Maputo Closed for US$30 Million Revival

One of Maputo’s most celebrated business, conference and leisure hotels, Southern Sun Maputo, located on the Avenida da Marginal, briefly closed for renovations on 1 April and aims to reopen on 1 August 2014. Business and leisure clientele can now look forward to a unique spring and summer experience at the renewed Southern Sun Maputo.

“At Tsogo Sun we consistently renew our commitment to our guests and implement new initiatives to add greater value to our offerings. With product relevance as one of our key pillars, we continuously upgrade our properties and services to offer fresh, exciting and relevant experiences to our guests. The Southern Sun Maputo additions and renovations aims to provide guests with the luxury of a "new" hotel combined with the unrivaled scenic beauty and supreme service excellence for which the Southern Sun Maputo is known,” says Richard Weilers, COO of Tsogo Sun hotels.

At an investment of US$30 million, with 423 contractors on site, this mammoth top to bottom revitalisation project will include the addition of 111 guestrooms and the complete refurbishment of the current 158 guestrooms and all the public areas.

"The decision to close the hotel for these four months was not easy, but the comfort and relaxation of our guests are paramount. A renovation project of this size and magnitude will most certainly compromise our guests and so we decided to focus all our energies on delivering the desired renovations within this short period," concludes Weilers.

"The beautiful Mediterranean influences of the history of Mozambique will be woven into every aspect of the Hotel in the new design including carpets, fabrics and furnishing detail. Furthermore, the restaurant space will be increased, and guests can look forward to an upgraded menu offering exceptional national and international cuisine - whilst enjoying the outstanding view over the Bay of Maputo. The clever lighting application will transform the atmosphere in the restaurant from a cool, fresh feel at breakfast to a warm, romantic and intimate venue at night.

The "new" Southern Sun Maputo will satisfy the needs of both business, conference and leisure travellers. Business guests will delight in the addition of a new 120-seat conference centre, two new meeting rooms and a brand new business centre. With the addition of a new kiddy pool, parents will be able to enjoy light meals and sundowners on the pool terrace, which overlooks the glorious sparkling ocean, whilst keeping an eye on the little ones.

The renovation will embody the signature style that has become synonymous with Tsogo Sun, incorporating the latest in contemporary luxury. The bigger and better Southern Sun Maputo will, no doubt, remain a landmark hotel, providing business and leisure guests with a visually pleasing experience combined with unmatched service excellence in one of the most beautiful destinations in Africa and the only hotel in Maputo on the beach.

Southern Sun Maputo is one of Tsogo Sun’s over 90 hotels and 14 casino and entertainment destinations in South Africa, Africa, UAE and Seychelles.

Southern Sun Maputo reopens after US$30 million makeover

Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun Maputo, now the largest hotel in the Mozambican capital, has re-opened after a four-month hiatus during which the hotel went through a US$30 million expansion and makeover that has added significant appeal, interest and comfort for business and leisure guests.

This major investment by Tsogo Sun is in line with Mozambique’s robust real GDP growth of 7% in 2013, despite the floods in the country last year. The progressive increase in coal production and the implementation of large infrastructure projects, coupled with budgetary expansion, are expected to continue to drive growth in Mozambique, projected at 8.5% in 2014 and 8.2% in 2015, according to the African Economic Outlook website.

“It makes sense to embrace the opportunities and invest in Mozambique, with its growing economy and its attractiveness to South Africans as well as international travellers,” says Richard Weilers, COO of Tsogo Sun hotels. “Southern Sun Maputo has benefitted from a strong trading performance and we believe this expansion and refurbishment programme, together with its location as the only Maputo hotel on the beach, will cement it as the destination hotel of choice in the city.”

Travelling to Maputo is increasingly easy for South Africans as flights from Johannesburg and Durban are regular and take about an hour.

Southern Sun Maputo’s extensive renovations included the addition of 110 rooms and conference facilities, refurbishing of the existing 158 rooms and public areas, and expanding the restaurant, lobby, and back-of-house facilities.

In addition, the investment by Tsogo Sun included importing a special beach cleaning machine from Connecticut in America, which cleans the beach every day, ensuring that it’s pristine for the hotel guests at all times. “We’re not just taking ownership of the hotel, but of the beach as well, which we believe falls under our care,” says Weilers. “We obtained authorisation from the municipal authorities, who were very supportive of our environmentally-aware efforts.”

Weilers describes the essence of the ‘new’ Southern Sun Maputo brand as ‘surprising’, with spaces, beautiful touches and elegant décor that give a sense of intimacy to the hotel, despite its size. Mediterranean influences from Mozambique’s rich history have been incorporated into every aspect of the hotel in the new design, including carpets, fabrics and furnishing detail.

“Areas that have been expanded include the lounge and bar area which now features a wooden deck that extends outside, as well as the restaurant. A special residents’ lounge with key card entry has also been created overlooking a several hundred year old fig tree in the gardens that has been decorated with chandeliers to offer an inspiring ambience – as well as a lovely place to relax,” says Weilers.

The restaurant, aptly named Evolve, is designed to provide a completely different look and feel from daytime to night-time. Offering an outstanding view over the Bay of Maputo, clever lighting application transforms the atmosphere of the restaurant from a cool, fresh feel with a touch of blue at breakfast, to a warm, romantic and intimate venue with a touch of red, at night.

Evolve’s menu, under the able management of Executive Chef Sylvio Mindrea, features a sumptuous breakfast buffet, followed by a light snacks and lunch menu during the day, and exceptional national and international cuisine – featuring several seafood and other Mozambican specialities – in the evenings.

The hotel expansion also included the addition of a new 120-seat conference centre, two new meeting rooms and a brand new business centre, for the convenience and comfort of the hotel’s growing complement of business travellers.

Bruce Chapman, General Manager of Southern Sun Maputo, says that alongside the dramatic renovations that have transformed the hotel, special attention has also been given to staff training to ensure that service excellence is part and parcel of the new hotel offering – and delivers a ‘five-star experience in a four-star hotel’. “We had to ensure that our ‘new’ hotel, which promises ‘pleasant surprises’ to guests at every turn, would also give guests the perfect level of service – genuinely friendly, exceptionally helpful, and properly authentic.” Important too, to Southern Sun Maputo, is that it remains relevant to the local market, while also giving the international guest a special Mozambican experience.

“This has always been a special hotel,” says Chapman, “not least because of its idyllic location right on the beach in the Bay of Maputo, offering spectacular views of the ocean and the bay, day and night. Now the refurbishment has added a new dimension of appeal to every aspect of the hotel – and we believe our guests, business and leisure, from near and far, will be delighted by the special experience that our hotel offers.”