The V&A’s new superyacht ambitions this month received a welcome endorsement at the relaunch of the iconic Table Bay Hotel, situated adjacent to the site of the soon-to-be opened superyacht marina.
Speaking to journalists at the relaunch, Sun International CEO Ulrik Bengtsson said he believes the V&A Waterfront’s upcoming superyacht marina will benefit the hospitality sector.
“I’m very hopeful that it will bring new crowds to us,” Bengtsson told the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “All new people, all new traffic, all new evolution of the Cape Town offering is positive.”
The new dedicated superyacht marina is taking shape at quay 7, close to the relaunched and extensively renovated InterContinental Table Bay Hotel. The marina will have eight berths capable of handling giant yachts up to 90 meters. Pontoons are already being installed, and the facility is slated to launch later this year.
Stakeholders say bigger boats bringing high-net-worth owners and global crews means a healthy demand for local services and plenty of evening entertainment spend.
Bengtsson believes visiting superyacht clientele aren’t going to spend all their time onboard. Sun International is eyeing the spillover across its broader portfolio, including night-time entertainment at properties like GrandWest (currently getting a cool R650-million retail facelift).
The Table Bay property itself originally opened by Nelson Mandela in 1997 just wrapped up an extensive R1-billion makeover. It has been reflagged under IHG’s luxury InterContinental brand with Sun International continuing to handle daily operations.