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Keeping you informed on all our GOOD news.

Stay up to date with all our GOOD news and what Guy Stehlik says in his blog. You’ll find all our press releases, articles and blog posts below.

Travel during shoulder season? Here’s why it’s the best decision you’ll ever make.

Let’s not call them secret seasons – low and shoulder seasons have just as much to offer as peak travel times of the year, including popular festivals and events. Every month has something special in South Africa. Perhaps you just need a guide to what’s going on in the months that may have fallen through the travel brochure cracks. We’ve compiled a list of our favourite shoulder- and low-season holiday spots below so you can take advantage of the lower rates, fewer crowds, and milder temperatures these times of year offer. The ostrich feathers quivering on the opulent hats and costumes, in the lush décor, and accessorising the lead heroine, Penelope Featherington (it’s even in her name), came from our humble Klein Karoo ostriches.

July 22, 2024

Feathers, Fashion, and Bridgerton in… Oudtshoorn!

Season three of Bridgerton, everyone’s favourite racy Regency-era series, has just dropped, and we can’t get enough of it. But did you know there is a little piece of Oudtshoorn in this hot-on-trend Shondaland Netflix drama? The ostrich feathers quivering on the opulent hats and costumes, in the lush décor, and accessorising the lead heroine, Penelope Featherington (it’s even in her name), came from our humble Klein Karoo ostriches.

July 16, 2024

Hospitality’s Leadership Extinction: Are We Training Dinosaurs in a Digital World?

The hospitality service industry has undergone fundamental changes in the past five years. Guests today are more demanding, more experienced, less willing to settle for mediocrity. To keep up, hospitality leaders can't merely provide great service, they need to constantly anticipate the future. They need to be chameleons, adapting quickly to new expectations, technologies, and business models. Fast forward to today, and the hospitality landscape has undergone a shift, disrupted by a tidal wave of technological innovation. From automated check-in kiosks and mobile room keys to AI-powered chatbots and personalisation algorithms, technology has permeated every aspect of the guest experience, ushering in an era of unprecedented efficiency, data-driven insights, and convenience.

June 25, 2024

Preserving Hospitality’s Human Touch in a Tech-Driven World

As a child, I have vivid memories of family holidays that were steeped in the warmth of human connection. The genuine smiles and hearty greetings from hotel staff as we arrived, the friendly conversations with servers over meals, and the personal touches that made each stay feel like a home away from home. These were the moments that defined true hospitality for me – moments that sparked my passion for this industry and set me on a lifelong journey. Fast forward to today, and the hospitality landscape has undergone a shift, disrupted by a tidal wave of technological innovation. From automated check-in kiosks and mobile room keys to AI-powered chatbots and personalisation algorithms, technology has permeated every aspect of the guest experience, ushering in an era of unprecedented efficiency, data-driven insights, and convenience.

June 24, 2024

African hospitality sector seeks freedom from Traditional management models

Traditionally rigid, long-term and onerous hotel, resort and lodge management models for mid-sized, mid-scale and mid-market hotels, lodges and resorts are no longer fit for purpose within much of Africa’s unique hospitality landscape. For this growing and thriving hospitality market segment, Guy Stehlik, CEO of BON Hotels, advocates for a shift towards greater flexibility and owner empowerment. He believes that many hotel owners throughout Africa should now be in a position to negotiate more control than being locked into inflexible, long-term contracts where owner involvement is shunned.

June 14, 2024

How to budget for life’s big moments – from travel to matric dances and weddings

You want to celebrate life’s big moments and go on adventures, but when you add up the costs involved, it’s easy to start feeling completely overwhelmed. We hear you. It can seem like only those with champagne budgets can afford to have vacations, weddings, and matric dances. But don’t despair – there’s also a way to do it when your budget is Grapetizer-sized! We're ditching the recycled tips and giving you some unique strategies that will not only help with the practical side of things but also crack the code on budgeting decisions, dipping into a little of the psychology of spending.

May 28, 2024

Where to Stay, Play, and Eat in Maboneng: Hallmark House’s GM Spills the Beans

We have great news for those culture-vulture travellers looking to experience Johannesburg's electrifying creative scene. The edgy Hallmark House Hotel has joined the ever-growing BON Hotels family!

April 25, 2024

How to make your workation work for you: Five BON tips

“Excuse me, what is a workation?” We better answer this common question before we start on how it can add to your life. As the name suggests, it is a blend of holiday and work. It may not seem appealing at first, but it offers a chance to change your environment, explore a new place, pull the escape hatch on boring routines, and even avoid burnout.

March 27, 2024

Hallmark House partners with BON Hotels

Hallmark House partners with BON Hotels to elevate iconic Joburg guest experience Steyn Entertainment's acclaimed Hallmark House has joined forces with BON Hotels to elevate the guest experience at the iconic Johannesburg art hotel. This partnership fuses the property's distinctive artistic flair with BON's hospitality expertise.

March 7, 2024

The BON Hotels team bares all: Our most heartwarming, authentic (and sometimes a little awkward!) romantic moments

The BON Hotels team bares all: Our most heartwarming, authentic (and sometimes a little awkward!) romantic moments We all have those moments when the heart pounds, the stomach ties itself in knots, and the world seems to stand still in the face of love. At BON Hotels, we’ve had the privilege of witnessing some of the most heartwarming, authentic, and, yes, occasionally awkward romantic moments that could rival any rom-com for their sheer unpredictability and charm. So, grab a cup of something comforting and perhaps a box of heart-shaped chocolates, and let’s dive into our team’s most captivating tales.

February 20, 2024

BON Hotels steps up accessible travel with SA Guide-Dogs partnership

Cape Town, 15 February 2024 – BON Hotels, a fast-growing, exciting, and leading African hotel group, has announced a ground-breaking partnership with the SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind. This alliance, launching at Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Durbanville, underscores BON Hotels’ unwavering commitment to fostering an environment where inclusivity and accessibility are not just buzzwords but a lived reality for every guest.

February 14, 2024

BON Hotels launches Cape Town presence with Majorca Apartments

BON Hotels, a leading hospitality company in Africa, is excited to announce its expansion into Cape Town with the management takeover of the renowned Majorca Apartments in the prestigious Cape Town Century City development commencing on 1 February 2024.

February 1, 2024

Thought leadership.

Traditional hotel paradigms set for major disruption in 2024 The hospitality industry is headed for major disruption in 2024 as millennial preferences are driving significant changes across the board. Hotels are revisiting longstanding traditions like 10am checkout times, room service ending mid-evening and rigid all-inclusive packages bundling amenities people rarely use. Even daily housekeeping is being scrutinised for its relevance in the current hotel landscape.

January 9, 2024

Thought leadership.

First appeared on BizCommunity South African travellers are becoming increasing diverse, with a rise in black luxury travellers. However, the question arises: do these travellers see an industry that mirrors their aspirations, dreams, and identity?

October 19, 2023

BON Multi- Generational Blogpost

Picture this: grandparents, parents, grandkids, aunties, cousins, and more, all under one roof, sharing stories, laughter, and memories. That's the essence of a multigenerational holiday – a beautiful chaos of generations coming together.

September 18, 2023

BON People

Greg Sparke lights up when he speaks about the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry. Starting as a bartender in the 90s, Greg hiked up the hospitality ladder and is now the Group Operations Director at BON Hotels.

August 28, 2023

Thought leadership.

First appeared on BizCommunity The skills shortage in the global hospitality industry has been widely publicised during the past two years as the world – and the hospitality industry in particular - is getting ‘back to normal’.

August 17, 2023

BON People

With over 25 years in tourism, leisure and hospitality, BON’s Group Sales Director, Gareth Venner, has plenty of experience when it comes to the ups and downs, ins and outs, and fun and games of the industry, including serving 180 wedding guests ice cream and hot chocolate sauce after an infamous malva pudding incident.

August 4, 2023

The Bucket-List Big Five.

Read on for our five iconic bucket-list family adventures you won’t want to miss (and stay tuned for the secret adventure at the end!)

July 27, 2023

Seven travel experiences.

South Africa woke up with a smug smile on her face last week after The Telegraph and 27 000 of its readers voted her the best country in the world and Cape Town the best city to visit. This placed the Mother City and her homeland in top places in the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards.

July 27, 2023

Thought leadership.

Hotel owners in Sub-saharan and South Africa are facing tough challenges in the current economic climate. Inflation, loadshedding, and ever-increasing interest rates (and their significant impact on investment appeal) are just a few. Could hotel lease agreements be the way forward?

June 2, 2023