His Majesty The King and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, welcome the foreign investment and job creation by ONOMO Hotels Group at the Inauguration of ONOMO Hotel Durban.

2018-11-19

As guests and dignitaries arrived, there was a bit of a “down pour” or as Prince Buthelezi put it – “Good Luck Rain”.

This new “kid on the block”, ONOMO Hotel Durban were privileged to have the attendance of His Majesty, Her Royal Highness, other members of the Royal Family and Prince Buthelezi at the inauguration.

CEO of ONOMO Hotels Group, Cédric Guilleminot, confirmed that “With nearly 250 million Rand invested during the construction phase, the ONOMO Hotel Durban employed the local workforce wherever possible : around 300 direct jobs were created during the construction phase, 42 sustainable jobs will be provided in 2019 during the operational phase along with more than 100 additional indirect roles involving suppliers and local entrepreneurs.”

Both His Majesty and Prince Buthelezi welcomed the foreign investment by the ONOMO Hotels Group and the creation of jobs for the local community .

His Majesty thanked and encouraged The ONOMO Hotels Group to further invest in South Africa and Africa.  Most notable, important and highlighted by His Majesty is the fact that : South African employees who join ONOMO are provided with training to learn their trade for their own career development, and they can progress within the Group.

Feedback from the attendees who were from various market segments has been outstanding. The ‘Brain Child’ behind the programme, General Manager Ursula Coster, together with her team planned, directed, and delivered every detail of the event to a standard never seen before.  The theme for the evening was “Awaken Your Senses”. 

A painting of His Majesty done in “tea and coffee” copied from a photograph by the young artist, Ernst Blignaut was presented to His Majesty. The portrait was identical and caused an absolute “WOW” moment from the audience. Prince Buthelezi received, from the same artist, a beautiful whale done the same way.

The MC for the evening Dave Guselli and son Danny Guselli were delightful and kept the guests entertained with their good humour.  â€œThe youth – is the future”, is part of ONOMO Hotels Group Vision and Ursula and her team encapsulated this to the full.  A school of Drummers from Hillcrest Primary School– welcomed guests.  Young Girls dressed in Zulu Gear sang from Mambangwe Secondary School, welcoming His Majesty. There were youngsters doing Hip Hop and contemporary dancing and two girls from Mambangwe Secondary School reciting a poem about their lives which even brought tears to the eyes of the “boldest” of men in the room. The art exhibition in the foyer done by a “Young artist”. Karen Pape.

The ceremony closed with the handing over of much needed stationery to the Mambamgwu Secondary School, which the hotel has taken under their wing amongst other project they are involved with

The name ONOMO is Malian, from the Dogon people, and means Harmony?

ONOMO is also a pretty name, which has the advantage of being easily pronounced in all languages.

ONOMO Hotel Durban is ideally situated, within walking distance to the International Convention Centre, the Olive Convention Centre, and the Durban Exhibition Centre. Close to all the Durban popular Blue Flag beaches and only a 20-minute drive from the King Shaka International airport. 

The hotel offers 160 modern, comfortable en-suite bedrooms, including 10 suites, 43 double rooms, 100 twin rooms and 7 rooms for persons with reduced mobility.  Clients have access to unlimited complimentary high-speed Wi-fi in all rooms.

Conference facilities consist of 3 modern, well equipped conference rooms. All the rooms have natural light, conducive to the ideal working environment for all types of Professional Conferences, Functions, Events and Meetings.  Delegates have access to complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the hotel for the duration of the event.

ONOMO Hotels offers unparalleled connectivity while on the African continent. At the hotel, high-speed Wi-Fi is accessible without interruption or reduction in power in the rooms and public areas. Whether for business, professional requirements, staying in touch, or quite simply family life and relaxation after a busy day, you can stay connected at ONOMO Hotels.

Designed like the central square in an African village, the reception and public spaces within our hotels are centred around the lobby. The ONOMO Urban Village is an invitation to “live together” and include the various places of activities including the restaurant, bar, terrace, business corner, and the access to the rooms.

Under the label “ONOMOtaste”, our hotels serve the best in local food fresh from local markets. A delicious menu highlights the varied flavours of Africa.

At ONOMO Hotels, security is a priority!  Our security includes, secure access to the hotel, an internally trained security team, and 24/7 video surveillance.

Our motto: “ONOMO is good for you”

For any further information, contact Lerina McCall +27 (0)79 526 3469 or lerinam@lmc1.co.za