‘I OWE my being to the mountains and hills of Africa’ just to paraphrase what the former President Thabo Mbeki said, when he opened his speech in Parliament.
Well, as part of wrapping up my birthday month celebrations, Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa, extended an invite to ‘lose my head a bit’ and dance along the majestic hills, magical.
Off we negotiated our way through irritating traffic from the bustling Jozi and headed towards the quite scenery of internationally renowned Cradle of Humankind, this is where Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa is quietly perched in the foothills of Zwartkops Mountains, a mere forty minutes’ drive from the City; but again depending were you’re coming from.
Upon arrival at the main security gate, we took another five-minute’s drive relishing the serendipity of the lodge as usual suspects- elands and springboks welcomed us, as they sprang from one spot to another- joyfully- pun intended.
The nature reserve which the lodge is built- also boast the likes of kudu impala, red hartebeest, gemsbok and bird life, amongst others.
After the initial checking-in at the reception we were whisked off to our spacious thatched roof, room 14. The size of the bed could accommodate the entire netball team, that’s how mammoth it is. Dinner, welcome drinks all up to standard.
This five-star graded lodge is also home to popular fly-fishing. Yours truly tried one after being invited along by a visitor from Australia, who had a morning session.
Being a sore-loser, instead I opted to just stare and wonder to myself what a beautiful scenery this lodge is, thanks to the valley, hills and mountains in abundance. Yes, my ‘partner in crime’ was in AWE! Nostalgic if you may.
During the historical 2010 World Cup, the Australian team used the venue as a base camp- so it made sense for one to take a turn yet again, I thought of the visitor.
Founded in 2004, Chris Oosthuizen, General Manager at Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa, tells SLM that the tranquility offered by the view and surrounding nature ensures a relaxed atmosphere.
“This is also one of the qualities that our corporate guests love as it increases productivity during meetings and dedicated staff at Kloofzicht are definitely the heartbeat of the lodge,” in responding to what set the lodge apart from its competitors.
The variety of treatments and spa facilities available, also makes the lodge tick, he confirmed.
Like any other hospitality affected by the pandemic, Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa was not spared, and according to Oosthuizen, there was no other source of income of revenue but accruing expenses to deal with.
“’The restriction on numbers after we opened again resulted in a slow rise in revenue. We had to cut expenses to a minimum and that had an impact on the standard of service we could deliver. We also had to restructure our employees, but luckily minimal jobs were lost,” he says.
“We then decided to not increase our rates after lockdown as everyone were affected by the pandemic financially, and it was important to us that our regular guests were able to afford to stay at the lodge. We are only increasing some of our rates from January 2023,” says the GM, whose staff complement is 140.
Both Saturday and Sunday, the venue was packed to raptures as wedding bells rang and birthday celebrations were in motion, as young and old came for lunch, took a dive into the signature swimming pool (also have heated but did not work) and photo opportunities behind the sprawling hills.
Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa offers a total of 60 bedrooms made up of 18 Deluxe Suites, 19 Executive Suites, 10 Superior Suites, 12 Family Suites and 1 Royal Suite.
Weddings of up to 120 guests are accommodated in the open –air chapel and banquet venues.
Another selling element to the lodge is the well-liked hot air balloon experience, albeit did not get a chance to taste one. Hopefully soon.
In the 18 years it has been in operation, it has amassed awards for Service Excellence from SA Tourism, Tourism Grading Council, TOMSA and the Restaurant Association, and so on.
“We are very grateful to our clients for their support, it has been overwhelming and we look forward to many awards to come our way,” says Oosthuizen, who also indicated there are some upgrades to the property that guests can look forward to, and also striving to offer menu items that are in line with the culinary trends but without losing the wholesome feel “our guests have come accustomed to over the years”.
The likes of Simon Zulu- an affable operation’s manager at the lodge, is indicative that the hospitality industry is in good hands, as he allowed his Chef to spoil us with all kinds of top culinary menu.
Talk of the industry, the GM stated in South Africa it is definitely healthy, as “we are experiencing pre-pandemic travel trends, but I am concerned about the effect the current status of the country may have on international travel”, after being asked what he makes of the tourism sector in general?
On Government dragging its feet to help the industry, Oosthuizen agrees, the hospitality sector was negatively impacted by the pandemic; but as most industries in South Africa, we have learnt to not rely on Government but to rather find solutions in our own capacity.
“We are thankful that we managed to keep our doors open and welcome back so many guests, be it for personal travel, a Sunday lunch, corporate conferencing or a special occasion,” he asserted.
The 2022 season thus far, has been a great year for the lodge having break-even as a results of the following:
“We did not increase rates since 2019, when competitors did, to compensate for the losses during the pandemic;
-after the pandemic guests are more focused on experiences than materialistic product and Kloofzicht’s consistency in guest service and,
-the personal attention guests receive when visiting us,” boasted the GM.
The lodge is part of Guvon Group of Hotels & Spas, and as part of giving back to the community where it operates business, it offers a three-year study for students who are keen in pursuing hospitality, travel and Chef careers.
The group strive to be responsible for its impact on society and the environment.
“We are proud of being able to call ourselves “at the heart of the community”, thanks to our longstanding social engagement and support too many social or environmental causes,” quipped Oosthuizen.
There you go- the hills and mountains are yearning for you, as an African!
For more information and bookings go to www.kloofzicht.co.za or call 011 317- 0600
Image (The grandiose Kloofzicht Lodge & Spa main entry. It caters to both families and individuals).
