City Lodge Hotel Group staff appointments – January 2021
When you read this, it’s important to realise that this is not simply a piece about ‘staff appointments, as the sub-heading suggests. It’s not just about who’s moving where, or who’s being shifted into which positions. You don’t even need to read between the lines to understand that this is about hard work and loyalty, a brand and its people: people who have started off with the City Lodge Hotel Group many years ago, slowly moving up through the ranks through perseverance and dedication to get to where they are today. A couple of them even left and returned, which speaks volumes! In a world where everything moves at a split-second, lightning-fast pace and where people seek instant gratification, moving on as soon and as often as the mood takes them, steadfast dependability is something to be recognised and nurtured. The City Lodge Hotel Group is most definitely doing this, ensuring sustainable staff excellence and customer service at the highest level!
Following the announcement last year of Brendan Luttig being appointed as opening general manager of the new Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City and Elzabe de Jager taking over his previous position as general manager of City Lodge Hotel Fourways, from her position as general manager of the Courtyard Hotel Sandton, the ripple effect staff movement within management, effective 1 February 2021, is as follows:
Shelley Steel has been appointed general manager of Courtyard Hotel Sandton, from her previous position as general manager of Town Lodge Midrand. She commenced her hospitality journey as a receptionist in 1997 at City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Katherine Street and steadily moved up the ranks gaining experience as executive housekeeper and assistant general manager, including a gap year in London learning the ropes of reservations. Shelley’s first general manager position was at Road Lodge Randburg in 2004, followed by Road Lodge Airport and her current position at Town Lodge Midrand in 2010.
Liz Clarke is moving from her current position as general manager of City Lodge Hotel Durban to take up her new appointment as general manager of City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Morningside in Johannesburg. She started her career in the hotel industry as a guest services attendant with Southern Sun in 1998 and moved up the ranks to guest service supervisor, deputy general manager, food and beverage manager and her first general manager position at Garden Court Morningside, Sandton in 2016. Liz joined the City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG) in 2019 in her current position at City Lodge Hotel Durban.
Brenda Botha is heading to KwaZulu-Natal to take up her appointment as general manager of City Lodge Hotel Durban. She was previously general manager of City Lodge Hotel Bryanston. Brenda began her career in hospitality as a receptionist at the President Hotel in 2002 and spent a year in England as a trainee manager before joining the CLHG family as assistant general manager at City Lodge Hotel Bloemfontein. She took up her first general manager position and opened Road Lodge Bloemfontein in 2010 before relocating to Road Lodge Cape Town International Airport as general manager, and thereafter to business analyst on Lodgix, and finally into her current position at City Lodge Hotel Bryanston in 2015.
Francois van Heerden has been appointed as general manager of City Lodge Hotel Bryanston. He was previously general manager of City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Morningside. After qualifying in hotel management, Francois joined the group as assistant general manager at City Lodge Hotel Bloemfontein in 1995 and was promoted to general manager three years later. He pursued a variety of opportunities including property management, food and beverage training, hospitality business and restaurant ownership and management, gaining valuable skills in all aspects of business and hospitality. Francois returned to CLHG in 2012 as general manager of Road Lodge East London before taking up his current position at City Lodge Sandton, Morningside in 2014.
Keegan Maistry has been appointed executive chef at the City Lodge Hotel Group’s new flagship Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City in Midrand. He graduated in 2006 with a National Diploma in Professional Cookery from the ICESA Hotel School. Keegan started as a trainee chef at The Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga in 2005 and completed his practical training at Razzmatazz Umhlanga. He was then appointed commis chef at the Southern Sun Elangeni in Durban. In 2010, he was appointed chef de partie at The Oyster Box Hotel, where he spent three years honing his skills. He then moved to the USA to gain international experience, holding various prominent positions at the Hunters Run Golf Estate in Florida, and Fishers Island Private Club and the Glen Oaks Club in New York. Returning to South Africa, he took up the role of sous chef at Singita Sabi Sands in 2017. Two years later he was promoted to executive sous chef at two five-star hotels in Sandton. In his first position as executive chef, Keegan will oversee Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City’s two restaurants – the Protea Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and the Highline Restaurant, which serves light meals for lunch and dinner; the six-seater Pincushion Boardroom; three event areas – Skyrocket, Sugarbush, Mountain Rose – catering for conferencing and banqueting of 40 people each or combined for 120 people; as well as room service.
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