Johannesburg

"It was also crucial to fill the place from day one, as had been his practice at the Elangeni and the Malibu – especially as the window of opportunity was tight: he needed to get as many patrons as possible through the doors in December and January. Word of mouth had to spread to Johannesburg, the hotel’s prime market. And so Sol decided to offer, for a limited period only, ridiculously low room rates. By restricting sales to a package that comprised room, breakfast and dinner, and by…"

"Solomon Kerzner was born in Durban, South Africa, on 23 August 1935. He was, however, a citizen of the world. He had homes in London and the Chiltern Hills in the UK, the south of France, New York, Johannesburg and the Bahamas, as well as his beloved Leeukoppie estate in Hout Bay, Cape Town."

"Construction finally began in 1962 and, to the amazement of the builders, Sol was everywhere. Although his wife, Maureen, and their young family were now residing in Johannesburg, Sol practically camped out in Natal. He visited the building site daily, but mostly at different times. Much to his frustration, he discovered that the people he had interacted with during the planning phase were almost never there. The actual construction work had been delegated to the site foremen. Those who had worked on the designs were nowhere to be seen, apart from monthly review meetings. Sol was apoplectic. The people he had entrusted with control of his project – and, by extension, his money – had presumably moved on to their next project."