Malibu

"The first hotel to open that year was the Malibu. It was also the first project for which I would be operationally responsible. The dynamics of the situation played into Gordon’s hands. He had to deliver a completed building for me to operate. All sorts of things could therefore go wrong between the cup and the lip – things under Gordon’s control that would make life difficult for me (and it was already difficult enough)."

"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…"