Johannesburg has welcomed a new luxury airport conference centre and hotel with the recent opening of the Premier Hotel OR Tambo.

Only 500 meters from the Gautrain Station and 1.2 kilometers from the airport terminals, reached by a free shuttle bus, the 280 room Premier Hotel OR Tambo is a full service four star-plus hotel.

In addition to offering leisure accommodation and facilities - including a pool deck and pool bar, the hotel will also offer state-of-the-art conferencing and meeting facilities for business and government use.

The main conference facility – in excess of 600 square meters – can hold up to 800 delegates cinema-style and is sub-dividable into smaller 150–200 square meter venues.

There are also smaller meeting rooms, break-away venues and a VIP Lounge and business centre.

A wellness centre and gymnasium opening April 2011 will also be available for the use of guests while the hotel also has its own in-house restaurant and adjoining bar with wi-fi available throughout.

“The development of this hotel is in line with the expansion programme of the Premier Hotels and Resorts Group as well as the fact that OR Tambo will become a prime convention centre location where delegates will be able to conveniently fly in, convene and fly out,” says Premier Hotel & Resorts managing director Samuel Nassimov.

African Style

Designed in contemporary, African style using natural materials such as stone and geometric glass and aluminum, approximately half of the rooms are afforded a view of the airport, creating a pleasing bay-window effect.

All the hotel’s large rooms (49 of which are suites with their own lounges) and public areas all offer wi-fi internet connections while other facilities include a swimming pool deck, restaurant and two bars along with 24 hour room service.

A spa and gym will open in April 2011.

“Far from being just a lay-over, the Premier Hotel OR Tambo provides all the services and style necessary to make for a comfortable travel experience,” added Nassimov.

Green Principles

In terms of green building principles, the building’s design takes orientation into account and windows have solar controlled glazing and to minimise heat load, reducing air-conditioning requirements.

The facades are also ‘fragmented’ to avoid large, heat-absorbing elements while energy efficient VRV air-conditioning systems have been incorporated into the Public areas.

The electrical installation incorporates Power Factor Correction to reduce energy demands along with an energy-efficient hot water generation plant utilizing roof mounted Air-to-Water type heat pumps, producing hot water at approximately a quarter the cost of electrical water heating.

Offering a range of hotels and conference venues in regional business and travel destinations in South Africa, the Premier Hotels & Resorts Group has grown incrementally from its original base of two hotels and a private game reserve in East London.

The group now includes hotels in Cape Town, Pretoria, Pinetown and the South Coast along with the recent opening of a luxury property in Knysna on the Garden Route, in East London and the East London International Convention Centre which the group also manages.