Having ventured into a strategic partnership with Sun International in August 2014 to own 50% of the Royal Livingstone hotel, Minor Hotels has now acquired 100% ownership and will also be taking over full operation of the hotel.
As part of the acquisition, Minor is rebranding the Royal Livingstone by adding the hotel to its core luxury Anantara portfolio. The hotel will trade as the Royal Livingstone by Anantara. The Anantara brand spread its wings into southern Africa in 2014, adding two resorts in Mozambique – Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort and Anantara Medjumbe Island.
Related news is that Minor Hotel Group has added the Elewana Collection, its fifth member brand, into the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) network. The Elewana Collection consists of 15 lodges, camps and hotels across Kenya and Tanzania. Integration of Elewana Collection into GHA has already been completed and the alliance’s Discovery loyalty program will be recognized and rewarded for stays at any of Elewana Collection’s properties. Chris Hartley, GHA’s CEO, said: “Elewana further reinforces our belief that truly independent brands, which represent the culture and heritage of their region, are what the next generation of travellers are looking for.” Minor’s association with GHA dates back to 2007, when its Anantara brand was one of the first alliance members. Since then, Minor’s portfolio has expanded to include hotel brands Avani, Per Aquum and Tivoli.
