SWEDISH hotel chain, Petit Hotel, is negotiating to sign up three additional hotels in the Western Cape, confirms managing director, Leena Höbinger.

The Dunes Country House at St Francis Bay and Ridgemor Villa in Somerset West earlier this year joined the group’s Petit Pearls brand of nine hotels outside Sweden (the others are in Kenya, Spain, Finland and the UK). It also has 29 hotels in Sweden. Höbinger said: “We are the fastest expanding hotel chain in Sweden. We are in the process of negotiating with three more hotels in the Western Cape and we hope they will become members by autumn.” She said the group was looking for hotels that were situated within a comfortable driving distance of each other. Petit Hotels are always small (no more than 30 rooms); they are situated in the countryside among scenic settings with golf courses nearby; and always offer superior cuisine.