The Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton has appointed Danie Smit – who has over 32 years of hospitality experience – as the new General Manager of the property. Smit brings with him a wealth of knowledge specific to the Radisson Blu brand gained during his previous tenure as General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence Cape Town.
The top three areas of focus for Smit over the next 12 months will be protecting the business’s base line, cost efficiency over cost cutting and increasing the market share both internationally and domestically.
“The hospitality industry has lost an estimated three years of incremental growth due to the pandemic, excluding inflation, but despite all of this people will never lose the need for personal interaction. I believe this will aid in the recovery,” he says.
New manager for Victoria Falls Safari Spa
Newly appointed Victoria Falls Safari Spa Manager, Avalon van Leent, is excited to bring a new standard to spas in Victoria Falls and to put the hotel on the map as a wellness destination.
“It’s exciting because it’s the first purpose-built spa in Victoria Falls and marks a new milestone in the wellness industry in Zimbabwe, with Victoria Falls now catching up with the rest of the world,” said Van Leent.
Victoria Falls Safari Spa will feature three stand-alone treatment rooms, and a main area with a hair and make-up studio, a polish bar, a splash pool and café.
The African tented safari camp style spa will offer massages, facials, manicure and pedicures, as well as many other treatments, with mini options available for children. Its offerings will include half day and full day packages and wellness weekends.
Born in Masvingo, Van Leent studied Holistic and Spa Therapies with Camelot International in Johannesburg, where she gained a CIDESCO qualification, the world’s most prestigious qualification for Aesthetics and Beauty Therapy.
After her studies, she joined a five-star cruise ship, The Quest, part of the Yachts of Seabourn, to gain international experience and travel the world as a spa therapist, before moving to Australia and gaining further experience in the wellness industry.
Van Leent will head up a team of four therapists when Victoria Falls Safari Spa opens on November 1.
