03 May 2016

The Minister of Infrastructure Science and Technology Mr Nonofho Molefhi officially opened Hotel Selebi in Selebi Phikwe recently.

 When officially opening the hotel, Mr Molefhi commended the establishment of the facility noting that it was going an extra mile in helping diversify the economy of the mining town, especially during this time when BCL Mine which is the main contributor to the mining town’s economy, is facing challenges.

He said the setting up of the hotel also contributeed to developing sustainability plans to convert Selebi Phikwe into an events and conference venue.

He said the hotel was a significant investment that was an add-on to the hotel hospitality and conferencing industry that already existed in the mining town that includes Cresta Bosele Hotel, Syringa Lodge, Hotel Stonehouse, Traveling Lodge among other lodges in Selebi Phikwe.

He encouraged the management to strive to distinguish Hotel Selebi as a place for conferencing and hotel hospitality in order to be able to compete effectively in the industry. He urged the management to uphold the standards which would measure the quality of services the hotel provided.

He said the shareholders and management of the hotel should have a strong partnership with their employees and explained that if employees were satisfied on the job, they were easily motivated to serve their employer with diligence, courtesy, commitment, discipline and confidence.

He also said employees of the hotel had to understand that it was their role and responsibility to meet customers’ expectation because that was what was important in the hospitality business.

The Minister urged them to be disciplined and responsible enough to ensure that customers’ property was handled with care.

“It is therefore important to uphold this work ethic as employees in order for this hotel to be recognised and reach its objective,” he said.

“If the service standards, quality of food, clientele rooms and conference facility are good and packaged in a manner that is consistent with the general expectation of hotel hospitality industry, Hotel Selebi will stay in business and will not be a white elephant. In this regard I urge you to stay focused and try to be a step ahead of your competitors,” he said.

Minister Molefhi went on to state that tourism was a significant contributor to the GDP and it could continue to do so if those that are involved rise to the occasion by ensuring that they do things right at all times. 

He said the establishment of the hotel also supports government’s initiative of bringing in development and creating employment as underlined in the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). He said this meant the Hotel Selebi project in some way was an ESP initiative pursued by the private sector.

Meanwhile, Mr Shajeed Patel who is one of the three main share holders of Hotel Selebi said the hotel project created employment for 35 people. The hotel which is an investment from A1Group of Companies retail stores owned by the Patel brothers is expected to have an input in the tourism and hospitality industry, creating more employment for locals and giving the area a face lift.

He said the Hotel had 42 rooms and a conference facility that could hold up to 300 people, a pool side bar and restaurant among other others. 

He said they setup the hotel looking at the Botswana Tourism Organisation and international standards in the hospitality business.

He said their focus was to provide something different in hospitality that defined luxury at an affordable price and that their target was to have Hotel Selebi as a four star hotel.

“We wanted to maintain that standard and be able to compete with other four star hotels in Botswana and internationally. That is why we accorded our rooms a sense of luxury at an affordable price,”

He went on to explain that the plan to setup the hotel came about in 2013. He said their organization looked at how they could diversify their operations from A1 hardware material sales to tourism and hospitality and also contribute to diversifying the economy of the mining sector.

The official opening of the hotel was also attended by the town mayor Mr Amogelang Mojuta, the deputy district commissioner Mr Orapeleng Modimoopelo, councillors, the business community and government officials as well as members of the Selebi Phikwe community. Ends