Gusto Urban Italian has nabbed the Restaurant General Manager Of The Year award at this year’s FEDHASA Hospitality Awards.

The Italian restaurant, which forms part of the Century City Conference Centre and Hotels portfolio, is incredibly proud of its General Manager, Gabrielle Roland, who has been managing the establishment for almost three years, ensuring that the flavours of Italy remain authentic to their origins, but with a local South African flair and using locally-sourced ingredients to create a dynamic and intriguing menu that gives guests a true Italian experience. 

Gabrielle was part of the team when Century City Conference Centre and Hotels first opened its doors in 2016, starting her journey with the Group as a bartender at Square Cafe and Wine Bar (now Urban Umami). She was selected to be part of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels’ Bursary Award Program, which identifies members of its team who show drive and ambition, and gives them the financial and training support that allows them to study through the company in order to grow their skills in hospitality management. Each year, a few deserving individuals receive bursaries to study things such as hospitality management/hotel management or culinary arts.

After winning the Bursary Award, Gabrielle went on to become Food and Beverage Supervisor, and then Assistant Restaurant Manager, at Square Cafe, before captaining the opening team at Gusto in Feb 2022.

Gary Koetser, CEO of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels, says: “Gabrielle was one of our top candidates, who showed not just a knowledge of and passion for food, but the unique qualities needed in a top-class restaurant manager. We couldn’t be prouder of her achievement.”

Says Gabrielle: “Food and customer service have been my passion for as long as I can remember, and I have been fortunate to have the support of the Century City Conference Centre and Hotels team as we grow Gusto into a restaurant that not only serves exceptional Italian-style food, but that is becoming a culinary destination for both locals and travellers alike.”

The Group had three team members who made it to the final round:

• Chelsea Chetty, Front Office Manager of Century City Hotel Urban Square, finalist  for Front Of House Manager Of The Year, and who was placed as the runner up in this category;
• Bernard Abrahams, Operations Manager, finalist for Sustainability; and
• Gabrielle Roland, Restaurant GM Of The Year winner.

“We are so proud of all our team members who were nominated for an award, including Chelsea for achieving the runner-up position. Their commitment and passion for what they do, and what they bring to the brand in their own individual ways, is what makes Century City Conference Centre and Hotels what it is,” concludes Gary.

Whenever somebody’s researching their next leisure or business travel destination, a few standard factors will play into their decision. Are flights affordable and readily available? What are the accommodation and transport options like? And what are the must-eat food spots? Increasingly, however, visitors of all kinds are looking for more than that. 

Rather than jetting into a country and exploring, or doing whatever business they need to, people want to know that they’ve also had a positive impact on their destination of choice. With growing awareness of the climate crisis, visitors want to have a positive environmental impact wherever possible.

But that desire for a positive impact also extends beyond the environment and into overall societal well-being. Travellers also want their impact to be authentic rather than the result of greenwashing (a phenomenon where companies mislead customers about their green practices) or token community initiatives that don’t make a tangible difference. 

As an indicator of how important impact tourism is becoming, a recent Booking.com study found that 76% of travellers want to make their trips more sustainable. For South Africa to remain a viable business and leisure tourism destination, the local hospitality sector must embrace impact tourism.

Someone who knows first-hand how important it is that hospitality providers take a holistic approach to impact and sustainability is Gary Koetser, CEO of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels. The group, which recently took home a silver at the Africa-wide WTM Responsible Tourism Awards, has baked sustainability into its core offerings.

“When the Conference Centre first opened in 2016,” he says, “Cape Town was in the midst of a one in 400 hundred year drought. We could already see the impact that a major climate event would have on the hospitality sector. It only strengthened our resolve to put sustainability at the heart of our offerings, bolstering our resilience while playing a positive environmental role.”

But sustainability is something he’s also personally passionate about.

“As the father of two growing boys, I spend a lot of time thinking about the world they’ll inherit one day,” he says. “I want it to be one they can thrive in and I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can play a part, however small, in ensuring that it is.” 

Among the early steps the group took to ensure sustainability in the Conference Centre and its attendant hotels and restaurants were water management, recycling and waste management, and various energy saving initiatives. Examples of its proactive stance on water management include the use of non-potable water in all of its ablution facilities along with the use of aerated showers and timers on bathroom taps.  

As Koetser points out, however, the group also knows how important it is to keep innovating around sustainability.

One such innovation is the solar PV system installed on the Conference Centre’s roof. Commissioned in 2017, the complete solar PV system at Century City Conference Centre consists of over 800 photovoltaic modules split over two roofs, totalling 260 kWp in size. It recently added a 120kWp system to the roofs of the hotels. Collectively, the solar PV systems are expected to generate enough clean electricity annually to reduce carbon emissions of the group by 25%. It also recently installed solar inverters in the Conference Centre, allowing it to store any excess energy and reducing the need for diesel during periods of load shedding. 

As Kim Weber, Group Commercial Manager of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels, points out, people also want to be empowered to act sustainably while they’re at a conference or staying in a hotel.

“For many of our guests and delegates, that means being able to access everything they need without necessarily having to rent a car or use a ride-hailing vehicle,” she says. “We’re privileged enough to be able to offer guests a wealth of accommodation, restaurant, and shopping options within easy walking distance. They also have easy access to public transit, such as the MyCiti bus service, which can deliver them quickly and sustainably to some of Cape Town’s biggest attractions.”

The group additionally makes it easier for guests to behave sustainably by providing recycling bins in all public spaces and using only glass water bottles across all of its properties. From a conferencing perspective, meanwhile, it connects exhibitors with stand builders and marketing material suppliers who are committed to sustainability.

According to Weber, the group also understands that sustainability goes beyond environmental concerns.

“For us, sustainability rests on four pillars ,” she says. “In addition to the environmental focus, we also have pillars that focus on community, commercial sustainability, and culture.”

As Koetser points out, it’s this kind of holistic, data-driven, approach that sets hospitality providers who are serious about sustainability apart from those using greenwashing (a practice rooted more in marketing than actual change) to attract travellers concerned with impact.

“We view sustainability as a big responsibility,” he says. “By taking a data-centric approach, we are able to measure our initiatives, look for opportunities and hold ourselves accountable internally.”

“Make no mistake,” Koetser concludes. “We know we’re not perfect and that there will always be more that we can do. But with the whole industry pushing for sustainability, we’ll all end up doing better.”

The Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) has revitalised South Africa’s conferencing and events sector with a R15 million refurbishment and the launch of a new venue. Called The Verve, this new venue adds 500m² of conferencing space to the Centre, reflecting its ongoing growth as well as that of Cape Town’s business tourism industry.

Named for the sense of vitality and enthusiasm it’s meant to inspire. Both The Verve and the revitalised Business Lounge and surrounding public spaces are designed to meet the needs of sophisticated clients seeking upmarket venues, regardless of the type of event they’re organising.

The Centre’s decision to invest in the new venue and refurbishments demonstrates growing confidence in South Africa’s meetings, incentives, conferencing, and events (MICE) space. Along with travel and tourism, this sector has significantly boosted South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP). The MICE sector alone is expected to contribute approximately R183.11 billion by 2028, up from R132.94 billion this year. This trend is driving job creation and increasing demand for conferences and events.

“The launch of The Verve signifies a significant achievement in our ongoing pursuit of excellence,” says Century City Conference Centre and Hotels CEO Gary Koetser. “Recognising the demand for a setting that radiates sophistication and exclusivity, The Verve epitomises these qualities. This new addition increases our capacity to 2000 guests across our 21 venues.”

This sense of sophistication and exclusivity is further reflected in the refurbished Business Lounge and surrounding public spaces. The lounge now features several enhancements, including:

• Bespoke workstations that promote productivity for delegates and business guests, fostering seamless connectivity.
• Private meeting booths and sound-proofed, air-conditioned working pods for confidential discussions and private meetings.
• Intimate dining pockets that offer a private and comfortable setting for working lunches.
• Exceptional attention to detail aimed at enhancing the delegate experience, such as ergonomically designed seating that optimises productivity during working lunches and key networking sessions.

Further evidence of Century City Conference Centre’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its customers can be seen in other, smaller touches as well. The first floor, for example, now includes USB-C charging ports, a feature that few other South African conferencing spaces currently offer. The Centre has also embraced the rising focus on health and wellness, most notably through the installation of a new juice and smoothie bar in the food and beverage section.

“The recent refurbishment and redesign of our public spaces demonstates our dedication to providing delegates with a harmonious fusion of functionality and comfort,” says Bernard Abrahams, Century City Conference Centre’s Operations Manager. “Moreover, it demonstrates our commitment to guaranteeing everyone who enters the Centre’s doors an unparalleled experience.”

“The unveiling of The Verve, coupled with the rejuvenation of our public spaces, signifies a momentous chapter in the Century City Conference Centre’s story,” Koetser concludes. “We are steadfast in our commitment to delivering unparalleled experiences and contributing to the successful  business tourism industry of Cape Town, and South Africa.’’

Century City Conference Centre & Hotels was awarded Silver for Positive Climate Impact, at this year’s WTM Responsible Tourism Award, which took place in the Mother City at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

The awards considered businesses and destinations from across the African continent, with only the top contenders moving through to the finals.

The Positive Climate Impact award celebrates businesses that are actively contributing to the decarbonisation of tourism operations and exploring innovative ways to protect against threats to ensure business continuity.

The win for Century City Conference Centre acknowledges its active role in seeking ways to improve its carbon footprint, and its foundation is built on the idea of sustainability and treading lightly on its environment, with properties being built with resource-saving features in mind.

Century City Square is the first development in the Western Cape (and the second in South Africa) to have been awarded a four-star Green Star custom mixed-use design rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa.

Gary Koetser, chief executive officer of Century City Conference Centre, says: ”Incredibly proud of the team for this recognition. It reaffirms our objective to be more intentional, transparent with our efforts and data and be accountable for the part we play in the long-term sustainability of our industry.”