President Hotel, a landmark in the Mother City, has set out on an ongoing refurbishment program. The brief given to the hospitality procurement team – Prologik, together with interior design company, HTB Journey, was for the hotel refurb to be “authentic, considered, respectful to the environment and remain true to the establishment’s origins”.
KBAC Flooring Cape Town was brought on board to assist in fulfilling this brief. After careful consideration, Interface’s Net Effect carpet tile range, whose design mimics that of ocean waves hitting the shoreline, was selected to be installed in the passages and public spaces of the hotel. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the carpet tile is environmentally friendly as it’s made from 100% recycled nylon, including post-consumer nylon that is acquired from discarded fishing nets from the shorelines of the Philippines.
Justin Raath, Director of HTB Journey says, “Selecting Net Effect for me was an essential choice as today there is so much smoke and mirrors about sustainable design. With Net Effect there are no grey areas. There is no doubt that these tiles actually contribute immensely to making a difference to our oceans and communities affected by marine life”.
HTB Journey believes that in the Hospitality industry, flooring plays an important role in the overall identity of an establishment. A hotel’s sense of luxury, its character, relevance as well as its cleanliness, to a large extent, is achieved through the flooring. Each corridor of the President Hotel has unique murals depicting South Africa’s culture, flora and fauna, landscape and oceans. The flooring compliments this beautifully and ensures that as soon as guests step from the lift lobby area onto the Vanguard Vinyl tiles and look down the “ocean” corridors, they know they are in an establishment that has put a lot of thought into its design, which is quietly elegant and true to its origins.
ShaunShaun Kark, director of Prologik, which specialises in hospitality project procurement and who project managed the various parties involved in the President Hotel’s new flooring installation, says his company’s brief was to complete the project on time, and create cost savings. This was achieved through thorough cost analysis, negotiations and a review of the total supply chain, from origin to completion, both of these targets were met.
“Shane de Beer and the KBAC team went above and beyond to ensure successful delivery of the Net Effect carpet tiles. Covid-19 struck just after our orders were completed and negatively affected the entire supply chain. But KBAC extended storage services, retained costings from 2019 when the sale was concluded, and worked tirelessly to ensure that all the parties involved were informed of manufacturing progress. This constant communication from KBAC made managing the supply chain much easier,” Shaun states.
Justin adds: “I’ve been working with Shane and KBAC for over 15 years. It’s always been a pleasure. The President is now undoubtedly a showcase of sustainability.”
