Guesthouse draws foreign investors
2007-10-18
THE luxurious Bakenhof Guesthouse has opened on the farm Die Baken near Wellington, under new ownership and with the assistance of foreign investors.
Bakenhof is situated amidst the vineyards and offers breathtaking views across the winelands and surrounding mountains, with Table Mountain in the distance.
The four-star graded guesthouse is equipped to accommodate up to 14 guests in five suites, and includes romantic suites that are specially designed for honeymoon couples, as well as a family room.
All suites have private terraces, air-conditioning, satellite TV and DVD players. Guesthouse facilities include spacious living rooms with fireplaces, a conference room for executive meetings of up to 14 delegates, lush gardens and a swimming pool.
At 155ha, Die Baken farm is one of the largest table grape producing farms in the area. Ninety hectares are planted with table grapes, of which 85% is exported. In addition 15ha of wine producing vineyards have been planted to deliver the first harvest next year (2008).
Other tourism developments that are planned on the farm include a second guesthouse and cottages, as well as the addition of a function and wedding venue.
Bakenhof Guesthouse is spearheaded by Michael and Heidi Stöltzing, who established WECMSA (Wine Estate Capital Management South Africa), a company that offers a unique fractional ownership concept for wine estates, in a joint venture with the Dutch founder company Wine Estate Capital Management (WECM).
In terms of the agreement, international investors (currently from Holland, Switzerland and France), become co-owners of select wine estates, with Die Baken the first project in South Africa, following two others in Bordeaux (France).
As one of the main investors, the Stöltzings manage and operate the business interests of WECMSA, currently comprising of Die Baken farm and the Bakenhof Guesthouse, as well as the Fish Hoek Manor Guesthouse, which is currently under construction in Fish Hoek.
The Stöltzings bring with them extensive experience in the travel and tourism industry.
Michael Stöltzing is the former CEO of South African Airways City Centre (SAACC), the travel agency division of SAA, which is now known as SA Travel Centre.
Stöltzing relocated to South Africa from Germany in 1997, where he managed the Training and Total Quality management divisions of Lufthansa City Centre.
He also runs a management consultancy business for the tourism and aviation industry.
His wife, Heidi Stöltzing (nee Strydom), was part of the founding team of SAACC where she headed the company’s operations in Africa and managed the Sales and Service departments, after nine years with SAA in both the Sales department, and before that working as in-flight crew on international routes.
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