Stellenbosch hotel school reveals expansion plans

After a year of operation at its new premises near Stellenbosch, the Private Hotel School is to take its guesthouse and restaurant businesses – 33 Stay and 33 Dine – to a new level. A revamp is among the projects to be undertaken by a team of experts.

Bringing experience and skill to the enterprise are Maritte Collins, Wessel Minnaar and Renette and Chris Denny.

Private Hotel School founder and director Hein Olckers has welcomed their involvement. “The Private Hotel School, 33 Dine and 33 Stay enterprises work together. With the new blood in the family, the synergy they create will shine through even more,” he said.

Maritte Collins is the new executive chef at 33 Dine. A Prue Leith-trained chef who worked at Auberge Michelle and La Madeleine, she gave up a career in business to chase her passion and brings that commitment to 33 Dine. Her inspiration for 33 Dine is drawn from her love for Mediterranean cuisine, which she will enhance with a South African twist.

She will introduce new dishes, using locally sourced produce, to the menu. Establishing a herb garden for use by the restaurant and as a feature of the property, is also on her agenda along with converting the pool area into a light-lunch, child-friendly bistro. Dinners featuring a line-up of prominent chefs as guests are being planned and Collins will host cooking classes for small groups as well.

33 Dine will be fully operational under Collins from September 15.

Wessel Minnaar is the new manager of 33 Stay. An accountant for many years, he was the manager of the Amos Guest House in Pretoria. A keen landscaper, he has undertaken projects for properties around the country, two of which have featured in magazines.

His immediate goal is to upgrade 33 Stay to a four-star establishment, sprucing up the garden in the process to turn it into an attraction in its own right. 33 Stay will be operational under his management by November 1.

Taking on the revamp of both 33 Stay and 33 Dine is interior decorator Renette Denny. She owns Rosso-Viola Decor, a company that has operated countrywide for 18 years covering the corporate, residential and leisure market – including the Amos Guest House formerly managed by Minnaar.

The business brain and financial sponsor for Collins and Minnaar is Chris Denny. His construction business, Edge to Edge, operates nationally.

The Private Hotel School was established in 2006. It is a member of Fedhasa and the Association of Private Providers of Education, Training and Development (APPETD), and a faculty member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. It is headed up by directors Hein Olckers and Susina Jooste, both experienced hospitality professionals and trainers.