Southern Sun Hotel Group
| Hotel chain | |
| Industry | Hotel |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Sol Kerzner |
| Headquarters | started in South Africa |
Number of locations | South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Seychelles, Tanzania and Mozambique |
Southern Sun Hotel Group is South Africa's largest hotel chain and an operator of InterContinental Hotels - branded hotels in South Africa. It was founded in 1969 by South African Breweries and hotelier Sol Kerzner.
Until 2000, Southern Sun held a 20% stake in Sol Kerzner's Sun International.
Today Southern Sun has 90 hotels in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Seychelles, Tanzania and Mozambique. Their stable of 90 hotels, approximately totaling 14,316 rooms, combine local favourites with their own hotel brands. Its hotels are operated under the following brands: Southern Sun Hotels and Resorts; SunSquare; Garden Court; StayEasy by Southern Sun; Southern Sun Lifestyle Resorts; InterContinental Hotels; Holiday Inn and Formula 1.
Southern Sun is an African hotel group with a range of brands which provide accommodation across all markets and offer a distribution of hotels in South Africa in major urban centres and key destinations.
In 2005, the company moved from being a brand manager to a brand owner and is an umbrella for many brands that make up the hotel group. The group has also invested in expanding into Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Seychelles and the Middle East, adding to their portfolio.
Southern Sun is wholly owned by Tsogo Sun Holdings, a South African entertainment and hospitality group that also holds Tsogo Sun Gaming. Tsogo Sun Holdings concluded a merger with and reverse listing through Gold Reef Resorts with effect from 24 February 2011.
Rebranding
On 13 April 2012 the Southern Sun Hotel Group merged with Tsogo Sun Gaming & Tsogo Sun Holdings to create Tsogo Sun.