VALUE OF THE MONTH OF APRIL
To have a culture of mutual respect, trust and integrity.
Your Colleagues Living our Value of the Month:
HEAD OFFICE
Human Resources
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to our Easter egg collection for the children at Leliebloem. Your generosity and kindness have brought smiles to many faces. A big thank you to Rita Nantongo (Breakfast Manager) for making the delivery on our behalf. We hope the kids enjoyed their Easter treats!
What's Easter without a little bit of fun? Our P&V Easter Egg Hunt at HQ was a delightful way to bring everyone together. Congratulations to all the participants, and a special shoutout to our winner who showed creativity with a chicken holding the P&V egg.
As we embark on our Q1 Employee Engagement Survey journey once again, we urge each one of you to participate. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape a better workplace for all. Rest assured, your responses are kept confidential, focusing solely on department and property information.
Training:
Mark your calendars for the upcoming training sessions designed to enhance your skills and knowledge. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these opportunities for professional growth and development. To join, please talk to your HOD and ask HR for the link.
From 01 January - 31 March, we have had the following departments and properties attend the various training sessions. We're thrilled to see such active participation!
Sales
The Serandipians show, known for its opulence and exclusivity, welcomed over 1000 attendees from around the world. It provided a platform for intimate, one-on-one meetings, fostering valuable connections. Anton Noll (Sales Manager - UK & Europe) participated in an impressive 93 meetings over three days, showcasing the allure of The Royal Portfolio to a discerning audience.
While Europe remains a stronghold for luxury, there's a notable shift towards the East and a burgeoning presence in North and South America. Africa and the Middle East, though trailing, are gaining traction.
The show organisers announced a significant change, splitting the event into three segments catering to different regions: the Far East, North America, and Europe/Africa. While met with mixed reactions, this move aims to accommodate diverse global interests.
Marketing
Our Itinerary rates for 2025 have been freshly updated and everyone is welcome to access the PDF document in the media and link library on Teams for more detail.
Exciting news! We are in the process of ordering more activity books for Birkenhead House and Royal Malewane. These books will feature a plethora of engaging activities for our guests to enjoy.
Our creative minds have been hard at work, and we have collaborated with Wayve Kolevsohn (Group Beverage Manager) on designing fun wine tasting sheets for our esteemed guests. Stay tuned for the unveiling of this delightful addition.
As mentioned in the previous TRP news session, BirdLife SA recently stayed at the Conservation & Research Centre, and we had the privilege of documenting their research on the European Roller and crafted a captivating blog post on Travel Tales.
We also conducted a comprehensive audit of mobile features across our website as we are committed to enhancing the user experience for our mobile users.
Lastly, our team has been diligently working on capturing the essence of Michael Jacob's (Art Concierge & Guest Liason) artful experiences at The Silo Hotel. We're eager to share the edited video with all of you soon.
PROPERTIES UPDATE
Birkenhead House
This past Easter weekend marked one of the quietest yet most memorable celebrations at Birkenhead House. Despite the tranquility, we were blessed with spectacular weather that added to the magic of the occasion. Special thanks to Leana Nienaber (Group Events Coordinator) for crafting a beautiful Easter invitation for our guests, setting the tone for a delightful Easter lunch.
Here are some snapshots of the Easter festivities at Birkenhead House, including decadent cakes baked by Nicola Koegelenberg (Pastry Chef) and exquisite floral arrangements. The entire staff joined in the celebrations, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for our guests.
Our team organised an exciting Easter egg hunt in the Boutique and Reception area, bringing joy and laughter to both guests and staff alike. It was a delightful way to embrace the spirit of the season and create lasting memories.
On a more operational note, we're pleased to report progress on our solar inverter installation. The team has begun work on integrating the inverters onto our DB boards, with completion expected by the end of the week. We appreciate everyone's cooperation as we carry out this essential maintenance work.
The Silo Hotel
We had an exceptional Easter weekend with a flurry of guests enjoying our offerings. Our kitchen team outdid themselves with a delectable menu featuring gnocchi, lamb rump, fish, duck and indulgent chocolate desserts. Check out some snapshots of our mouthwatering creations!
Our P&V Champions initiated a fun challenge for staff to create bunnies out of recycled materials, fostering creativity and environmental awareness. Stay tuned for the winner announcement!
A huge well done to our Spa team for consistently delivering exceptional experiences. We received glowing reviews from guests, praising the relaxing atmosphere and top-notch treatments.
April marks the beginning of our Wellness campaign, and we kicked it off with a successful Wellness Day at The Silo Hotel. Our staff enjoyed yoga sessions, financial advice, dental check-ups, and informative sessions on health and wellness.
Our Food & Beverage team participated in a whiskey tasting session hosted by Macallen, enhancing their knowledge to better serve our guests.
Additionally, we continued our social responsibility efforts with visits to Leliebloem, where children participated in an Easter-themed drawing competition.
Special mention and a huge congratulations goes to Shantel Ndlovu (Chef de Partie) for being invited to the African Junior Chef competition in Dubai after winning the 2023 Chef of the Year award.
La Residence
Despite a busy Easter weekend, we had a lot of fun with guests and children. Our team created cookies shaped like bunnies and organised an Easter egg hunt, which was a hit with guests. Tables were beautifully set up for the occasion, and everyone had a blast, especially three boys from Canada who thoroughly enjoyed the Easter egg hunt.
Instead of keeping Easter chocolates for ourselves, our team decided to spread joy by giving them away to our neighbours and to everyone walking by in the streets of Groendal, Franschhoek. This act of kindness was well-received and appreciated by all. Additionally, our team regularly visits Lord Acre on Tuesdays and Thursdays to serve food to those in need, especially during holidays when children are out of school.
Our team also organised a South African braai experience, which was enjoyed by guests and staff alike. Galant Damons, our Tour Guide, went above and beyond by taking guests to explore the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, earning praise for his exceptional service.
On Human Rights Day, our employees reflected on and shared their passion for their work and the meaningful experiences they have at La Residence.
ROYAL MALEWANE
Both Malewane, Farmstead and Waterside celebrated Easter with a Mad Hatter themed tea party. Our guests had fun dressing up and participating in an Easter egg hunt. The handmade decorations and creative setup were a hit with everyone.
In line with our value, "To recognise, reward and uplift", our employees were recognised for their hard work and dedication at our Employee of the Quarter celebration, with Athi Ntenda (Receptionist) and Tonny Mkhonto (Storehand) being named the overall Employees of the Quarter at Malewane Lodge and Waterside respectively.
Both lodges also conducted Easter egg hunts for all employees and the chocolates were enjoyed by everyone!
Malewane hosted a private anniversary dinner, which was a heartwarming experience for the guests.
Additionally, Malewane donated some beds to some families in the local community and the Styles & Standards team has been very busy restoring furniture to its former glory.
With the help of Michelle Broodryk (Food & Beverage Manager), the F&B team conducted a wine tasting session to enhance their knowledge. The team's engagement in learning and development initiatives was commendable.
We faced some challenges with leaks in the cooling system at Africa House however, the teams efficiently resolved these issues, ensuring smooth operations soon continued.
FOUNDATION UPDATE
The Foundation is sponsoring sewing classes, hosted by SAME, for the community near Royal Malewane. These one-month courses teach sewing skills to a maximum of 10 learners at a time, including making children's hats, dresses, and more. The final designs are handmade, empowering participants to continue sewing at home.
Generous guests who stayed at Royal Malewane donated educational toys and other items to the Langutelani Creche. The Foundation purchased and delivered these items to the creche, delighting the children and providing valuable tools for their education and development.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT TRP
Please refer to The Royal Portfolio's Careers page (www.theroyalportfolio.com/careers) where we list most of the open vacancies in the group. This is the reference point for all internal and external applications, so feel free to share the site with your industry friends and networks. You can click here, or scan the QR code to visit the website. Or check in with your HR Manager who will be able to discuss all opportunities across the group.
Internal applications, please let your HOD and property HR Manager know if you are interested in applying.
External applications are only received via our Careers page (no paper-based CVs, or direct emails, this is to ensure that we remain POPI compliant).
TO BE WELCOMING GENUINE AND WARM
NEW STARTERS
A very warm welcome to the following new team members across The Royal Portfolio:
TO RECOGNISE, REWARD AND UPLIFT
PROMOTIONS & INTERNAL MOVEMENTS
Congratulations to the below staff for their hard work and for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure that we can Give our Guests a Complete Experience and a Perfect Stay!
LONG SERVICE AWARDS - 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 Years with TRP in April!
Congratulations and thank you to the following staff for their loyalty and hard work over the years:
Promise Chiloane (Room Attendant @ ML) | 10 Years on the 06th of April 2024
Mpumelelo Mkhabela (Maintenance Technician @ ML) | 5 Years on the 01st of April 2024
Bertha Kachepatsonga (Commis Chef @ ML) | 5 Years on the 08th of April 2024
Livert Manyike (Maintenance Technician @ WS) | 5 Years on the 14th of April 2024
Rita Nantongo (Breakfast Manager @ TS) | 5 Years on the 15th of April 2024
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