TRP News 05/01/2026 - 2025 Reflections

As we step into this exciting new year, we can’t help but reflect on the achievements and milestones of 2025 while eagerly anticipating the opportunities that lie ahead in 2026. It’s going to be a remarkable year filled with growth, collaboration, and innovation! Last year brought significant wins across the board, and we’re building on that momentum.

PRIMROSE HOUSE

It really is wonderful to start the year by recapping all the highlights from across the properties and from Primrose House, and looking back on everything that 2025 brought us. We genuinely believe we have even more to look forward to in 2026. There are some very exciting developments ahead, including the upcoming closure of Malewane in the next few days and the opportunity to see it rejuvenated later in the year. Alongside that, we have several larger projects planned that will help move the group forward, as well as many smaller refinements and improvements taking place across departments following the festive season.

The properties have been exceptionally busy, and we know many of you have had your foot firmly on the accelerator for weeks now. The feedback we’ve received has, on the whole, been really positive, and I want to encourage everyone to keep pushing forward. There are many more guests coming through our doors in the weeks and months ahead, and I wish you all the very best as we continue this momentum.

To everyone at The Royal Portfolio, and to those who couldn’t join us, I sincerely hope that 2026 is a happy and healthy year for you and your families, and a prosperous one for our group as a whole. Thank you to everyone in advance for the commitment and energy you bring.

JANUARY

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
Simon truly embodied our P’s and V’s by going the extra mile in a way we had never seen before, quite literally on horseback. It was a wonderful example of initiative and guest focus.	The year began beautifully with the launch of Franschhoek House and the welcoming of the very first guests, setting an exceptional tone for the months ahead.	The team celebrated their Department of the Season awards, the spa introduced its Valentine’s menu, and we welcomed a SANCCOB visit and the team also took part in the Red Hill Marathon, which was an incredible achievement.	Royal Malewane focused on upskilling, with cocktail training led by our front-of-house team, bartenders, and mixologists, producing fantastic results. At Waterside, a predator fence was added around the lodge to ensure the safety of both guests and staff.	Primrose House was abuzz with activity, with much of the team focused on opening Franschhoek House, making key group appointments for projects and sales, and even finding moments of calm thanks to Edward, our ever-reliable ambassador.

FEBRUARY

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
We celebrated Valentine’s Day with both staff and guests, and Michelle Gioia (HR Manager) joined the HR team. While we said goodbye to Wayne and Mimmi, we were pleased to see Wayne take up his new role at Masiya’s Camp.	The Bizou Bizou Valentine’s dinner was a highlight, and Chantell du Toit was promoted to Deputy General Manager, a well-deserved achievement!	The Silo Hotel marked Valentine’s Day by handing out roses to staff, welcoming new joiners through a warm induction process, celebrating its eight-year anniversary, and recognising team members through the P&V committee rewards.	The team came together for the 2024 staff party, and Valentine’s Day was celebrated throughout the lodges with both guests and staff. The Culture Cup made its way through our foundation initiatives and February also marked Wayne Spencer’s official start as General Manager of Masiya’s Camp.	We welcomed the fourth intake of the Management and Leadership course and implemented the restructure at Royal Malewane, with Nikita Lumb and Archie Maclean stepping into their new roles as General Manager and Lodge Manager.

MARCH

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
Repeat guests returned for their annual visits, which we all always enjoy. Guests also enjoyed mussel picking, surfing lessons, and sunset bartending experiences.	La Residence welcomed special guests like Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens.	There was a strong focus on wellness and experiences, including a dedicated Wellness Day, wine tastings across the estates, the Ladles of Love Golf event, spa challenges, exhibitions, and endurance achievements of some employees such as the Two Oceans Marathon.	Royal Malewane continued its commitment to social responsibility, with the F&B team delivering dental health education initiatives at local communities. We were also proud to see Waterside recognised as Design Hotel of the Year at the Luxe Awards.	The restructuring of the finance team has progressed well, and we would like to commend Peter Apperley (Group Finance Director) and his team for navigating the transition so effectively. Conservation training sessions also took place and Hoon Kim transitioned from La Residence to join the Sales team, and the TRP induction booklet for new starters was successfully launched.

APRIL

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
We celebrated Easter with both guests and staff and introduced a new private residence, The Lighthouse. We also enjoyed hosting more return guests, hosted a Travel Beyond fam trip, and rolled out wine training with Wayve Kolevsohn (Group Beverage Manager).	La Residence welcomed celebrity guests including Alan Carr and Lee Peart. Seasonal highlights included olive oil harvesting, hosting a large Kosher group and the introduction of COAL evenings. .	The team organised an Easter egg hunt, behind-the-scenes tours, special lunches, celebrated Reaching for Young Stars nominations, surprise cakes for guests, and a Thai New Year celebration.	Royal Malewane welcomed guests attending the piano recital by Tian Jiang.	Primrose celebrated Big Phil finally getting his dream tractor. Masiya’s Camp completed a successful soft launch, welcomed its first guests, and conducted site inspections in Zimbabwe, marking an exciting period of growth for the group.

MAY

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
Birkenhead House celebrated Mother’s Day, conducted cultural, wine, and spa training, carried out deep cleaning, and began yearly maintenance, despite a small fire near the property.	Nuzaan Magier was promoted to Duty Manager and the Franschhoek House snagging process was successfully completed.	The Silo hosted a Lion’s Head hike, celebrated Receptionist Day, and ran the ABSA 10km race.	Mother’s Day was celebrated at all properties with beautifully curated experiences, supported by the Spa teams. Waterside hosted an alien invasive species workshop and encouraged sustainability through a value-of-the-month challenge focused on reducing, re-using, and recycling.	Primrose House hosted Latin American agents as part of our We Are Africa engagements and held a Wellness Day for the team.

JUNE

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
The Cliff Path was completed and Father’s Day was celebrated, alongside meaningful social responsibility initiatives supporting child welfare and house mothers. A wide range of culture corner activities kept team engagement high.	The winter season began to build, with the citrus harvest underway, winter maintenance in progress, and creative experiences such as Sip & Paint hosted at Franschhoek House, alongside the launch of winter menus.	The Silo took part in the Africa Food Show, celebrated a first runner-up achievement in Reaching for the Stars, completed the Leliebloem computer room, launched its winter menu, and continued strong cross-training amongst departments, including the annual Sweden staff exchange.	Royal Malewane together with Masiya's Camp celebrated the official opening, while a group-wide maintenance restructure was implemented across the properties, including the formation of a dedicated utilities team.	The month concluded with the TRP Ops team hosting a financial meeting in the Bush, bringing teams together for focused collaboration and planning.

JULY

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
Room 5 was upgraded, the maintenance and hotel teams enjoyed an outing, and the entire team came together for a staff party. We were also pleased to welcome Wihan Riekert, who joined us as our new Deputy General Manager.	The team launched the Culture Cartel, building on our Culture Champions initiative, and completed occupational health and safety training. A new menu was introduced by the kitchen, while the Terrace and Loggia received décor updates, the canteen was refreshed and relaunched as Canteen 2.0, and Mandela Day was meaningfully celebrated.	The Thali menu was launched and on Mandela Day, the team supported Ladles of Love. We hosted a lunch for Concierges across Cape Town and carried out bathroom refreshes.	Malewane Lodge, Waterside, and Farmstead received five-star premium gradings, Fourth of July celebrations were enjoyed with guests, and Mandela Day saw teams giving back at local crèches by painting jungle gyms and assisting with general improvements.	At Primrose House, PWC conducted audits, and the HR team hosted a focused boot camp at La Residence, rounding off a productive and rewarding month.

AUGUST

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
The teams participated in Lessons in Conservation and Just Care training alongside other properties, reinforcing our shared commitment to sustainability and responsible hospitality.	The beautifully refreshed Room 5 was launched, Bastille Day was celebrated with guests at Franschhoek House, and the Toni Hills group was welcomed. The team also enjoyed a staff bowls event, completed HVAC training and began early planning for New Year’s Eve.	Some members of the team took part in the Totalsports Women’s Race, and the Front Office team enjoyed a helicopter ride as part of a team-building experience.	We were also proud to see Masiya’s Camp featured in the Robb Report Top 50. Royal Malewane Lodge also hosted a Wellness Week, including running, walking, yoga, sessions with a psychologist, and health smoothie activations.	Virtuoso Travel Week took place, we officially closed the chapter on the Bahamas and opened a new chapter in Zimbabwe and celebrated joining The Leading Hotels of the World.

SEPTEMBER

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
We celebrated Heritage Day, introduced a refreshed dining room set-up, and launched a new seasonal menu. We were also proud to receive a 100% grading council rating.	At La Residence, new cellar signage was installed, the Terrace Room received a further upgrade, and the Curio Shop achieved an impressive R500k in sales. The Culture Kartel continued to gain momentum, and the property was honoured with the Condé Nast Traveller Best Hotel Award.	The team celebrated Heritage Day, hosted the Concierge Conference, took part in the Friends of Valkenburg Golf Day, and the Silo soccer team participated in their tournament. Food & Beverage cocktail training also took place.	Royal Malewane celebrated Heritage Day across all the properties.	Victor arrived in South Africa, Darien Hensberg was promoted to Social Media & Content Specialist and the Leading Hotels of the World Annual Summit took place, which Penny Fraser (Sales Manager UK & Europe) attended. September also saw the annual PURE show, with Edward Morton and Liz Biden hosting and attending media lunches, continuing to strengthen our industry relationships.

OCTOBER

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
We welcomed the Feng Li group, ran a P&V drive for new starters, supported our local night shelter as part of our social responsibility efforts, and continued to drive culture initiatives within the team.	Heritage Day was celebrated with beautifully curated salads and dinners, a special birthday video was created for Liz Biden (Founder and Co-Chair), and we welcomed our new florist, Marlene Dirks. The month also included focused development and team-building activities.	The team took part in a hike in October, refreshed both the kitchen and rooftop areas, launched a new Spa menu, and proudly featured Chefs Veronica Canha-Hibbert and Bianca Schreuder on Heart FM. The property also participated in the FEDHASA Golf Day and received Michelin Key recognition.	Royal Malewane was awarded three Michelin Keys, a significant achievement for the lodge.	We hosted the annual Royal Culture Club at La Residence, bringing together top team members and general managers, attended a Leading Hotels of the World client event, and saw Simon Mandy (Managing Director) and Nigel Pace (Executive Head of Sales) represent the group at Safari Professionals in Colorado, USA.

NOVEMBER

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
We ran a social drive supporting HCFS with two houses, organised Christmas gifting, and extended our social responsibility efforts to the elderly. Victor Borchers (Executive Coach) visited during the month, and we proudly celebrated the graduation of our Management and Leadership trainees.	The Management and Leadership course also concluded with a graduation during Victor's visit, a new jungle gym was installed, Lady Dawn was introduced to the lake and enjoyed by many guests, and wedding season was in full swing.	We celebrated World Kindness Day, with the Spa team spreading joy by gifting colleagues, welcomed Victor, and celebrated qualifications achieved during the month.	The Management and Leadership graduates were celebrated.	We hosted a guest birthday celebration, ran a Vision, Purpose & Values video challenge, celebrated another Management and Leadership graduation, and attended the Leading Hotels of the World annual GM convention.

DECEMBER

Birkenhead House	La Residence	The Silo Hotel	Royal Malewane	Primrose House
Birkenhead House hosted festive celebrations, welcomed multiple return guests, and rang in the New Year in style.	La Residence celebrated Christmas and New Year with VIP return guests and memorable festive experiences with the themes Nordic Noël and Midnight at the Sultan’s Palace.	The Silo Hotel celebrated team members who participated and won at the 2025 Interhotel Challenge. We also enjoyed a freestyle chess challenge, and a joyful year-end party for the children at Leliebloem. December was also marked by the proud moment of Luis Pinheiro being named General Manager of the Year, a fitting way to close an exceptional year.	Christmas and New Year celebrations were in full swing, Royal Suites 7 and 8 returned to operation, and Malewane was once again awarded World’s Leading Luxury Lodge for the second consecutive year at the WTA 2025.	At Primrose House, festive celebrations continued alongside ILTM Cannes which members of the Sales team attended.

FOUNDATION

January	February	March	April	May	June
We sponsored stationery and backpacks for the new Grade 1 Learners at Wes Eind. The La Residence team handed them over at the start of the school year.	We hosted the first Lessons in Conservation Savannah programme of the year at the Royal Malewane Conservation and Research Centre. We welcomed the children from Sihlikisi School, who spent the day learning about conservation in a hands-on and engaging way.	Louwveld Dental visited Langetulani  to educate learners and teachers about dental hygiene. Lessons in Conservation Marine programme was held at Primrose House for the HQ, Silo and Birkenhead teams.	HQ Foundation Committee established.	The jungle gym donated by Marilyn Fransway was installed at Langetulani. Wild Shots was hosted at the CRC.	We sponsored sports uniforms for Wes Eind Primary. The La Residence team handed them out to the children in June. The Leliebloem computer room was opened.
July	August	September	October	November	December
We hosted a Careers Day for the young women from Great Girls to introduce them to the careers available in tourism and hospitality. HQ and Silo teams presented to the girls.	Lessons in Conservation was held at Just Care, an aftercare in Hermanus followed by an outing to Stoney Point Penguin Colony.	Friends of Child Protection Pack Day hosted at Primrose House.	Children from Wes Eind Primary went on an outing to Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm to end off the Eco Club programme (which we sponsor) taught by the Cape Leopard Trust.	Mandy & Edwin Buckhalter visited Wes Eind Primary after making a large donation. First live stream of CRC monthly talks on Instagram.	Prize giving's for Early Childhood Development centres and Primary Schools that we support. We attended as many as we could and sponsored trophies. Leliebloem hosted their annual Christmas party.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT TRP

Our Careers page is the reference point for all open positions available across The Royal Portfolio group. We accept internal and external applications here, and always, internal applications are given preference.

In order to ensure your application stands out, please apply via the Careers page and let your HOD and property HR Manager know of your desire to develop yourself further.

Feel free to share the site with your industry friends and networks too, in order to help us reach a wider network of exceptional candidates.

You can click here, or scan the QR code to visit the website.

TO BE WELCOMING GENUINE AND WARM

NEW STARTERS

A very warm welcome to the following new, and in some cases, returning or transferring, team members across The Royal Portfolio:

TO RECOGNISE, REWARD AND UPLIFT

PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

Congratulations to the below staff for their hard work and for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure that we Give our Guests a Complete Experience and a Perfect Stay!

LONG SERVICE AWARDS - 5, 10, 15, 20 & 25 Years with TRP in January!

Congratulations and thank you to the following staff for their loyalty and hard work over the years:

• Noluvuyo Manti (Sculler @ LR) | 10 Years on the 01st of January 2026

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