FRIDAY morning saw a frantic flurry of activity as the Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) and the current owners of the Haven Hotel near Elliotdale in the Eastern Cape, were locked into negotiations in a last-ditch effort to keep the hotel operational until the deal between the new owners - a United States consortium - could be finalised.
Current owner, Clive Berlyn of Wild Coast Hotels (WCH), told Travel Now on Thursday that he had been given notice - in terms of the caretaker's lease he says he was "pressurised" into signing after a lands claim issue forced a reassessment of his previous 30-year-lease contract - that the SDI had found a new investor and that he should vacate the premises by August 30.
The caretaker's lease had been extended until September 15 and when Travel Now spoke to Berlyn on Thursday, he was adamant that he did not want to take "a political risk" on the 40-room hotel.
"We're still waiting to hear from the SDI and within 15 hours we will have passed the point of no return."
However, by Friday morning he said that he and the SDI were negotiating on the future of the hotel and that the situation would be clarified before week end.
At the time of going to press, the two parties were still locked in negotiations.
Although a spokesperson on behalf of the SDI was unavailable for comment, Travel Now understands that the SDI would like to keep the hotel operational to "prevent the hotel from stagnating".
US Consortium, GLN representative Richard Jacobs confirmed that the group was "negotiating" a deal with the SDI but would not comment further on how far the negotiations had progressed.
According to a document circulated in the Eastern Cape, the estimated R200m development is to be known as 'The Theme Park of the Wild Coast' and will include the Haven Hotel, plus additional luxury accommodation in self-catering chalets and a "20-room seven-star Very Very Important People (VVIP) facility".
(Adéle Mackenzie)
