Business Traveler

NEWS
Four-Star Grading for Mayfair Hotel
The Mayfair Hotel in Umtata (Eastern Cape) has been awarded a four-star grading by South Africa’s Tourism Grading
Council. This makes the $9.8 million (R130 million) hotel the latest of just a handful of four-star graded establishments
in the city which, until recently, lacked the accommodation and entertainment facilities which larger centres boast. Billion
Group began investing in Mthatha two years ago with the development of the first major shopping centre in the region –
the BT Ngebs City mall. The Mayfair Hotel adjoins the mall, with ground set to break on another first for the region later
this year: a $11.3 million (R150 million) casino and entertainment complex, complete with state-of-the-art cinemas. The
hotel boasts 96 rooms, including a luxury three-room penthouse suite, a two-room presidential suite, two executive suites,
and 88 bed-and-breakfast suites. There are also several well-appointed conference halls.
Air France Offers VR Entertainment
In order to surprise its customers and offer them a new form of entertainment, Air France is rolling out a brand new
immersive entertainment system in partnership with the start-up SkyLights. Customers will be offered a virtual reality
headset in which films and series are screened in 3D or 2D. The system has been tested on the Paris-Charles de Gaulle
– St. Martin and St. Martin – Paris-Charles de Gaulle routes. Customers travelling in business class onboard the A340
operating on this route can now try this new form of in-flight entertainment for themselves. Four headsets will be offered
on board with a selection of 40 films and series. At the end of this test period, this new system could be rolled out on other
flights in the months ahead.
8 | SEPTEMBER2017
For more news, visit businesstravellerafrica.co.za