Courtyard Hotel Gqeberha unveils its grand glow-up
The refurbishment marks the next step in the evolution of this four-star seafront hotel, bringing a design-led elegance that strengthens its appeal to business, leisure and bleisure travellers. Work began in July 2025 and wrapped up in April 2025, followed by a couple of months of snagging, all overseen by the hotel’s General Manager, Erich Oberhauser.
Located along the coastline with spectacular views across Algoa Bay, and with Shark Rock Pier forming part of its distinctive seaside outlook, the hotel's new look is built around the colours of the landscape, particularly those moments when the setting sun turns the horizon into shades of pink and coral against a deep blue sky.
The redesign of the hotel, restaurant, 91 rooms (80 studios and 11 one-bedroom suites – interleading rooms available), conferencing space and boardroom, and public spaces has been informed by the property’s coastal setting. Coral accents bring warmth, custom rugs in deep blue and sandy tones ground the rooms, and rich timber finishes add another layer of comfort, creating rooms that feel calm and cocooning.
"Today's guest seeks an experience that feels individual, immersive and connected to its surroundings," explains Louise Nogueira Dracopoulos of Oniro Studios, the group’s interior designer. "Rather than interpreting the ocean literally, these colours and contrasts became the foundation of the interior palette."
"The intention was to create rooms that transition effortlessly between retreat and functionality," adds Louise. "A guest should be able to wake to the salty ocean air and feel connected to the destination, while still enjoying the comfort and familiarity associated with the Courtyard brand."
Entering the hotel, guests are welcomed through the lobby beneath stylised, marine-inspired ceiling murals, with the eye drawn straight through to a large arched window framing the ocean beyond. The reception area has been redesigned to feel welcoming rather than formal, while a new co-working lounge, anchored by a fireplace and lined with timber shelving, offering guests a quieter alternative to a conventional business centre. Ship models that have been part of the hotel for many years were kept and given a new home within the shelving, tying the property's history into its new maritime-inspired interior.
"Rather than discarding these pieces in pursuit of something entirely new, they became part of the next chapter of the hotel's story, connecting its history to the new maritime inspired interior,” says Louise.
The sunken lounge and newly created bar form the social heart of the ground floor, positioned to make the most of the hotel's ocean outlook. Custom hand-painted murals by artist Nikhil Tricam, created on tiled panels and inspired by maritime history, old ships and nautical elements, tie back to the ship models on display in the co-working lounge.
The restaurant, now renamed 25° East, has also been completely redesigned, with a new double banquette creating a central feature and more intimate seating, while the cold buffet and cookout areas are now part of the guest experience. Conferencing and boardroom facilities have been upgraded for greater flexibility, carrying the same ocean blues, ochre accents and warm wood through into the hotel's business spaces.
Heading up the restaurant is Sous Chef Khanya Mshweshwe, who says of the offering, “What excites me most is the variety of menu options. We have a broad menu, with something for everyone and new options for returning guests to always try. Our menu also offers authentic South African meals, which have stayed due to their popularity.”
The conferencing and meeting space consists of three rooms – Anchor (up to 10 pax), Compass (up to 50 pax), Latitude (up to 80 pax) – with the combined commercial area able to accommodate up to 120 delegates cocktail style. Pricing is competitive and the team is ready to help make any event memorable.
"We are delighted that the big day has finally arrived when we can reveal all the work that’s been going on behind the scenes to the residents of Gqeberha, our valued guests, and the tourism industry,” says Erich. “This has been a long process but worth it for the elegant and contemporary look and feel that the hotel is now taking into the future.”
At the heart of it is one of City Lodge Hotels' most enduring ideas: creating a home away from home for guests. "Our objective was to preserve that familiarity while transforming Courtyard Hotel Gqeberha into a distinctive coastal destination," says Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, Chief Operating Officer at City Lodge Hotels. "It brings business, conferencing and leisure together in one exceptional setting, offering an elevated lifestyle experience, sublime comfort and a sense of luxury, while remaining warmly connected to its destination."
Other hotels that have undergone a similar major revamp include City Lodge Hotel Umhlanga Ridge with its new Umoya Restaurant and City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront with its unique restaurant Atlantic Social and bar Atlantic Lounge. Also benefitting from a glow-up are Courtyard Hotel Sandton and Courtyard Hotel Rosebank (partial refurb), and City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood, Town Lodge George, Town Lodge Bellville, Road Lodge Durban, and Road Lodge N1 City (full refurb).
Revamps are currently underway at Road Lodge Gqeberha and City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Morningside, with Road Lodge Johannesburg International Airport starting its upgrade later this year, followed by City Lodge Hotel Fourways, Town Lodge Gqeberha, and Town Lodge Roodepoort in 2027.
Announced in the latest annual results on 10 September 2026, the group is also actively pursuing expansion opportunities, specifically in areas such as Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In addition, the construction of the 53-room expansion at City Lodge Hotel Waterfall City is scheduled to commence in September 2026 and to be completed in June 2027.
*Information provided by the publicist.
If your brand or PR Agency sends out multiple advertorials (Media/ Press Releases) in a month, and would like all the advertorials to be Fully featured on iloveza.com at an Extremely Reasonable price,
AND/OR to Advertise your brand, email howzit@iloveza.com
