The Winchester Hotel, which reopened its doors at the end of 2021 after a comprehensive and transformative R90-million renovation, has won a prestigious accolade from the international LIV Hospitality Design Awards.
This much-loved seafront hotel overlooking Cape Town’s scenic Sea Point promenade, which was originally built nearly 100 years ago, was the winner in the Interior Design Historic & Heritage category at the awards, which recognise excellence in hospitality architecture, interior design and guest experience – on a global scale.
The mission of the LIV Hospitality Design Awards is to celebrate the quality and diversity of the architectural and interior design projects which are shaping the worldwide hospitality industry. The awards programme was launched in 2020 and aims to reward exceptional projects within the hospitality industry.
The Winchester award was based on a rating of 80 points or higher (out of a maximum of 100) by an expert jury comprising of architects, designers, hoteliers, developers and leaders in the fields of architectural and interior design.
“As a Cape Town-based studio we could simply not imagine this landmark renovation happening on our doorstep without our involvement. We are so proud to be recognised by the LIV awards for a number of reasons. As an award, LIV’s great value is that the judging panel is made up of all the most relevant people within the most dynamic global hospitality brands: the people currently shaping this industry. From a project perspective this recognition validates that we have achieved our core design motivation to honour the legacy of the hotel while elevating the offering,” says Mardré Meyer, Creative Director at SOURCE Interior Architecture and lead designer on the Winchester Hotel renovation (alongside Bianca Minnaar).
Originally built as a residential apartment block (and previously known as The Winchester Mansions), the now beautifully reimagined property, The Winchester Hotel, is managed by Newmark Hotel & Reserves. The remarkable refurbishment cements the hotel’s long-held reputation as one of Cape Town’s most sought-after destinations.
“The efforts to update and modernise the Winchester experience, without losing any of the innate charm of this iconic Cape address, have been recognised and rewarded by top global experts, and we are pleased and proud to be associated with the relaunch of the beautiful Winchester Hotel,” says Neil Markovitz, CEO of Newmark Hotels & Reserves.
Honouring the rich history of the Winchester building, while meeting the evolving needs of the contemporary traveller, was the starting point for the creative process behind the redesign. The building comes with an enormous history, personality and charm and, in reimagining what the hotel could be, it was important for the team at SOURCE to reference and respect that past, while also creating a more contemporary experience that fits with the needs and desires of today’s global traveller. It is therefore fitting that the hotel was awarded in the Interior Design Historic & Heritage category at the awards. “It’s been remarkable to see the transformation of this great dame come to life – to see her restored and looking better than ever has made a massive impact, not only on our hotel guests but on all our local resident clients that now call her home,” says Michael Liffmann, General Manager at The Winchester Hotel.
A bold approach to the design and decor sees the hotel’s public spaces enlivened and rejuvenated. The seventy-six (76) guest rooms and suites with their spacious en-suite bathrooms have all been updated, with some entirely reconfigured to create spacious sea-facing suites. In step with the extensive revamp of the rooms and public areas, fresh inspiration has also been given to the food and drink experience at The Winchester’s Shoreditch Restaurant and Harvey’s Bar, overlooking the Sea Point Promenade.
