MDC Buzz: Resort Upgrades & Refurbishments Continued…
Find out what your favourite resorts are getting up to! Get the latest upgrade and refurbishment news here, straight from the resorts…
Manzi Monate makes sure you receive a hearty welcome from the moment you step foot on the Resort and they like to have a surprise or two waiting for you at Reception.
Once you make your way from Reception…
You may be surprised by several other developments. They are painting all the unit walls, doors, ceilings and frames and checking all cupboards, doors and fittings, to be sure they are all in 100-percent-working-order and well-maintained.
Manzi is also in the process of sprucing up the unit bathrooms. New basins, baths and shower taps are being installed and the main bathrooms are getting stainless steel bins, to replace the existing plastic ones.
All halogen and energy saving globes and fittings are being replaced with LED light fittings; making the lighting at the units more energy efficient than ever before. The kitchens have also seen quite a number of additions; new toasters, kettles and carving knives have been added to the units’ inventories.
The units are now equipped and ready for you to enjoy the perfect slice of toast, or a quick cup of tea… AND slicing through your favourite braai item has never been easier! In March, all chalets received brand new bath and hand towels, while the bathrooms received new bath mats. The guests that have already stayed with us this year, have given their stamp of approval.
Fun and Recreation
- The Recreation and Pool Area now have WI-FI (at a nominal fee)
- A big screen TV has been installed at the Recreation area.
- The small waterfall at the main swimming pool has been fitted with LED lights; so that this feature is really highlighted and looks stunning at night.
Manzi Monate will continue to enhance your stay and experience (from small additions, to big upgrades) – ensuring that Manzi remains your happy place.
Throughout last year and at the start of 2017, South Africa (including Ngwenya Lodge) struggled with the adverse effects of the drought. Unfortunately, this drought also negatively affected the Ngwenya Lodge gardens. To make sure the grounds look great, despite the lack of rain, they’ve established succulent gardens all over the Resort. Little did they know at the time however, that within the first few months of the year, Ngwenya Lodge would be blessed with abundant rainfall! Either way – guests love the succulent gardens. And we are all extremely grateful for the rain.
On the topic of extreme conditions – Ngwenya had a visit earlier this year from Tropical Storm Dineo. Luckily her visit’s damage wasn’t huge and was limited to the gardens and grounds. To ensure that Ngwenya Lodge is prepared, should they have similar visitors in the future, they’ve added rainwater channels and trenches and in this way the grounds, gardens and units are protected to the best extent possible. Sumps have also been renovated and upgraded, and are running at optimal levels.
Fun Day Times!
First off, the Games Room, has been painted and looking great. On the topic of paint and looking great, the pools have also been touched up and painted. The trampolines have received some TLC. And last, but certainly not least – Ngwenya is pleased to announce a brand new entertainment programme, suitable for the whole family! A bonus is that they have wonderful prizes.
Greet Your Friends
The younger guests love the new “Greet Your Friends” initiative started by Ngwenya. We understand that the kids make lots of friends while on holiday… friendships that solidify as the years go by. We thought why not give all the friends the opportunity to say goodbye and play together one last time, before their journeys home and until the next time they spend time together at Ngwenya.
So, on departure day, Ngwenya hosts a “Greet Your Friends” and gives all the little guests the opportunity to say their “farewells”, “see you soons” and create just a few more memories to cherish.
A trip to Sandy Place is a very special time you get to spend with your loved ones; a time to break free from the busyness and haste of everyday life and kick up your feet and relax. The Resort grounds and facilities are a very big part of your very special Sandy Place experience.
With this top of mind, they’ve established a hanging herb garden, which attracts a whole range of butterfly species and wonderful little critters. They’ve also added more plants in general to the Resort gardens.
Sandy Place also established new water lines and purchased a brand new pump – this will help minimise the risk of water shortages in the future and keep the gardens looking great.
To add to your comfort and due to Sandy always attempting, where possible, to take any suggestions you may have on-board; they have installed new fans at the Games Room area.
From the grounds, to your home-sweet-home units…
On the topic of honouring suggestions you may make – they have installed brand new, sturdy shower racks in the units and have replaced the shower heads with new ones, and are in the process of replacing all kitchen cupboards.
Sandy Place will continue to implement – from the small to the big – things to make sure that Sandy Place remains your slice of paradise.
Due to several requests and for your convenience, Sudwala Lodge has re-opened the Sudwala Garage again. So keeping your tank full while you explore the Sudwala Lodge surrounding attractions, and for the journey home, is easy and right at Reception’s doorstep.
At the start of the year, Sudwala did a “spring”… well rather a “summer” clean. They inspected all the chalets, made sure that they were perfectly maintained, fumigated each unit and then did a complete scrub down, ensuring that your home-away-from-home is in mint condition.
The Housekeeping and Maintenance Teams embarkeded on training workshops that focused on the importance of paying attention to the details and on team work and now, besides being as friendly as ever, Sudwala staff are more meticulous than ever – paying attention to getting all the details right – and working faster and smarter as a team, making sure the units are always perfect and ready for your arrival.
What else is on the Sudwala Lodge checklist?
A petting/ educational mini-farm! The Team is passionate about teaching younger guests to respect and love animals and will do so by allowing them to feed and interact with the animals, under carefully supervised conditions. Keep an eye out for further developments.
If you believe it is important to take time to relax and renew your mind, body and soul; then the following Sudwala development will have you smiling from ear-to-ear. Sudwala Lodge is in the process of establishing its own mini-spa! And the theme…? A cave experience! Once it is completed you will be able to receive a wonderful full body massage in a “cave”. We are optimistic that this unique experience will be launching soon – Another Sudwala hip-hip hurray!
Sudwala Lodge will continue to identify – where possible and necessary – where they can expand, improve, or update aspects; to ensure you only have the best stay and that the Lodge remains the place where your heart and your best memories lie.
Veni vidi amavi – we came, we saw, we loved.
Once you have visited Uvongo there is no doubt that you leave a piece of your heart here – it’s because it is a place where you and your loved ones make magnificent memories; the place you kickback and forget about the stress and busyness of everyday life; it’s your yearly tradition. It is no wonder our guests say “veni vidi amavi” as they leave feeling relaxed and with memories they will cherish for years to come.
Part of what makes your “Little Italy” so special is the beautiful murals. No matter how many times our cherished guests see the murals – it still remains special and a talking point. Our very talented artist and painter, is back and busy with the remaining walls. We can’t wait to share the end results with you. But, for now, we will try to remain patient, as we are reminded of the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
Sticking with the “Little Italy” look and feel that Uvongo is so renowned for – we have added a quaint, white water fountain to the mini-golf area. There is just something remarkably tranquil about trickling water and having the fountain in the depicted “Italian” surrounds transports our guests to another world.
From the beautiful, to the practical…
It is important that the Resort not only looks great, but that it runs smoothly as well. Uvongo River Resort’s philosophy has always been “waste not, want not”.
With this top of mind, Uvongo took the decision to automate the laundry, which is not only more efficient, but also reduces spillage and wastage. Additionally, this automation means they can wash more and can track the amount of cycles per day or week. This all results in a smoother, more cleverly managed operation that produces crisp, fresh linen that is perfectly clean and brightest white. All of this is to ensure that, when you climb into your home-away-from-home bed, you have that pleasurable experience of enjoying crisp, fresh bedding that is white as snow.
From the beds to the floor… Uvongo is progressively re-tiling areas at the Resort. So far so good, but they try only to tile during quieter times so as not to disturb guests’ well-deserved R&R time. Uvongo will continue updating, upgrading or changing things to ensure that “Little Italy” remains the place where your heart lies.