Shelley Point Hotel gets the Business Rescue treatment

It comes as no surprise that the hospitality industry has suffered from the great World Cup hangover, resulting in a few casualties in the restaurant and hotel arena. One such hotel has been fortunate enough to escape liquidation thanks to the business rescue process. Unbeknown to many, Shelley Point Hotel, Spa and Country Club on the Cape West Coast has been under business rescue since July last year.

Neill Hobbs, a senior business rescue practitioner, who has been the business rescue practitioner for Shelley Point Hotel, stresses that one of the most fundamental aspects of a successful rescue operation is timing – applying for business rescue before it’s too late. Fortunately for the West Coast hotel, rehabilitation has proved to be successful, largely as a result of the fact that the owners applied in enough time to introduce an intervention program and were prepared to inject capital to fund the rescue. Hobbs says that business rescue success ratios in South Africa could improve a great deal if business owners were made aware of the business rescue option  as a preventative step and applied in due time.

Another key success factor at Shelley Point was the appointment of skilled people to review and restore the operational side of the troubled hotel. Hobbs stresses that stability through the business rescue process is most important and, in the case of Shelley Point Hotel, the expertise of hoteliers was paramount. “Hotel owners can find themselves in difficulty by believing that a hotel operates in the same way as a regular business. Management of a hotel, particularly through tough times, requires refined skills that come only with experience and, more importantly, knowledge of the dynamics of the industry as a whole. We knew that we had to outsource this aspect.” Hobbs appointed BON Hotels, whose team is known for successfully turning distressed hotels around, to take over daily operations.

A strong General Manager was appointed, which, according to Guy Stehlik, CEO of BON Hotels, is paramount to the success of any hotel. Stringent systems and processes which had been visibly lacking were immediately implemented. Procurement and buying procedures required urgent attention and BON corrected poor financial controls. Their initial findings revealed that Shelley Point’s staff complement was disproportionate and a restructure was necessaryto improve productivity and profit margins.

Stehlik says that it takes an experienced hotelier to acknowledge and quickly address problems in good enough time to rescue the business and turn it around. “We have proved that in a very short time, we are able to make a significant difference to the bottom line. With an experienced set of eyes and a smart restructure, the damage can often be rectified in a matter of weeks.”

Shelley Point has seen a steady improvement and is beginning to break even. REVPAR (revenue per available room) is up 10% for the last six months. Not only has the process kept the hotel going, but it has also saved many jobs, kept creditors at ease and resulted in an attractive investment option. After the successful transition, the property has been purchased and was signed out of business rescue on the 30^th July 2014. Stehlik says that BON Hotels have confidence that the resort will continue to improve and they arefinalising a long-term strategy for the BON group with the new owner.

Hobbs Sinclair

Hobbs Sinclair Chartered Accountants have, for some 20 years, been involved in business turnarounds, but since the promulgation of the New Companies Act in May 2011, this aspect of their work has become a major focus for the firm.

The firm offers business rescue solutions by facilitating the turnaround of a company that is financially distressed through recapitalizing and restructuring the business via the business rescue process.

Hobbs Sinclair, a medium sized financial services firm situated in Claremont, Cape Town, is owned, managed and directed by two highly qualified and experienced partners in the business and financial services sectors.

The firm provides its clients with a range of services that can be categorised as:

•         audit,

•         monthly and annual accounting,

•         tax compliance and advisory,

•         company secretarial,

•         financial consulting,

•         business rescue

Web:              www.hobbsinc.co.za

Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/hobbssinc?__rev=1024226

Linkedin:         http://www.linkedin.com/company/hobbs-inclair?trk=cp_followed_name_hobbs-sinclair

Twitter:            @HobbsSinclair

 

BON Hotels

BON Hotels was founded in 2012 by Guy Stehlik whose handpicked management team has 100 years of collective experience in hospitality.

BON Hotels focuses on every aspect of hotel management and operation, with the specific needs of the owners in mind. By structuring a partnership with hotel owners, BON Hotels delivers above-average market-related returns and improved viability.

BON Hotels seeks to only take on those hotels they are convinced they can add value to, which will mean that their growth is relatively reserved/ gradual; however, this approach, along with their excellent management infrastructure and unique fee structure, will result in ethical, transparent long-term business relationships.

With BON Hotels on board for a property opening or major repositioning, clients are guaranteed to work alongside hotel management experts with years of experience in development, opening and ongoing operational procedures.

Website:            www.bonhotels.co.za

LinkedIn:           http://www.linkedin.com/company/3226874?trk=prof-exp-company-name

Facebook:         https://www.facebook.com/pages/BON-Hotels/444355445600053

Twitter:              @BonHotels