Opening one hotel a month until September next year is all in a day’s work for Alan Vels. Signature Life’s top brand ambassador spoke to DEBBIE REYNOLDS
We meet on a balmy Monday morning at the group’s head office − a charming Victorian house in Seventh Avenue, Morningside, a stone’s throw from Quarters Florida Road. The interior is all crisp white and crystal, reflecting the same positive energy radiating from Alan Vels.
The former Three Cities Hotel group CEO has good reason to bask in the success of his latest endeavour. It all started just eight months ago when he decided to branch out on his own, along with a core team of like-minded entrepreneurs.
In no time at all Signature Life Hotels was up and running with the Quarters brand. Quarters on Avondale Road hotel opened this past May with Quarters Hermanus (Western Cape) scheduled for September, followed by Quarters on Gordon Road (Durban) in November and Quarters Hotel Lonehill (Johannesburg) in December.
And if that’s not impressive enough, add Signature Hotels and Resorts, Signature Safaris and Life Hotels to the list, making up a portfolio exceeding 20 hotels.
“It’s been rather nerve-wracking, especially having been in a corporate environment for so many years,” said Vels. “We’ve been inundated with queries − the response so far proves we made the right decision.”
So, what exactly does Signature Life Hotels do? “As a leading hospitality company in South Africa, we create strong brands and literally take the sweat out of the business for the shareholders,” says Vels. “We do it all from the design stage, equipping the hotels, staff recruitment and training through to putting in systems, managing the hotel and sales and marketing.”
The company comprises a group of independent businesses run by general managers who have full responsibility and accountability for the success and profitability of their business units, with head office providing support, strategic direction and the acquisition of new businesses.
With offices in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and representatives in Mauritius, Mozambique and Europe, Vels explains his role as “keeping the operation neat and tidy”. While there’s clearly a lot more to it than that, he does admit to working 14-hour days. “Thank goodness my sons Timothy (17) and Nicholas (14) are quite used to it, while my wife Jo-ann, who owns Jam restaurant at Quarters on Avondale, is also in the business so she’s very supportive.”
It was Durban girl Jo-ann who brought him back to the city after his initial training at the Royal and Edward hotels saw him heading for New York’s Cornell University to study food and beverage management.
“There was no question after we got married that I wouldn’t settle here,” says Vels. “We live in a great house on the Berea with a gym just down the road.”
Vels loves exercise with cycling being his latest passion. “I stopped smoking about a year ago and decided to start cycling,” he laughs. “Then I rode with a work team from Jo’burg to Durban to raise funds to educate our employees’ kids. It’s now going to be an annual event with teams from various hotel groups doing the tour in November.”
It’s clear education is close to his heart. As chairman of the Durban High School governing body, Vels is excited about the school’s three-year strategic plan. “We want to make sure DHS stays a real education powerhouse. We had only one matric failure last year and we’re now working on improving the sporting achievements and structures at the school.”
In his rare spare time, Vels enjoys socialising with friends, eating out – his favourites are Jam, 9th Avenue Bistro, The Mad Italian and Mozambik – with a Zanzibar beach holiday being his most recent indulgence.