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South Africa’s First Hilton Garden Inn Opens at Umhlanga Arch

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is the brand’s first property in South Africa, offering guests access to world‑class hospitality in the heart of Umhlanga

DURBAN, South Africa - Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch opens its doors to guests today. The 14-story, 203-room hotel, located in Umhlanga, is the latest addition to the growing Hilton Garden Inn portfolio, one of Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) 18 market-leading brands.

Ideally located within the business hub of the mixed-use Umhlanga Arch, only 20 minutes from King Shaka International Airport, Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch welcomes both local and international travellers, who can enjoy sub-tropical weather, incredible blue flag beaches, heritage and history as well as infinite nature and activities.

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is a technologically advanced hotel that offers contactless check-in through Hilton’s Digital Key, where guests can check-in to the hotel online through our Hilton Honors App, select their preferred room, access the guest lift and unlock their room door using their mobile phone.

The hotel boasts 203 en-suite bedrooms, which includes four one-bedroom suites; five accessible rooms, 55 twin bedrooms and 139 king bedroom rooms. Out of the 203 bedrooms, 112 are inter-connecting, which is ideal for families. Other facilities include Together & Co restaurant; The Shop: a 24-hour, self-service retail space offering snacks, locally sourced food and beverages as well as essential personal items; outdoor heated swimming pool with ocean views; fitness centre – open 24 hours; and complimentary self-service laundry room – open 24 hours.

Lovet Robinson, General Manager said: “My team and I are blessed with supportive property ownership that entrusted us to operate this beautiful property with fantastic facilities. Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch, with its bright, open and cozy feeling, is a property to very easily fall in love with. I must commend my team for their dedication, support and enthusiasm during the last few months. With their hard work and attention to detail, they have made the journey to open this hotel very enjoyable. It’s wonderful working with team members that have a passion for what they do. We have only known each other for a few months but we already feel like family.”

Umhlanga Arch is Durban's premier destination for living your best life. Bringing the idea of mixed-use living to life, the Umhlanga Arch aims for excellence across the board, from luxury apartments, AAA-grade office spaces in the state of the art glass Arch to European-inspired high street where you can experience bespoke retailers and curated events in the Yard. Travellers can also savour new tastes at Legacy Yard Food Hall and have drinks with friends at Back Yard rooftop bar.

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is also proud to introduce the first Together & Co branded restaurant in South Africa. Together & Co bring people together, one meal, coffee and conversation at a time. Delicious, fresh food and drink is just where things get started. What really matters is building a local community of people that know how to work together, support each other and have a great time doing it. That’s what Together & Co is all about – people.  Head Chef Sibusiso Nhleko has always had a passion for food, and still enjoys playing with different ingredients and flavours.  The menu will have a high emphasis on togetherness, boasting sharing dishes and platters. Each section in the menu will have a signature dish worth sharing.

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 18 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi and the Hilton Honors mobile app. Book direct at Hilton.com, through the Hilton Honors app or through other official Hilton channels for more perks and a price match guarantee.

As Hilton Garden Inn responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, some services and amenities have been adjusted in order to adhere to health and safety guidance from local government. To emphasize the brand’s commitment to the health and safety of guests, the property is participating in the Hilton CleanStay Program with Lysol Protection to deliver an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection. Hilton’s elevated processes and Team Member training have been developed with RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, to help Hilton Garden Inn Umhalanga Arch guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay from check-in to check-out. New standards for Hilton CleanStay that have been rolled out include a Hilton CleanStay Room Seal to indicate that a room has not been accessed since being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, “knock and go” dropped-off room service, and flexible housekeeping options.

Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch is located at 1 Ncondo Place, Umhlanga Ridge Umhlanga. For more information, or to make a reservation, travellers may visit www.HGI.com or call +27 (0) 31 007 0775. The property is owned by UA Hotel Company and managed by Hilton. For more information on Hilton Garden Inn, please visit newsroom.hilton.com/hgi.

About UA Hotel Company

Umhlanga Arch is an iconic new landmark to the city, and the Kingdom of the Zulu.

This award-winning destination development offers a trendy Live, Work, Stay, Play lifestyle.

Umhlanga Arch is home to,

  • Bespoke owner operated retail outlets bringing exclusive mens' and ladies' outfitters; décor, jewellery and gifting.
  • Artisanal food full of flavour from the Legacy Yard food hall, where eight of Durban’s finest food operators are housed under one roof, the destination of choice and quality. The Back Yard Rooftop bar is a unique contemporary space, enjoy cocktails overlooking the Indian Ocean.
  • Business and networking spaces within the iconic glass Arch. Hot desk packages available to suit the individual or business.
  • The Hilton Garden Inn – flagship in South Africa and our provinces first fully integrated SMART hotel
  • Residential apartments, with the ultimate in views and lifestyle, on their doorstep.
  • An upmarket SMG BMW dealership 

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 24 world-class brands comprising more than 8,300 properties and over 1.25 million rooms, in 138 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No.1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 200 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.


About Hilton Garden Inn

The award-winning Hilton Garden Inn brand provides business and leisure guests upscale, affordable accommodations and modern amenities for an experience that is simply on another level. The Hilton Garden Inn Promise affirms the brand’s goal to make each guest’s stay better and brighter. Guaranteed. With more than 1,000 hotels in 62 countries and territories around the world, the brand ensures today’s busy travelers have a bright and satisfying experience, starting with the first hello. Experience a positive stay at Hilton Garden Inn by booking at hgi.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Hilton Garden Inn at stories.hilton.com/hgi, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and X