Ennismore has signed its first hotel in South Africa, bringing its Mama Shelter brand to Cape Town.
Mama Shelter Cape Town will be located in the City Park building, which was once home to the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, though Ennismore has not yet provided an opening date.
The Old Christian Barnard City Park site is being redeveloped by companies Ingenuity and Kasada into a mixed-use development comprising of retail space, offices and residential apartments as well as the Mama Shelter property.
The Mama Shelter property will include 127 rooms across three categories, as well as 68 branded residences – including 36 studios, 23 one-bedroom, five two-bedroom, three three-bedroom and one four-bedroom options.
Facilities will include a gym, all-day rooftop restaurant, pool and pool deck with sweeping views of the cityscape, plus 213 sqm of meeting rooms and 380 sqm of co-working space.
Mama Shelter will also debut its new Mama Play concept in Cape Town, which consists of a 742 sqm arcade space with bowling, karaoke, and dedicated F&B and event spaces.
Ennismore will also manage its own separate restaurant on the ground floor, located on Bree Street.
The hotel will be within walking distance of sights including District Six Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the market stalls of Greenmarket Square, while guests can also drive to the Cape Winelands for wine tasting afternoons.
Cedric Gobilliard, Brand COO for Mama Shelter at Ennismore, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with Kasada on the signing of Mama Shelter Cape Town. More than a hotel, more than a restaurant or a bar, Mama Shelter is a place for living – a place to meet, eat, drink, sing and dream. Cape Town is a dynamic city that offers something for everyone, so it is the perfect place to introduce our new Mama Play concept. This signing marks an important milestone for Ennismore, as it is our first signing for any of our brands in South Africa, an exciting new destination for us.”
The Mama Shelter brand was founded in 2008 by the Trigano family and designer Philippe Starck, with the first opening in Paris.
Accor purchased a stake in Mama Shelter in 2014, and the brand now sits under the Ennismore lifestyle group in which Accor owns a majority stake.
Mama Shelter currently has 18 properties in locations including Lille, LA, Paris, Prague and Rio, as well as the first Mama Shelter in the UK capital which opened in 2019.
Upcoming openings include Mama Shelter Nice, which is set to launch in June 2024, as well as properties in Casablanca, Dubai and Downtown LA.
Ennismore has also confirmed plans for Mama Shelter Liverpool, with an expected opening date of 2025.
Accor-backed Mama Shelter brand could be coming to Liverpool
