Premier Hotels

What Premier Hotels does

Premier Hotels & Resorts is a privately held South African hospitality group founded in 1991 by Samuel Nassimov. The group operates 26 hotels and resorts across 7 of South Africa's 9 provinces, comprising more than 2,000 bedrooms and roughly 1,500 staff. Its portfolio is organised under four sub-brands—Premier Hotels (4-star full-service urban properties), Premier Resorts (luxury scenic locations such as Knysna Lagoon, Sani Pass/Drakensberg, Mpongo Private Game Reserve, and Scottburgh), Premier Splendid Inns (3-star affordable hotels), and Premier Express Inns (budget no-frills)—plus on-site restaurants (e.g., Salmon, Tuscano, Maluti), conference venues seating 8–450 delegates, the Premier Kids Club at resort properties, and a tiered Premier Rewards loyalty programme spanning Bronze through Gold.

The group's operating technology is conventional hospitality infrastructure: a direct-booking website (premierhotels.co.za) with real-time availability and best-price guarantee, integrated with Global Distribution Systems (GDS) for travel-industry bookings, and a commission-mediated channel of Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and independent travel agents earning 10% on actualised BAR reservations. No proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML components are disclosed. Revenue is generated from four streams: accommodation (room rates R1,795–R3,933 per night inclusive of 15% VAT, available as room-only, bed-and-breakfast, or dinner-bed-breakfast), food and beverage, conference and event hire, and ancillary loyalty/commission income. GTM operates as a hybrid: direct-to-consumer online, corporate/government negotiated rates, and intermediated TMC/travel-agent distribution. Target segments are corporate and government business travellers, leisure and family vacationers, weddings and group bookings, and conference/event planners.

Strategically, Premier is in active expansion mode. In 2020 the group acquired the Faircity Hotel Group (undisclosed consideration), absorbing its hotels, management contracts, and personnel. Visible 2023–2024 capex includes a R95 million Premier Splendid Inn Bloemfontein (88 rooms, 150-delegate conference facility), a R380 million Umhlanga precinct development of two hotels near Gateway shopping centre, and Premier Hotel Thohoyandou—the group's 25th property and first in far Northern Limpopo. The company has also begun offering third-party hotel and asset management services to external investors, representing an emerging B2B revenue line beyond its owned real estate.

Name

Premier Hotels

Legal name

Premier Hotels and Resorts Pty Ltd

Website

https://premierhotels.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Premier Hotels & Resorts is a privately held South African hospitality group operating 26 hotels across 7 provinces with 2,000+ bedrooms. Founded in 1991 by Samuel Nassimov, it serves business, leisure, and conference guests via four tiered brands spanning full-service 4-star hotels to budget express inns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel & Resort Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resort-Area Full-Service Hotels (Non–All-Inclusive) (THAGAAAD), Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC), Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises (THAGABAM)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation
• Resort hospitality
• Conference venues
• Hotel management services
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accommodation Revenue: Primary revenue from hotel room rentals across 26 properties. Room categories include Standard, Executive, Deluxe, and Suite options with pricing ranging from R1,795 to R3,933 per night. Revenue earned on room-only, bed and breakfast, and dinner bed and breakfast basis.
2. Food & Beverage: On-site restaurants and bars at properties including Salmon Restaurant, Tuscano Bistro Ristorante, Maluti Restaurant, and pool-side dining. Breakfast, lunch, themed dinner buffets, cocktails, and room service.
3. Conference & Events: Conference venue rental and event services across multiple properties. Venues accommodate 8 to 450 delegates. Includes weddings, corporate events, and team-building activities.
4. Premier Rewards Program: Loyalty program offering instant discounts on bookings, tier points (Bronze to Silver to Gold status), and increasing discounts with tier advancement.
5. Travel Agent Commissions: Commission income from travel agent bookings - 10% on actualized reservations at Best Available Rate (BAR). Commission is earned on room-only portion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Premier Hotels & Resorts operates 26 hotels and resorts across South Africa under four sub-brands (Premier Hotels, Premier Resorts, Premier Splendid Inns, Premier Express Inns), providing accommodation, food and beverage, conference and event facilities, and the Premier Rewards loyalty programme. The group also offers third-party hotel and asset management services to property investors.

Product overview

Premier Hotels & Resorts operates a portfolio of 26 hotels and resorts across South Africa, comprising four distinct accommodation brands: Premier Hotels (4-star full-service urban properties), Premier Resorts (luxury scenic properties), Premier Splendid Inns (affordable 3-star hotels), and Premier Express Inns (budget options). The portfolio spans 7 provinces and includes conference venues, restaurants, and the Premier Rewards loyalty program. The company also offers hotel management services to third-party investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premier Hotels (4-star full-service)

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of hospitality excellence
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Faircity Hotel GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition of Faircity Hotel Group including all hotels, management contracts, and personnel. Premier Hotels took ownership of Faircity hotels and integrated them into the Premier portfolio under founder and Managing Director Samuel Nassimov. This acquisition expanded Premier's footprint in South Africa.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Southern Sun (Tsogo Sun Hotels): Largest hospitality group in South Africa, operating a broad portfolio of full-service, limited-service, and resort hotels across the country. Directly comparable to Premier's multi-brand, multi-tier South African footprint, though at significantly greater scale.
• Sun International: Major South African hospitality and gaming group operating resort, casino, and luxury hotels across SA and select African markets. Comparable to Premier Resorts segment in scenic/leisure destinations, though Premier lacks gaming exposure.
• Protea Hotels by Marriott: Largest African hotel brand, now part of Marriott International, operating 4-star full-service and conference hotels across South Africa. Directly comparable to Premier's 4-star urban and business hub properties with strong conference/event focus.
• AccorHotels (South Africa): Global hospitality major with multiple brands (Sofitel, Pullman, ibis, Novotel) operating in South African business hubs and leisure destinations. Comparable to Premier's multi-tier brand structure and full-service conference offerings.
• Radisson Hotel Group (South Africa): International hotel group operating Radisson Blu and Radisson RED properties in major South African cities. Comparable to Premier's premium urban and airport-adjacent hotels in the business travel segment.

Direct peers

• City Lodge Hotels: Listed South African hotel group operating select-service and budget brands (City Lodge, Town Lodge, Road Lodge, Courtyard) across urban and airport locations. Closely comparable to Premier's Premier Splendid Inns and Premier Express Inns budget/midscale offering.
• Legacy Hotels & Resorts: South African independent hotel group operating upscale 4- and 5-star hotels, conference venues, and leisure resorts. Closely comparable to Premier's Premier Hotels and Premier Resorts brands with similar conference and leisure mix.
• African Sun Limited: Zimbabwe-listed hospitality group operating hotels, resorts, and conference venues in Southern Africa. Comparable business model (full-service + resort mix) and Southern African geographic footprint, though smaller and regionally focused.
• BON Hotels: Pan-African hospitality management company operating and managing hotels across multiple African countries with multi-tier brand portfolio. Comparable to Premier's asset-light hotel management services offering and tiered brand structure.

Others

• Hospitality Property Fund (now merged into Lighthouse Capital / Hyprop): South African REIT historically focused on hospitality real estate. Comparable as adjacent ecosystem participant — owner/lessor of hotel real estate that competes with or partners with owner-operator groups like Premier for property acquisitions and leases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/premierhotels
• Instagraminstagram.com/premierhotels
• Xx.com/premier_hotels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Premier Hotels