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Celebrity launch for swish Cape Town hotel
2009-04-03
CAPE TOWN (AFP) - A new luxury hotel with some of the most expensive rooms in South Africa opened Friday, following a star-studded launch attended by the likes of Clint Eastwood, Mariah Carey and Matt Damon. Built for more than 100 million dollars (75 million euros) by South African property magnate Sol Kerzner, the 131-room One&Only resort sits at the posh Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in the centre of the city, with views of the landmark Table Mountain. The biggest rooms go for 4,000 dollars a night, a bargain compared to the 40,000-dollar rooms at Kerzner's newly-opened Atlantis resort in Dubai. A penthouse on top of the hotel sold last year for 110 million rand (12 million dollars), making it the most expensive property in Africa. Only 350 people were invited to an intimate cocktail party opening Thursday evening, where guests including Morgan Freeman, Thandi Newton and Sharon Stone were serenaded by jazz legend Hugh Masekela. The hotel claims the world's largest collection of South African wine, and features restaurants by chef Gordon Ramsay as well as Japan's Nobu Matsuhisa.
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