The Capital Hotels & Apartments
The Capital Hotels & Apartments is a South African hospitality group combining conventional hotel rooms with serviced-apartment accommodation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Capital Hotels & Apartments, also referred to as The Capital Hotels, Apartments, and Resorts or The Capital Hotel Group, is a South African hospitality brand that operates hotels and serviced apartments in several of the country's principal urban and leisure destinations. The group is headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg, and was founded in 2008 by Marc Wachsberger during the global financial crisis. The company's initial concept was based on converting residential-style apartments into hotel accommodation. This approach was intended to provide guests with more space and domestic conveniences than a conventional hotel room while allowing the operator to control costs and offer competitive rates. The resulting product sits between a traditional hotel and a furnished rental apartment: properties generally combine standard guest rooms with larger serviced units, and commonly provide housekeeping, room service, kitchenettes, meeting facilities, fitness amenities, swimming pools, and other hotel services. The hybrid model is particularly suited to business travelers, project teams, relocating professionals, families, and leisure guests seeking longer stays. By giving guests apartment-like facilities without requiring them to sign a conventional lease, The Capital positions its properties as flexible alternatives to both full-service hotels and independently rented apartments. Its portfolio includes properties in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban-area destinations, and Mbombela, giving the group exposure to corporate, government, tourism, and coastal leisure demand. A major expansion milestone came in 2018 with the opening of The Capital On The Park in Sandton. Described as the group's flagship hotel, the property represented a reported R500 million development and strengthened the brand's presence in Johannesburg's business and commercial district. The portfolio subsequently expanded through the addition or rebranding of properties in major South African markets. In 2021, the group acquired the Fairmont Zimbali Resort and later operated it as The Capital Zimbali. It also reopened Cape Town's 15 on Orange Hotel under The Capital brand, extending the group's presence in the city's upscale hospitality market. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Capital adapted its accommodation model to changing travel and public-health conditions. Its properties were used for longer-stay accommodation associated with isolation and remote work, and the group created recovery hotels for COVID-19 patients. These measures reflected the practical flexibility of its apartment-oriented operating model, although the available reference material does not provide detailed financial results or a full account of the pandemic's effect on the business. The Capital's current brand proposition is centered on serviced accommodation with the convenience of hotel operations and the space of an apartment. Its properties serve both short- and long-term guests, with individual hotels varying in scale, location, facilities, and emphasis. The known portfolio includes The Capital Empire, The Capital On The Park, The Capital Melrose, The Capital Rosebank, The SEVEN Villa Hotel and Spa, The Capital Menlyn Maine, The Capital Trilogy, The Capital 15 on Orange, The Capital Mirage, The Capital Pearls, The Capital Zimbali, and The Capital Mbombela. The reference material describes the group as operating 12 properties across major South African cities.
History
The Capital Hotels & Apartments was established in South Africa in 2008 by Marc Wachsberger. Its formation coincided with the global financial crisis, a period in which traditional hotel development and travel demand faced considerable pressure. Rather than beginning with a conventional large-scale hotel model, the group developed a concept based on converting residential apartments into serviced, hotel-style accommodation. The format allowed the company to provide more room and household functionality than a standard hotel while pursuing a lower-cost operating structure. From its early development, The Capital's model combined two forms of accommodation. Guests could stay in conventional hotel rooms, while larger units were configured as serviced apartments with features such as kitchenettes and additional living space. Hotel services, including housekeeping and room service, were retained, allowing the apartments to appeal to travelers who wanted the independence of a residence without giving up the convenience of a managed hotel. The model was relevant to corporate travelers, families, relocating employees, project personnel, and other guests whose stays extended beyond a typical overnight visit. The business expanded across important South African commercial and tourism centers. Its Johannesburg portfolio came to include The Capital Empire, The Capital On The Park, The Capital Melrose, The Capital Rosebank, and The SEVEN Villa Hotel and Spa. In Pretoria, it developed or operated The Capital Menlyn Maine and The Capital Trilogy. In Cape Town, the portfolio included The Capital 15 on Orange and The Capital Mirage. The group also established a presence in the Durban-area market through The Capital Pearls in Umhlanga and The Capital Zimbali in Ballito, and in Mbombela through The Capital Mbombela. The opening of The Capital On The Park in Sandton in 2018 marked a significant stage in the group's growth. The property was presented as the brand's flagship and was associated with a reported R500 million investment. Its Sandton location reinforced the group's focus on business-oriented urban accommodation, while its scale and facilities demonstrated that the apartment-led concept could be applied to a substantial full-service hotel development. The COVID-19 pandemic required a change in how hotels generated demand. The Capital responded by offering longer-stay apartments for isolation and remote work and by creating recovery hotels for people recovering from COVID-19. These uses were consistent with the flexibility of the group's accommodation stock, particularly the availability of apartment-style units and facilities suited to extended occupancy. The available material does not specify the duration, occupancy, or financial results of these initiatives. In 2021, The Capital expanded through the acquisition of the Fairmont Zimbali Resort. The property was subsequently rebranded as The Capital Zimbali, giving the group a larger leisure-oriented coastal presence in KwaZulu-Natal. Around the same period, Cape Town's 15 on Orange Hotel reopened under The Capital name as The Capital 15 on Orange. These moves broadened the portfolio beyond the group's original urban serviced-apartment emphasis while preserving the wider brand proposition of managed hotel and apartment accommodation. The group is described as operating 12 properties in major South African cities and resort locations. Its business remains focused on combining the services of a hotel with the space and practical amenities of an apartment. The portfolio's mix of metropolitan, business-district, and coastal properties enables it to serve short-stay leisure guests as well as longer-stay corporate and residential-style demand. Public reference material supplied for this entry does not establish a detailed ownership structure, a stock-market listing, current senior-management roster, or a complete chronology of every property opening.
- 2021
Zimbali joins the portfolio
[1]The group acquires the Fairmont Zimbali Resort and later operates it as The Capital Zimbali.
- 2021
15 on Orange reopens under The Capital
[1]Cape Town's 15 on Orange Hotel reopens under the The Capital 15 on Orange name.
- 2018
The Capital On The Park opens
[1]The group opens its reported R500 million flagship property, The Capital On The Park, in Sandton.
- 2008
The Capital is founded
[1]Marc Wachsberger establishes The Capital in South Africa during the global financial crisis, initially using a serviced-apartment conversion model.
Products and positioning
A South African hybrid hospitality brand offering hotel services with the space, privacy, and practical facilities of serviced apartments. The brand is oriented toward business and leisure travelers, including guests requiring extended stays.
Hotel accommodation
Hotel rooms
The Capital properties offer conventional hotel rooms for short- and medium-length stays. These rooms are supported by hotel services such as housekeeping, room service, and access to shared facilities. The precise configuration varies by property, with the portfolio spanning city hotels, business-district locations, and resort-oriented accommodation.
Extended-stay accommodation · 2008
Serviced apartments
Serviced apartments are the defining product of The Capital's hybrid model. They are designed to provide additional living space and residential conveniences, commonly including kitchenettes, while retaining hotel-style management and housekeeping. The format is intended for corporate travelers, families, project teams, relocating guests, and others who need more flexibility than a standard hotel room.
Hospitality services
Business and event facilities
Selected properties provide meeting spaces and related facilities for business travelers, corporate groups, and events. These services extend the brand beyond room accommodation and support its presence in major commercial districts such as Sandton, Rosebank, Menlyn Maine, and central Cape Town.
Resort accommodation · 2021
Leisure resort accommodation
The group's coastal properties, including The Capital Zimbali and The Capital Pearls, add a leisure and resort dimension to its predominantly urban portfolio. These properties combine accommodation with amenities such as pools and other guest facilities, serving holidaymakers as well as longer-stay visitors.
Brand decisions
2021
Acquire the Fairmont Zimbali ResortM&ABackground
The group sought to expand its presence in South Africa's coastal leisure market.
Action taken
The Capital acquired the Fairmont Zimbali Resort and subsequently rebranded it as The Capital Zimbali.
Aftermath
The acquisition added a prominent resort property to the group's national portfolio.
2021
Reopen 15 on Orange under The CapitalProduct launchBackground
The group continued to expand its Cape Town presence through an established upscale hotel property.
Action taken
The 15 on Orange Hotel reopened as The Capital 15 on Orange.
Aftermath
The reopening increased the brand's presence in Cape Town and broadened its city-hotel portfolio.
2018
Develop The Capital On The ParkProduct launchBackground
The group sought to expand its presence in Sandton, Johannesburg, a major commercial and business district.
Action taken
The Capital opened The Capital On The Park as its flagship hotel in 2018.
Aftermath
The opening increased the scale and visibility of the brand's Johannesburg portfolio.
Reported development investment. R500 million (2018)
2008
Adopt an apartment-led hospitality modelStrategyBackground
The group was established during the global financial crisis, when a lower-overhead accommodation format could provide an alternative to conventional hotel development.
Action taken
The Capital converted residential apartments into serviced, hotel-style accommodation and combined apartment facilities with hotel services.
Aftermath
The model became the foundation for a portfolio serving both short-stay and extended-stay guests across South Africa.
- Repurpose properties for pandemic-related accommodationStrategy
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional hotel demand and created demand for isolation, remote work, and recovery accommodation.
Action taken
The group offered long-stay apartments for isolation and remote working and created recovery hotels for COVID-19 patients.
Aftermath
The response demonstrated the flexibility of the group's serviced-apartment inventory, although the available material does not provide measured commercial results.
Recent events
- 2021
The Capital acquires and rebrands Zimbali resort[1]
M&A · Product launch
The group acquired the Fairmont Zimbali Resort and subsequently operated it under the name The Capital Zimbali.
- 2021
The Capital reopens Cape Town's 15 on Orange under its brand[1]
Product launch
The former 15 on Orange Hotel in Cape Town reopened as The Capital 15 on Orange, expanding the group's branded portfolio in the city.
- 2018
The Capital opens flagship On The Park hotel in Sandton[1]
Product launch
The group opened The Capital On The Park in Sandton as a flagship property following a reported R500 million development.
The Capital adapts accommodation for pandemic-related demand[1]
Other
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group used its apartment-oriented model to support long-stay isolation and remote-working accommodation and established recovery hotels for COVID-19 patients.
Sources1 sources
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