Nuwe vlieghotel – indrukwekkende kombinasie – dink aan al die spesiale “lugvaart” byeenkomste in die nuwe hotel.
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Social media was abuzz recently when rumours circulating that the plane had landed near Mall of the North, Northern Review Reported on May 17.
The plane was actually being transported to Hoedspruit, to be turned into an aero-hotel.
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The plane reached its destination, Zandspruit Estates this morning, 27 May.
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No, there wasn’t an emergency landing in Polokwane… it’s a hotel
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ZS-BIL (old aircraft registration number) will be placed in the Retail and Commercial development area of Zandspruit Estates, which is along the R 527 provincial road between the entrance of Zandspruit Bush &Aero Estate and Hoedspruit Town. The timeline for the project is estimated at opening round about September / October 2019, but this remains flexible. Pricing per night will be released closer to the opening date, but there will be opening specials and early bird booking bonuses offered.
Hoedspruit was chosen as the location due to it being the home base of Martin and the development company Zandspruit Estates Pty Ltd. Hoedspruit was chosen initially by Martin in 1999, as a quaint rural town where the ultimate lifestyle can be achieved, the perfect balance between quality family life and competitive business. Hoedspruit is a tourism hub and the gateway into the true wildlife region of South Africa. The warm climate of Hoedspruit, its proximity to The Kruger National Park and all the Associated Private Nature reserves, the various internationally acclaimed animal rehabilitation centres, The Blyde Canyon area, the Panorama route, featuring the Gorge lift, the Potholes, the waterfalls all make Hoedspruit an absolute platinum destination in South Africa and heaven to live in.
Martin had been an active and integral part of the development of Hoedspruit, with developments such as Kamogelo Tourism Centre, Khayagelo Village Apartments, Wildfig Apartments as well as the development and building of more than 200 homes and lodges in and around Hoedspruit and its outlying areas.
Aerotel will be an ecologically friendly development, with a low ground coverage percentage and most of the surrounding buildings being steel structures, which are floating on pillared substructures, so as to allow the micro ecosystems to continue to co-exist underneath it. The recycling of the large steel fuselage and wings is also in trend with where development and housing should be going, where innovation and up-cycling of sound structures should be encouraged as opposed to the throw- away, breakdown and buy/build new outlook which lies at the heart of consumerism and the depletion of natural resources on the planet.
The aim is to, where possible, use the authentic internal fittings of the plane in the decoration and styling of the Aerotel, to provide a truly unique experience and ambiance.
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Other planes turned into hotels
The concept, however, isn’t entirely unique.
Back in 2015, Airbnb and Dutch airline KLM kicked-off a new partnership by creating an aircraft apartment at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
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This unique hotel was crafted out of Boeing 747 jumbo jet in 2011. Jumbo Stay is located at Arlanda Airport, in Stockholm, Sweden. It offers free airport bus transportation, free Wi-Fi, and early breakfast. It offers dorm rooms, standard rooms and suites. You can even stay in the ensuite cockpit.
Congratulations with the new project
The brains behind Project Aerotel – Martin den Dunnen, mastermind founder developer of Project Aerotel and Riaan van Niekerk, Project manager and owner of Craft Air, responsible for the external conversion on the Boeing 737-200.
Alles van die beste met die projek!
Aerotel is the idea and brainchild of Martin den Dunnen, business man in Hoedspruit for approximately 20 years, who is a pilot himself. Martin used to have a construction company, property projects and then ventured into land development, where he created Zandspruit Estates. Zandspruit Estates is an integrated, multi faceted development, situated 2 km outside of Hoedspruit, which spans over 2 town extension of Hoedspruit. At the heart of this development is the Bush and Aero Estate, also a first time concept in South Africa, where aviation meets the love for wildlife.
Aviation, love for nature, ecological conscious development all played a role in bringing Aerotel to life. It has been a long time dream of Martin to buy up a plane, to convert it into a living space of some sort, but the timing of all the elements concerned never seemed to come together until around late March this year when the right aeroplane, at the right location, at the right price became available and Martin had the time the project would need to get off the ground.
ONAFHANKLIK 