Vladimir Putin’s South African fortress of choice, Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg, is off limits even if the Russian president decides against all odds to visit the country during the upcoming BRICS summit next month.
The official word from the five-star luxury bastion atop an elevated hillside in the city’s prestigious northern suburbs, is that there were longstanding renovations planned, and therefore accommodation would be unavailable, not only for Putin but for everyone else.
According to those close to the BRICS summit preparations, the hotel rejected a booking request from the Russian Embassy because of a “third hand” suspected to be enemies of Russia such as the US.
This week, the hotel neither confirmed nor denied the allegations in the detailed questions sent to it.
Instead, the establishment stated that it was undergoing planned renovations to give it a facelift until mid-September, meaning no space for the Russian president.
“Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Johannesburg, is a popular destination for leisure travellers and groups alike. As part of our commitment to an exceptional guest experience, we are undertaking a $20-million enhancement project, which began in June 2023,” said Martin Cody, regional vice-president and general manager of the hotel.
“This extensive renovation, which has been planned for several years, will result in a partial closure of the Hotel from 17 July until 15 September 2023. These improvements are part of our ongoing investment in the property and reflect our deep commitment to Johannesburg.”
But according to sources, the Russians took offence when their booking attempt was rejected. This especially because Putin was a loyal hotel
customer during the 2018 BRICS summit in SA.
According to soures, the Kremlin officials were so enraged by the hotel that they took up the matter with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco). Head of public diplomacy Clayson Monyela said he was unaware of the alleged complaint, but added that Dirco would not entertain such a complaint because accommodation matters are a private matter between the hotel and whoever seeks their assistance.
“I do not think I understand how this becomes an issue or matter for Dirco to be expected to deal with. Hotels are private entities,” said Monyela.
“The government has no say or influence as to who they take on as clients or whose bookings they reject and for what reason.”
Sources said Putin preferred to stay at the hotel, located on Jan Smut Avenue, for strategic and easy access to the M1 highway if one is headed north or south of Joburg.
He was accommodated there in 2018 during the BRICS summit. Sunday World learnt that during that time, he turned the floor he stayed on upside down, replacing everything from furniture to doors as a security measure.
However, his coming to SA this time around remains in doubt owing to the arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The South African government has been racing against time to find a workable solution to resolve the impasse to avoid finding itself in a position to
arrest Putin next month.
Other options on the table include SA ceding its hosting rights to China or India, both of which are not members of the ICC. The Russian Embassy had not responded to questions at the time of writing.
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