VISION
Successful hospitality initiatives, representing a generous spread of exclusive product in key tourist destinations strategically placed throughout Southern Africa.
MISSION
To achieve success through the application of our professional management, sound financial strategies, specialist sales, marketing and reservations divisions supported by the dedication of a team of professionals who not only drive the business development but that also include green-field development and existing product turnarounds.
Practice sound and ethical business standards
- Provide constant business opportunities for our partners
- Respect and protect the environment
- Deliver quality service
- Meet the changing needs and desires of our customers
- Maintaining and growing your brand
- Maintaining and enhancing Business reputations built on solid relationships
- Four and Five star boutique properties that complement our portfolio geographically and where our values of service, quality and attention to detail are matched.
- How do we apply our process?
- Undertake a sales and marketing analysis
- Determine sales and marketing requirements
- Prepare a gap analysis
- Implement the conclusions through sound communications and sales activities in the appropriate markets, which would include; the International, National, Leisure, MICE, Corporate and Conference Markets
- Ensure that Operations delivers on the Extraordinary Expectation
- Our domestic, regional and international footprint
- Sales offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban with affiliate relationships in India
- Synergies offered by our client portfolio
- Latest technology applied to our central reservations
- Our commitment to hospitality and the growth of tourism as we own and operate three diverse products in the Portfolio
What We Offer
Trust Extraordinary with its unique solution to Management, Sales, Marketing and Reservations for Hotels, Resorts and Lodges in Southern Africa. We specialise in creating incremental business for our partners and offers a wide range of services within the travel industry.
Extraordinary was launched in 2009 to fulfill a gap in the market, setting itself apart by focusing on small hospitality groups, portfolios and independent four- and five-star properties with the objective of providing a well-balanced geographical spread of product in Southern Africa.
Our domestic, regional and international footprint ensures excellent penetration into a myriad of market segments to which we promote our collection. The company has sales offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, South Africa, with affiliate relationships in India.
We pride ourselves upon being abreast of cutting-edge technology to deliver easier fulfillment of your needs and a focused approach; our broad experience and personal contacts and the synergies offered by our client portfolio.
The strategy for Extraordinary encompasses a management plan, marketing analysis, conception and implementation, communications, sales services in the International, National, Leisure, MICE, Corporate and Conference markets.
Our goal is to achieve success for hospitality initiatives with our professional management and financial structure and specialist sales, marketing and reservations divisions.
Our intention is to grow this exclusive management and marketing company to encompass a generous spread of product in key tourism destinations and offer our clients the security of being exclusive in their various locations. To accomplish this we are proud to unveil a dedicated team of professionals who drive the business development division that includes a full service including green-field development and existing product turnarounds.
We guarantee that the quality of our business services is exceptionally competitive.
Tourism is home for us! We develop strategic concepts for organisations and companies within the travel sector and implement them effectively for you.
The team members at Extraordinary are experts in their field. The long-time market knowledge, international and local experience and personal contacts make us an ideal partner for you. We support you in the following areas:
- Marketing: Analysis, conception and implementation
- PR/ Communications
- Sales and GSA services – International, National, Leisure, Mice, Corporate and Conference
- A fully staffed sales office
- Business development
- Reservations office based in Johannesburg
Our Core Competencies:
- 20 years of travel industry knowledge focused on hospitality
- Personal contacts with decision makers of the most influential companies
- Tailor-made concepts and solutions according to your requirements and budget
- Strategic and operational implementation of exceptional ideas
- We will represent you as a member of your brand
MEET OUR TEAM
Jaishankar Ramchandran is Extraordinary’s Group Chief Executive Officer. Having attained his Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce in India in 1985 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987, Jaishankar’s 20 years of international strategy and financial management experience perfectly complement the company’s objectives.
Robert Appelbaum is a non-executive Director of Extraordinary and a Partner at Webber Wentzel. He has 30 years experience in mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures and other corporate transactional work. Robert is also the Head of the South Asia Group, a dedicated team focusing on inbound investment from South Asia/India into the African continent.
Cindy Sheedy Walker began her career in the travel industry in 1987, and has been in the resort, cruise line and airline sectors in a sales and marketing environment. With over 20 years in the industry, Cindy has developed excellent business relationships and numerous successful partnerships worldwide within the travel trade. She has been with Extraordinary since its inception in 2010.
Wouter Pienaar, the General Manager of Operations, has been in the hospitality industry since 1997, with a distinct focus on game lodge management. He had the opportunity to open one of the first game lodge concessions in the Kruger National Park in 2002 and became the General Manager of Mabula Game Lodge thereafter. From 2008, Wouter has been the group General Manager for Extraordinary Resorts with a distinct focus on the Game Lodge portfolio of the group.
With over 15 years’ experience in Game Lodge management, Extraordinary offers Operational Management Structures that will ensure optimal management of the operations of the lodges, resorts and hotels in our collection. We also have extensive knowledge and experience with lodge development and refurbishment, enabling us to enhance the properties in our exclusive collection.
Our team offers professional Human Resources Management, including Industrial Relations and Hospitality Sectoral Determination. We offer an efficient Recruitment solution, as well as access to the group procurement structures.
We pride ourselves in effective quality control management, as well as providing comprehensive monthly and annual reporting to property owners. Our professional services include managing OHSA requirements, providing a detailed annual business plan to owners, and effective cost controls to ensure highest possible profitability.
One of the many benefits of being part of a bigger group is access to preferential insurance rates. We also offer guest satisfaction survey management with guest questionnaires and electronic feedback systems.
One of our strengths is our established and proficient financial management team. We provide a full financial function including monthly balance sheet, weekly cash flow management and monthly financial reporting to owners. We also have access to preferred interest rates, and preferred credit card rates.
Our overall methodology is to provide effective operation management of lodges, resorts and hotels, including managing staff to ensure optimum guest satisfaction, as well as providing a holistic business management solution to ensure prime returns for shareholders.
Marketing extends far further than placing advertising; it creates the entire structure for your property or properties.
Our objective at Extraordinary is to analyse, develop and implement strategic concepts with you, combining adequate communication tools and a marketing mix to set you apart.
Strategic Marketing
- Marketing and competitor analysis
- SWOT analysis
- Analysis of demand and market position
- Product analysis
- Development strategy
Operational Marketing
- Advertising and media
- Media planning and co-ordination
- Placement and negotiation of ads
- Product Management
- Translation and adoption of marketing materials where required
- Research and product development
- Assistance with the selection of partners and contracting for the best exposure
- Electronic Marketing including direct marketing and cross marketing
- Event handling of launches, and other networking events
- Stand assistance for travel shows in the organization, design, contracting and finalising of all details pre show
- Assistance on budget planning
Our central Reservations office is based in Johannesburg
- Our reservations system, E-Res, has API links to key tour operators and online booking engines
- The reservations system is compatible with Opera
- Extraordinary manages online reservations and channel markets
Our long-time personal contacts within the travel industry make us an ideal partner to implement your sales strategy.
Our approach is to assess in detail and critique your current sales activities. Detailed targets and tracking mechanisms are implemented to ensure that you enjoy the maximum returns on your sales investment. In conjunction with you we develop strategies to increase your business with established partnerships and to grow new market segments through alternative sales channels.
The achievement of your sales strategies is achieved by means of tour operator contracting and sales trips to the markets. Our current international network includes USA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Middle East, United Kingdom and South America. Selected international workshops and trade shows may be attended on behalf of your company based on an identified and confirmed budget in advance.
The local and regional markets are covered in all key cities and neighboring countries. Sales trips to the regions and selected workshops will ensure maximum exposure within the relevant market segment.
We look forward to supporting you in the international and retail leisure sectors as well as the corporate travel and MICE sector.
Strategic sales:
- Analysis of current sales activities
- Development of a strategic sales plan
- Research and development of alternative sales channels
Implementation:
- Sales calls including customer care
- Acquisition of new clients, contracting, handling of requests
- Sales Blitz
- Client support
- Opening of alternate sales channels
- Familiarisation trips
- Sales Promotions
- Product training, seminars and workshops
- Trade shows and roadshows
- Events: briefing, planning and execution of special projects
- Direct Mailings and Newsletters
Controlling:
- Analysis of response and statistics
- Budget planning and administration
