PULSE Investments has launched business and wedding centres at its Villa Ronai, St Andrew property in an attempt to meet what it considers to be underserviced demand for corporate functions and wedding space in a 'resort' setting not out of town.
The fashion and real estate company stated that it wants to "capitalise on the unique beauty and lush topography" of the Villa Ronai property, located in Stony Hill, roughly a 15 to 20-minute drive from Half-Way-Tree.
"The facility is really a way of realising an increased return on many millions of investments made over the past few years," Pulse boss Kingsley Cooper told the Business Observer yesterday.
Cooper stated that the company was "investing fairly modestly" in the project, with the investment including new building space, refurbished space and multi-media equipment.
The Business Centre is located in new facilities within the main building, while the Wedding Centre utilises the entertainment deck and gardens, Cooper said, noting that the spaces are "to some extent" interchangeable.
The total space, including breakout rooms, total in excess of 3,000 square feet, and there is additional semi-enclosed garden space that will also be used for weddings and other non-business events, he added.
The Business Centre can accommodate up to 150 persons while the wedding area can fit up to 300 persons, Cooper said.
With the Business Centre, Pulse stated that it is looking to attract corporate functions such as training sessions, retreats, workshops, medium-sized conferences and other meetings.
"Specially targeted are events that would normally be held out of town at resort locations. Villa Ronai provides that ambience, yet it is only five minutes from Manor Park, thus allowing the best of both worlds — 'no commute' convenience, as well as resort look and feel," the company said in a press release.
While weddings are not new to Villa Ronai — it has been featured as a destination wedding location by wedding publication, The Knot — Pulse announced that there will now be a "consistent push" to attract key wedding business.
As a complement to business meetings and weddings, the company said that it will look to enhance its general Villa Ronai events business, which has always been a feature of the property.
"Cocktails, product launches, dinners, anniversaries and similar events have been held there since the 1990s and will be one of the business lines to be promoted as part of this new thrust. A key factor that is relevant to the Villa Ronai long-term lease and event rental business, is the fact that a high percentage of revenues represents net cash income, much of it going directly to the company's bottom line," the company stated.
The new Business and Wedding Centre is part of a wider development project by Cooper on the property, which he acquired in the 1990s. The five-year project is expected to be completed by 2014.
It is currently home to two businesses, Japanese restaurant Majestic Sushi and the Everblazin Bar, Lounge and Boutique launched there by Italian entrepreneur Milica Pesic two weeks ago.
The wider Villa Ronai project is scheduled to be opened in early December of this year and at that time is expected to also feature a new bistro as well as a second restaurant, according to Pulse.
The fashion and real estate company stated that it wants to "capitalise on the unique beauty and lush topography" of the Villa Ronai property, located in Stony Hill, roughly a 15 to 20-minute drive from Half-Way-Tree.
"The facility is really a way of realising an increased return on many millions of investments made over the past few years," Pulse boss Kingsley Cooper told the Business Observer yesterday.
Cooper stated that the company was "investing fairly modestly" in the project, with the investment including new building space, refurbished space and multi-media equipment.
The Business Centre is located in new facilities within the main building, while the Wedding Centre utilises the entertainment deck and gardens, Cooper said, noting that the spaces are "to some extent" interchangeable.
The total space, including breakout rooms, total in excess of 3,000 square feet, and there is additional semi-enclosed garden space that will also be used for weddings and other non-business events, he added.
The Business Centre can accommodate up to 150 persons while the wedding area can fit up to 300 persons, Cooper said.
With the Business Centre, Pulse stated that it is looking to attract corporate functions such as training sessions, retreats, workshops, medium-sized conferences and other meetings.
"Specially targeted are events that would normally be held out of town at resort locations. Villa Ronai provides that ambience, yet it is only five minutes from Manor Park, thus allowing the best of both worlds — 'no commute' convenience, as well as resort look and feel," the company said in a press release.
While weddings are not new to Villa Ronai — it has been featured as a destination wedding location by wedding publication, The Knot — Pulse announced that there will now be a "consistent push" to attract key wedding business.
As a complement to business meetings and weddings, the company said that it will look to enhance its general Villa Ronai events business, which has always been a feature of the property.
"Cocktails, product launches, dinners, anniversaries and similar events have been held there since the 1990s and will be one of the business lines to be promoted as part of this new thrust. A key factor that is relevant to the Villa Ronai long-term lease and event rental business, is the fact that a high percentage of revenues represents net cash income, much of it going directly to the company's bottom line," the company stated.
The new Business and Wedding Centre is part of a wider development project by Cooper on the property, which he acquired in the 1990s. The five-year project is expected to be completed by 2014.
It is currently home to two businesses, Japanese restaurant Majestic Sushi and the Everblazin Bar, Lounge and Boutique launched there by Italian entrepreneur Milica Pesic two weeks ago.
The wider Villa Ronai project is scheduled to be opened in early December of this year and at that time is expected to also feature a new bistro as well as a second restaurant, according to Pulse.
