Amazing photos of Sol Kerzner, his wife and invited guests at the formal opening of his luxury hotel in Cape Town. This is worth a click – just to see who Sol can call ‘friend’.

Some things never change in the life of Sol.

For one, he has always been a party animal. A habit he still can’t shake – no matter how deep the economic downswing. He’s fresh from his Dubai bash and now he wants to do it again in Cape Town in April.

Secondly, this thing he has about completing building projects ahead of schedule has always fascinated me. It’s always been like that – from the days of Sun City in the 80′s, when he skimmed the tree tops with his helicopter every morning on his way from his home in Johannesburg to Sun City to pressurise builders – to his latest project in Cape Town. I’m sure it has contributed more than just a bit to his heart defects. 

Only things he changed regularly were his women (and his underpants, I hope)!

SA hotel magnate Sol Kerzner is about to open his magnificent “billion-dollar baby” (a hotel called Atlantis) in Dubai with a party which will cost him £40 million. 

As can be expected, with the world economy as it is, Kerzner is being criticised for his “extravagance at an inappropriate time”.  

Here is his take on the financial crisis and the criticism.

From TimesOnline: “With the world facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, critics say spending so much money on “a bit of fun” is in spectacularly bad taste. Kerzner shakes his head: “It’s not just about a party. We’re building an icon. And if we can have fun on the way, great. When times are bad, people need to escape even more.”

Banking crisis, what banking crisis?

Sol Kerzner, South Africa’s hotel mogul, will build an even more luxurious hotel adjacent to the recently completed 1,539-room Atlantis The Palm on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The second theme hotel will be called The Cove at Atlantis The Palm, reported a Holtzbrinck publication in Germany today. [Read on]