Located within the Boardwalk precinct, the development includes 145 hotel rooms and apartments, conferencing facilities, a co-working hub, restaurant, gym and family-friendly leisure spaces, offering guests direct access to the beachfront, casino and shopping centre.
The launch marks The Capital Hotel Group's first property in the Eastern Cape and forms part of the group's broader national growth strategy.
Speaking at the launch event, The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts founder and CEO Marc Wachsberger said the development was designed to address a gap in the local accommodation market.
While Gqeberha has an established hotel sector, Wachsberger believes there has been limited accommodation designed specifically for longer stays.
"There is nothing that really allows someone to stay for two weeks or a month while working on a project, while also having the flexibility to bring family along over weekends," he said.
The aparthotel model combines traditional hotel services with apartment-style accommodation, offering facilities such as kitchens, laundry services and additional living space that appeal to longer-stay guests.
The property includes a range of accommodation options, from standard hotel rooms and studios to multi-bedroom apartments and penthouses.
Beyond accommodation, the development incorporates co-working facilities, conferencing space, leisure amenities and entertainment offerings designed to cater for a range of travel needs.
For Wachsberger, the decision to invest in Gqeberha was driven by confidence in both the city and the Boardwalk precinct.
He described the development as an opportunity to bring a new hospitality experience to the metro while contributing to broader economic activity in the region.
The project has created around 200 jobs and added new conferencing and accommodation capacity to Nelson Mandela Bay's tourism and business events offering.
"Gqeberha has all the ingredients of a rising coastal hub," Wachsberger previously said when announcing the development.
He added: "We see enormous potential in the region not just as a tourism destination, but as a community ready to thrive."
The Capital Boardwalk also reflects broader shifts within the hospitality sector as travellers increasingly blend business and leisure travel.
The aparthotel model is increasingly being adopted globally as travellers seek greater flexibility, particularly when combining work and leisure travel.
As hospitality groups continue exploring growth opportunities outside South Africa's traditional tourism centres, developments such as The Capital Boardwalk signal growing confidence in regional cities and evolving traveller expectations.
All images supplied by The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts
