Sun Vacation Club introduces new General Manager
As Sun Vacation Club expands, the popular self-catering accommodation offering at Sun City has appointed Michelle Dutton as General Manager.
“Last year’s introduction of 58 five-star Lefika Villas saw the need to integrate Vacation Club – which now spans over 7.2km – with the other resort departments in a more strategic way,” said Sun City Resort General Manager, Brett Hoppé.
In her role, Dutton has seven departments reporting to her, and is responsible for the overall running of the popular self-catering Vacation Club, and the leadership and development of the product and the staffing teams. She will oversee collaboration between Vacation Club and various departments such as IT and maintenance as well as sustainability projects. “I look forward to growing the Sun Vacation Club brand and offering our guests something new and exciting,” Dutton said. With a long spreadsheet of projects on the go and in the making, guests can expect to see changes in the year ahead. “We are rebranding with a new look and feel; The Reserve is starting a three-year refurbishment while The Aviary will have a soft refurbishment.” The outdoor leisure activities including the putt putt course and the outdoor gym will also enjoy a refresh.
Dutton’s early career was spent on a golfing estate in the United States, where she worked her way up to become F&B Manager. She holds a Higher Diploma in International Hospitality Management and a Food and Beverage Diploma from the International Hotel School and American Hotel and Lodging Association and just completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Management through Mancosa.
Her promotion came in the month of her 10th anniversary with Sun International, where she has held various F&B roles at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom and was part of the Time Square opening team. Dutton has been at Sun City for the past five years, as F&B Manager for the Sun City Hotel and acting Hotel Manager during the pandemic. Her most recent role was Hospitality Service and Analytics Manager, where she was responsible for learning and development of the Resort’s flexible workforce. “When I started, we had 150 flexible workers all drawn from the local community who were trained for jobs across Sun City such as waiters and porters, and when I left, we had 450 as operational demand grew. The aim was to have these people hired within the Resort in various roles including receptionists, and being able to create employment was extremely satisfying,” Dutton said. As part of the core organising team for the Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC), she was responsible for all food and beverage structural items for the tournament and said it had been a highlight to execute an event of such a high standard. “The NGC has been renewed for another three years, a testament to the great teamwork and success the event has seen.”
“Michelle is an established member of the Sun City team and I wish her well in her new roles as she continues to add value to our ever-changing offering,” said Hoppé.
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