South Africa, Cape Town, Newlands, March 2009; THE 6-acres of serene gardens at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa are much enjoyed by international and local guests at this deluxe Cape hotel that is situated on the banks of the Liesbeeck River. Apart from an abundance of bird life, the gardens are also home to a special collection of indigenous Leopard tortoises.

According to Lex Petousis, Operations Director, the first tortoise found its way on to the hotel property approximately 15 years ago, via a neighbour who could no longer look after her. Her name was Gloria and soon word got around that the hotel�s gardens had become a sanctuary for tortoises that could no longer stay with their original owners.

Currently, the Vineyard Hotel & Spa is home to three (3) large tortoises weighing in the region of 30 to 40 kilograms each, the oldest being approximately 85 years old. There are also three (3) smaller ones around half the size of their older �siblings�.

The three (3) large tortoises� names are Gloria, Herbert and Thomas, the latter being a fairly recent newcomer to the hotel. The tortoises have their own specialist vet in Dr Oakly of Fishhoek, luckily to date only one of them has had to pay a visit overnight on one occasion.

On 6 February 2003, Herbert went on an extended �walk-about� for seven (7) days much to the anxiety of the hotel�s management and staff. Articles appeared in the local Cape Argus and Tatler papers and after many reported sightings in the vicinity of Newlands Forest, Herbert was finally found and reunited with his one true-love, Gloria on the eve of Valentine�s Day.

One of the tortoises fell in the Liesbeeck River once and luckily was spotted and plucked out by one of the hotel�s many gardeners. Leopard Tortoises are actually quite happy to go for the occasional swim and the hotel�s collection can often be seen going for cooling dips in the garden�s many water features. The older tortoises have also taken a liking to disappear down one of the hotel passages on the ground floor and it would not be unusual to notice a luggage trolley emerge from the hotel passages with a tortoise on board having been collected from the furthest corner of the hotel. The tortoises have also been known to �gate-crash� a wedding or two in the hotel�s adjoining conference centre.

The tortoises have quite a long and vocal vociferous mating season. A regular young summer visitor to the hotel by the name of Isaac who hails from the United Kingdom once came running into the hotel urgently seeking the Guest Relations Manager Cheryl Marock. Upon finding her in the Foyer, Isaac excitedly shouted, �Cheryl, Cheryl the tortoises are fighting�!� Needless to say, they were not fighting but simply �busy�.

All together, the hotel�s tortoises are an integral part of what the hotel is all about. They are the first thing visiting children go looking for when they arrive here on holiday and as Roy Davies, General Manager comments, �our four-legged friends of a different kind help to create that special relaxed and friendly atmosphere that we have created over the many years.�

-Ends-

For comment contact Roy Davies, General Manager of the Vineyard Hotel & Spa via (27) (21) 657 4500 or roy@vineyard.co.za.

The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is privately owned and family operated. It is a world-class deluxe hotel situated in Cape Town�s suburb of Newlands and offers 175 recently refurbished and stylish rooms, an award winning conference venue, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and Angsana Spa, the Square Restaurant and now Myoga. The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is also a mere 15 minutes from the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town International Airport and the city centre.

For information contact; David C. Hickman Impact Sales & Marketing International Representative Office - United Kingdom, Ireland & Scandinavia 16 Hanover Square Mayfair London W1S 1HT United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7659 1208 Fax: +44 20 7659 1209 Cell: +44 777 178 5650 E-mail: vineyard@impactsales-int.com