Reading Peter Venison’s Sol is like being ushered into a private audience with a hotelier who changed the very fabric of the hospitality industry. It’s not merely a biography—it’s a masterclass in vision, risk, and the pursuit of excellence. For those of us who teach hospitality and live the business of creating experiences, the book is both an inspiration and a challenge.

As someone who has spent much of his life in and around hotels, I found Venison’s portrayal of Sol Kerzner refreshingly candid. It confirms what many of us already knew: Kerzner wasn’t just a hotel developer; he was a showman, an artist, and, at times, a dictator of detail. He redefined what it meant to deliver luxury—not as something cold or gilded, but as something imaginative, theatrical, and deeply immersive.

Lessons from a Legend

In teaching hospitality management, I often use Sol Kerzner as a case study—not just because of his global success, but because of the distinct philosophy that underpinned every property he developed. In a lesson plan I’ve used with students, I outlined the specific pillars of Kerzner’s thinking, and reading Sol only reaffirmed their relevance today:

• "The entrance must be spectacular." This wasn’t about ego—it was about storytelling from the moment a guest arrived. Think Atlantis The Palm, where the grandeur of the entryway sets the tone for an otherworldly experience.
• Breakfast as a loyalty builder. Kerzner knew the power of a meal shared in the morning sun. His international buffets weren’t about indulgence alone; they were about creating memory and identity for a brand.
• Hotels as destinations. At Sun City, Kerzner didn’t just build a hotel; he built an entertainment empire. The Valley of Waves, the casino, the international concerts—these weren’t extras; they were core to his philosophy of hospitality.
• No soft openings. To Kerzner, you launched like a rocket or not at all. His $20 million opening party for Atlantis Dubai—with fireworks visible from space—set a new bar for industry spectacle.
• Every room with a sea view. At Le Saint Géran, he demanded ocean-facing rooms not because it was easy, but because it was right. He understood that view is experience—and experience is everything.

A Culture of Relentless Excellence

Kerzner’s philosophy wasn’t all show—it was grit and graft. He believed in hands-on supervision, in hiring the best and expecting everything, and in treating staff not only as assets but as co-conspirators in excellence. This wasn't an easy culture, but it was one where talent thrived and mediocrity had no place.

Reading Sol, you’re reminded of how few hoteliers truly build legacies. Most manage. A few innovate. But Kerzner? He imagined. From a barren island in the Bahamas, he envisioned Atlantis. From apartheid-era South Africa, he created a destination that transcended politics and geography.

 

Beyond the Man

Venison doesn’t shy away from Kerzner’s flaws: his single-mindedness, his personal struggles, his unrelenting standards. But these, too, are part of the lesson. Hospitality isn’t about perfection—it’s about passion. And Sol Kerzner had that in abundance.

As I reflect on the book and the man, I’m left with the same conviction I’ve tried to pass on to my students: that true innovation in our field comes not from following trends, but from daring to dream big, and then building that dream—brick by marble-laden brick.

Sol is a tribute not just to a person, but to an era in hospitality that dared to believe the guest experience could always be more. And for those of us still in the industry, it’s a call to imagine better.

References

Kerzner, S. (Profile Summary). (n.d.). How Kerzner revolutionised how we look at and run hotels [Lesson Plan]. The Swiss Hotel School South Africa.

Venison, P. (2024). Sol. Johannesburg:

IOL. (2025, March 28). Inside the world of Sol Kerzner: Peter Venison’s riveting memoir reveals all. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://iol.co.za/entertainment/books/2025-03-28-inside-the-world-of-sol-kerzner-peter-venisons-riveting-memoir-reveals-all/