Things kicked off earlier this week on Twitter when property broker Ash Müller posted that Hotel Sky, with properties in Joburg and Cape Town, had been put up for sale.
A few hours later, her tweet was deleted. Müller then updated her more than 24K followers, saying she had been threatened with legal action by the hotel.
“Prior to publishing any comment on my social media accounts, I dedicate a significant amount of time to conducting thorough fact-checking,” she said.
“I possess official documentation relating to the sale and marketing of properties that I tweet about, which encompasses correspondence, financial statements, and authorised marketing material.
“While I have deemed it unnecessary to disclose this information, I want to assure you of its existence.”
For those wondering why I had to delete the tweets:https://t.co/Y2TFsBRiDR
— Ash Müller (@askashbroker) July 17, 2023
A day after Müller deleted her Hotel Sky post, she returned to social media with a link to a Property Flash article with the headline: “Hotel Sky Sandton looking for a buyer”.
According to the website, news of the sale of Hotel Sky Sandton was confirmed by an unnamed source.
“Property Flash approached Paul Kelley, spokesperson for both hotels,” it stated.
“He said that as a private company, he was approached from time to time about the business’s performance and if it was for sale. His team would consider offers like any other private business would.”
— Ash Müller (@askashbroker) July 18, 2023
Hotel Sky prides itself on being the first hotel in Africa to introduce robot staff.
Lexi, Micah, and Ariel can deliver room service, provide travel information, and carry up to 74kg of luggage each from the marble-floored lobby to the rooms, Travel + Leisure reported.
Following Müller’s updated tweet, the hotel issued a statement on social media: “Hotel Sky affirms its unwavering commitment; NOT FOR SALE.
“Contrary to a Twitter post made by property broker @askashbroker
“We would like to reassure all that we remain devoted to delivering extraordinary experiences.
“ - By Management.”
Hotel Sky affirms its unwavering commitment; NOT FOR SALE.
— Hotel Sky (@HotelSkySA) July 17, 2023
Contrary to a Twitter post made by property broker @askashbroker.
We would like to reassure all that we remain devoted to delivering extraordinary experiences.
- By Management.
Potential hotel guests weren’t impressed with the way the hotel handled the situation.
“Wow! As a potential returning customer, consider yourself off my list for future visits. Not good PR at all…” commented an online user.
Another said: “Are you going to issue an apology if she proves that the hotel is indeed on sale?”