A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STORY BEHIND THE GENESIS OF THE COLOSSEUM
ESTABLISHMENT
The establishment was built in 1879 by E K Green, a liquor company and subsequently sold to Mr Hymie Sacks. In the early days it was a popular watering hole for many Indian farmers (mainly market gardeners) who passed by, especially when they returned from the market after selling their produce. Their chief means of transport in those days was horse and cart as depicted in a photo taken at the time.
LINKEY MOODLEY TAKE-OVER
The Britannia Hotel was bought by Linkey Moodley in 1983.
Since Linkey’s takeover in 1983 (at the age of 28 years), he grew the patronage of the hotel through continuous innovative refurbishment. The hotel needed a complete overhaul to rid it of its outdated facilities. These included increasing the number of rooms from 14 to 27, establishing a restaurant and café, moving the liquor store from the hotel to a busy street in the city, building an exquisite sports bar with big screens which is the home of the official Liverpool Football Club and the establishment of The Colosseum, an events venue which is the epitome of timeless beauty and elegance!
For Linkey the establishment of the Colosseum marks the culmination of his 43-year journey in the hotel industry, but more importantly, it marks the testimony of his artistic imagination, from the perspective of being both an artist and a sculptor.
THE COLOSSEUM: FOR THE CONNOISSEUR
The Colosseum is an intimate venue for the Connoisseur, whose taste for sophistication and appreciation for the arts is fundamentally important to him as a unique way of celebrating life!
As such, its appeal is for a niche market, for those who want to paint their memories on a blank canvas within the confines of an iconic, timeless, and palatial setting. The vision behind its creation lies in the appreciation of the architectural wonder of the ancient amphitheater and the artistic wizardry of many sculptors and artists from the renaissance period, notably Michael Angelo.
To this end, The Colosseum Durban showcases the marble statue of David which rotates gradually on a plinth, and artistic murals on its domed-shaped ceilings reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome. There’s the marble statue of Isis the Roman goddess and Plato the philosopher amongst the other statues.
The entire design of the Colosseum was done by Linkey and together with a few gifted artists, rolled out his vision into tangible reality. The result is a timeless, dated venue of unparalleled beauty in scope and form. It’s a legacy to the imaginative prowess of Linkey and will be graced by those gifted enough to celebrate their life’s events here and to the business and corporate world, to add to their stature by choosing The Colosseum for conferencing, meetings, and/or important events.
