For sale: Cape inn that has hosted celebs since 1779
HOUW Hoek Inn’s first published food review came from none other than Lady Anne Barnard, who stayed over in 1798. The British socialite, and wife of the colonial secretary of the Cape, described dinner as a “repast for an Emperor”.
Today South Africa’s oldest hotel, in Grabouw in the Western Cape, is on the market. Owner Paul Rodenbach is in search of a buyer who will maintain the character and heritage of the establishment, which dates back to 1779. Equally important is that the staff should be looked after by the new owners.
“I’ve been here 24 years and some staff started with me. So I am part of their family and they are part of my family,” said Rodenbach.
It is time to move on for Rodenbach, who studied hotel management in Switzerland, and for his brother Stephane.
Their children are not interested in taking the reins. The brothers and their five siblings moved to South Africa from France when their parents bought the hotel in 1990.
They gave the place “more than a face lift”, adding 20 rooms to the existing 29, creating conference facilities and revamping staff accommodation. Stephane even dug through the National Archives to look up the history of the place.
Rodenbach said the farmer who first owned the property was inundated with requests from travellers in need of a place to stay and eventually the inn was born.
This description of the famous visitor’s stay was published in The Cape journals of Lady Anne Barnard 1797-1798: “Being extremely hungry, we ate up part of their dinner with them, to which they had added some boiled fowls, which, with plenty of potatoes and good butter, was a repast for an Emperor.”
Lady Lucie Duff-Gordon also
REVAMPED: Paul Rodenbach at Houw Hoek Inn, where a Mrs and Mr Kaplan, right, enjoyed a stay in 1914 recorded her experience in 1861 — 27 years after the inn got its liquor licence.
“The chops were excellent, ditto bread and butter, and the tea tolerable,” she wrote.
The property is filled with relics such as the wooden toilet throne for women, the original bar and one of the largest and oldest blue-gum trees in the country.
Bernard Raphoto, a manager who started working as a waiter in 1991, said he had met modernday celebrities at the hotel, including rugby Springbok Jean de Villiers.
Brendine Smit started working in the kitchen 17 years ago and later was promoted to receptionist.
“I love interacting with all the people, especially the regulars who are always happy to see you,” said Smit.
The hotel hosts more than 100 weddings and conferences ev- ery year.
George Joubert, from Greeff Properties, said the sale would be by tender: potential buyers will submit offers in sealed envelopes. On September 30 the owners will open the envelopes, in the presence of the agent and a lawyer, and will chose an acceptable offer.
With old places such as Houw Hoek Inn there are often rumours of ghosts in the hallways, but Rodenbach laughed at the suggestion.
He said he had heard of a Henry who had taken a liking to the hotel, but had never seen him. Lady Anne Barnard, however, is said to wander the Castle of Good Hope to this day.